The popularity of the hatchback
The hatchback concept was born in the USA as early as the 1930s. It’s a derivative of the truck, or as we grandly call it today the ‘state’.
A hatchback is a design that allows the car’s cabin to be integrated with the trunk. The trunk is accessed through a lift-up tailgate at the rear of the car, allowing easy access to the cargo area. Most hatchbacks have rear seats that can tilt forward toward the driver to allow additional cargo space. Modern derivatives of the hatchback have rear seats that can be split and tipped forward thereby creating additional cargo space, but retaining a passenger seat or creating space for long items to be loaded into the trunk of the car. The cargo area is generally protected from any outside view by a parcel shelf that lifts up with the door to provide access to the cargo area. Modern hatchback cars mainly come from Asian and European manufacturers and today this car design is mainly applied to small and medium cars. Although the design style originates from the 1930s, the term ‘hatchback’ was only coined in the 1970s.
A hatchback can have three doors or five, depending on the manufacturer and model, and has a so-called ‘two box’ design, which means that the engine compartment is a box and the cabin and cargo area form the second box. Sedan cars follow a three-box layout, being the engine compartment, the cabin, and the trunk. Most hatchback designs allow an A, B, and C-pillar design, but there are some designs that also employ a D-pillar.
There are many examples of hatchbacks, both old and new, some of which are the most famous both as a brand and as a specific car. The British hot hatch of the sixties and seventies was the dream of many young people. The original version only had a small engine, but it was warmed up at the factory to provide tremendous performance for a car so small, that to boot, it attracted girls like bees to honey. However, there was also a quiet version to suit the stiff upper lip of the kind British people. Another British sports car manufacturer introduced a hatchback version, which for years was the benchmark for sports cars. The original English hatchback is back today in much the same cheeky design, but now it has emerged almost as a “designer car” rather than cheeky; fun 60s version. The essential accessory that came standard on the original version is now only available as an option. Yes, you guessed it right, it was the twin stripe (in gold!) That ran along the famous green British racing body. Unfortunately, my girlfriend loved my car with the gold stripes more than I did, so we had to set off on spinning wheels in search of a new girlfriend!
Today, the hatchback market is dominated by Asian and European design, but it is as popular as ever with the car-crazy South African public.
