In automotive engineering, the bodywork of an automobile is the structure which protects:
The occupants
Any other payload
The mechanical components.
In vehicles with a frame or chasis, the term bodywork is normally applied to only the non-structural panels, including doors and other movable panels, but it may also be used more generally to include the structural comp ...
There are three main types of automotive bodywork:
The first automobiles were modelled on horse-drawn vehicles, and had body-on-frame construction with a wooden frame and wooden or metal body panels. Wooden-framed motor vehicles remained in production until the middle of the 20th century, for example the MG A which continued in production until 1962.
A steel chasis or ladder frame replaced the wooden frame. This form of body-on-frame construction is still common for trucks.
Monocoque const ...
