Not for skitching ?

I just call them overriders. I’ve heard them called towel bars and even “plumber’s delight bumpers”.

I always call them nerf bars, but I can’t remember exactly where I got that. Some microcars had hilarious ones in U.S. guise like this American ‘Schmitt.

Have some on my Vespa.

Renault 4 also had something like that, although a bit more subtle. Does anyone know if this was an extra or something? Or was it specific to certain models/trim levels? They were sold both with and without them and I never really stopped to think about it.

and in Chicago (among other places I’m sure)

These seem to have been fairly common on 1940 Chevrolets

You have a few different ones here. Some of those are badge bars (like this) where you can put badges or lights.

It is to help with shuffle parking. You know, when you have to get into a slot too small, and need to nudge the car in front and behind up a bit. It makes sure that, if the other cars are different height, their bumper does not ride up over yours and scratch your paintwork. I’m not joking, that is how some people park…

Not just for european imports in the US. Here is a photo of an argentinean Dodge Coronado, early model, looks just like the ‘69 my father owned. It was the luxury version of the local Dodge Polara, which in turn was based on the 4th generation american Dodge Dart. No relation to the american Dodge Polara or the…

I always called them Grill (or Grille) Guards. My dads MGA has one and its official name is “Grille Guard/Badge Bar”. It’s official purpose was to protect the nice shiney fragile chrome grill on low European cars from being bashed in by higher up larger American car bumpers. Secondary purpose was to mount pointless…

I’m an old, so I’ve only ever know them as overriders. I would thing the idea was to prevent some damage where a bumper wouldn’t be at the same height of another vehicle’s bumper back before federally mandated heights were a thing. Usually they inflicted more damage but could also be early warning to prevent far more…

Haha, that’s an Argentine spec Citroen 3CV (local name for the 600 cc 2CV)... More specifically registered in the Mendoza province (hence the letter M) in pre-1995 license plate design. You don’see many on the road. Notice the center “U”shape in the overrider, probably for both aesthetics and to allow the “emergency”…

That’s nothing. Motorcycles have gone insane with these things.

Are we still anthropomorphizing cars? ‘Cause if so, that’s a mustache.

Here’s my take on it.

Bull or Push Bars

The Free Dictionary defines bumper “overriders” as:

Those are for when you go shopping.