There was a time when one could reliably expect, with only a few exceptions, the entire external surface of a car from the rear-view mirrors down to the rocker panels to present nothing to the eye but painted sheetmetal. Perhaps there was a rub strip over the doors, but that’s it. Today, it’s increasingly likely that you’ll find some acreage of plastic below the beltline, if not higher, with highly variable results as far as styling enhancement or dehancement goes.
The stylistic success or failure of body cladding is all in the eye of the beholder, of course, and one person’s “I dig that body kit” is another’s “Dude’s car looks like a sneaker.” And that brings us to today’s ask: What cars would you induct into the Body Cladding Hall Of Fame? (Related: I can only imagine what such a Hall of Fame would look like).
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Let’s consider some of the standouts in the plastic-clad category, in no particular order. As seen in the topshot, the Isuzu Vehicross looms large with its bulbous skirting, looking sort of like it’s riding in an inner tube. Bonus points for the dotted line of hardware along the top edge (is it functional?) to further signal added-on-ness, as if the stark contrast between body color and plastic-black weren’t enough. And yet, I love it.
The Chevy Avalanche earns a spot in the Hall of Fame with its in-your-face cladding. In addition to the two-tone look it provides, Chevy turned up the tough with what appear to be five teeth and a substantial set of gums spanning the side doors. Cool, I guess?
If the look wasn’t for you, good news: Chevy also offered the ‘Lanche “WBH,” Without Body Hardware, resulting in the considerably smoother, more sedate look above.
Pontiac probably deserves its own wing in the Hall of Fame, with the armor-wearing Aztek as a standout example. But let’s not sleep on Pontiac’s sedans and coupes, including the Bonneville SSEi and Grand Am below. Of course, these are mere iceberg tips when it comes to the injection-molded excesses of the Excitement brand.
I could easily keep going, but this is Autopian Asks, not Autopian Tells. And so, it’s your turn: What Cars Would You Induct Into The Body Cladding Hall Of Fame?
Top graphic image: Cars And BidsÂ
The Xterra had it, IIRC, probably needed it, but also probably had too much. (I could also be dreaming up some parts of the Xterra. The whole dual front bumper pods?)
Design meeting, GM, 1990-
Marketing: “We’re getting a lot of complaints about rust. We need to find a solution.”
Engineering: “I’ve got it! Body Cladding!”
Along the lines of the “fix the warning light on the dashboard by putting electrical tape over it” idea.
And then the team that was designing the 1992 Geand Am took the ball and ran with it. Extra cladding with body colored wheels. Man, I miss the 1990s…
BTW Michael…flee the other site. It’s too far gone down the MAGA cesspool and your better comments get nothing. Signed a particular fan of a pro team that fled that site.
This is the truth. My 99 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight had the lower body cladding, being a H body car. It hid the copious amount of rust that was hiding under the cladding. The day I had to give it up due to rust, the entire top side was super shiny and looked amazing. The chassis had rusted so much that the front subframe had cracked appart at the attachment from the unibody on both side of the car.
Well, I have a few thoughts on this.
First there’s GM’s 1st and 2nd gen Saturns and the Fiero – Where the entire car body is cladding.
Then there’s the Th!nk City – Where not only is the entire car body cladding, but it’s also textured to look and feel like cladding (or a Rubbermaid Outdoor Shed)
You already hit my big two with the Avalanche and the Aztek. I think the Avalanche should win whatever kind of award you give out for this because Chevy was so horny for cladding that they even put it on those braces behind the cab. WTF? Why would you put cladding on a surface that won’t even get near the ground unless things have gone horribly wrong?
Pontiac’s lower body work on the Grand Am falls into a grey zone for me because they made it smooth and body colored, albeit with ribs. I can’t decide if that counts as cladding or side skirts that have started consuming the car. I feel like cladding should have some kind of theoretical purpose in that you need to protect the lower body work from rocks and debris when off roading, which is something the Grand Am and other Pontiac sedans did not do.
gen 1 rav4, all the way.
This is the correct answer. It looked like an a weird orthopedic shoe with wheels and windows.
Subaru Baja.
Pontiac definitely deserves it’s own museum for their era of “ribbed for her pleasure” design language.
Wilderness trim Subarus are definitely peak cladding though. Shit is all over it.
This is absolutely a hall of Shame, not Fame.
Anything with that grey cladding that faded and turned chalky belongs in a landfill.
Xterras and, well, most F-body Nissans, had that plague.
It was so bad that they used to run TV ads for products to restore your chalky cladding to the greasy shine that it came with from the factory. Wipe New, that’s what they called it. I’m sure you can still buy it but I haven’t seen it advertised anywhere for years.
2000’s Jeep grand Cherokees wow they had it bad.
1994 Eagle talon TSi or Plymouth Laser version. All had that lower trim ugh the rot below.
Almost all Lamborgini Countaches, except a few of the very old early seventies ones.
How could you leave out the Honda Element? So much practical greyish plastic.
This was my first response as well. Everything but the doors, roof and hood were plastic.
Most Saturns?
They weren’t styled to highlight the differences, but at least all vertical body panels were thermoplastic. Not sure what panels beyond that were thermoplastic as well, but it wouldn’t surprise me if some were.
UV exposure and oxidation would still do their thing over the long haul, but since the thermoplastic panels themselves were black, most Saturn exteriors might’ve been more cladding as a percentage than anything else.
What about the first generation Pontiac Trans Sport which had similar thermoplastic panels to Saturns and the Fiero, but still tried to make it look like it had body cladding anyhow?
Honda element is the most egregious not already mentioned above.
The VB WRX, as a warning that just because you can, does not mean you should. Museums are for learning, there should be cautionary tales too.
Saturn SL: the whole BODY was cladding, if you think about it!
Honda CRV first and second gen, specially the basic versions.
I still remember when basic versions meant no paint on mirrors, door handles, bumpers, etc.
Most cynical attempt is the Rover 200 streetwise and any other small hatchback that slathered on a bit of black plastic but kept the drivetrain front wheel drive and just called it a day.
A Hall of Fame implies the existence of a Hall of Shame. I nominate . . . all Gemballas for the Hall of Shame.
Of all the Pontiacs, the Trans Sport stands out to me the most for cladding.
Vibe is the answer!
Alternatively, the Jeep YJ Wrangler Renegade
Subaru Outback and crosstrek managed to make the clean looking Legacy/Liberty and imprezza worth about $4k more.
I’ve never messed around with an avalanche. I see the doors and front clip are just bolt on swap affairs with other gmt800’s but were the bed sides actually unique between the body clad and wbh avalanches?
I was just thinking that same thing – from the pictures it looks like the fenders are completely different too, that seems to be a lot of work for the handful of WBH Avalanches that must have been sold.
Honda Element.
and for the Pontiac wing, the Vibe
No need to continue – you have the hall of champions in your article!
Honorable mention for the 90’s/2000’s Volvo ‘off-road’ wagons.
or a Wilderness-spec Subaru