The History of Car Spoilers
The introduction of the car spoiler begin in the 1960s,
when NASCAR automobiles still looked like what you drove
on the street.
In
1966, the Dodge Charger had a flatter nose and a long,
sloping roofline that seemed to make the car unstable
and lift at higher speeds. NASCAR was petitioned and
they allowed the Dodge teams to a piece of metal about
one-half to two inches high to the rear decklid.
This trapped air on the decklid and created downforce to
stabilize the car. It did not make the Dodge a
standout car, but other manufacturers did see the
aerodynamic perk of adding something to the back of the
car to increase downforce.
In
1968, Ford brought on the Ford Torino Talladega and the
Mercury Cyclone which had the same basic shape as the
Charger.
I n
1969, Richard Petty switched from Plymouth to Ford and
Chrysler decided to revamp their design to again become
a force in the NASCAR racing world.
The Dodge Daytona debuted late in 1969 and 2 of 4 big
races it appeared it. The Daytona had a high wing
and set new records.
Chrysler designed the 1970 Plymouth Superbird as a twin
to the Daytona. It did have a wider nose. It
was supposed to win Petty back to Chrysler and it did.
 The 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II came about because
of the need for a production design that was suitable for
racing. It had a slightly elongated body that set
it apart slightly from the Ford Torino Talladega.
The Cyclone Spoiler II was created primarily for racing,
but due to the rules of NASCAR, it had to be sold to the
public. It is believed that no more than 500 cars
were made.
NASCAR has regulations as to what spoiler size and shape
can be used on each track. These regulations are
not popular with the drivers who think the cars are too
loose, because of the lack of downforce the spoilers
provide on the race car.
Today, spoilers are mainly added to cars for improved style and
have little-to-no aerodynamic benefit. Some spoilers will even make the
aerodynamics worse. Spoilers for automobiles are confused with wings. Automotive wings are designed is to
lessen the effect of drag by generating
downforce as air passes around them and do not just disrupt the
airflow patterns.
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