In automotive circles, whenever someone mentions the term “body kits”, I automatically think: “The Green Eclipse from the Fast and the Furious Movie” or something to that effect. But can it be that in my biased account of this term I’ve unknowingly discounted all other points of views? Possibly: So here, sprawled out in my verbal offering is as unbiased a representation can be for those who either share in my similar recollection or to those who put that proverbial racing shoe on the other foot.

The term “Body Kit,” as it is affectionately known by enthusiasts of cars that sit low to the ground, or exhaust systems that sound like a prime candidate for the next American Idol; can alternately be referred to as but not limited to: Aprons, Lips, Ground Effects, Spoilers, and yes even Bumper Kits. And they serve many purposes ranging from air flow to engine cooling assistance. But for the most part many would argue that their body kit just plain makes their car look cool.

Before I delve any further into my foray on the topic, let’s take a moment and try to figure out where this all started. By popular knowledge Jim Hall gets the nod as pioneer of the modern day Body Kits. Mr. Hall, a racecar driver from the 60’s discovered that an edge can be held over his opponents by way of improving the aerodynamics of the car. His success may in part be credited to his engineering experience at Chevrolet and Firestone. Hall’s Chaparral Cars were the crème de la crème of aerodynamic race cars and were so for an entire decade. As far as I am concerned, if your Acura has a body kit today, you have Jim Hall to thank for it.

Now with that bit of history out of the way, I want to take a moment and examine the Body Kits of today and the cars they adorn. The modern vehicles are designed with both form and function in mind (or I should at least hope they are).

Companies that make products like Duraflex or VFiber are constantly producing new styles for new and old cars alike. Not merely for these cars to look better, or different (although individuality is certainly a viable aspect). These kits are made to help your car with things like down force, cooling, and drag coefficient. Arbitrarily speaking, let’s say you have an Acura RSX, and you have a VFiber Kit on it, along with a VIS Carbon Fiber hood. Those parts serve to help your car perform more efficiently on many levels. But not many of you know that without an afore named race car driving engineer from Chevrolet in the 60’s, that body kit you see on your Acura may be nothing more than an unrealized pipe dream born from an unfulfilled necessity.

Will I still think of the Acura RSXs, Integras, or a certain green Mitsubishi Eclipse when I hear the phrase Body Kit? Maybe for the time being; But a growing partiality to American muscle and European luxury cars may soon change all that. A Body Kit is universal, and it performs its duties regardless of what country that car was made in. Thanks to men like Jim Hall; a “Body Kit” will one day have the same essence in all our eyes, not to mention all our cars.