What Your Car Grille Is All About

Originally the front grille of an average car had a function, to allow cool air through the radiator to assist in cooling the engine down. But after time, the grille became a key feature to the design of the car in question.

Chrome Car Grilles

It goes without saying that the earlier trim on classic automobiles was chrome and often integrated its design with the chrome front bumper and chrome headlight surrounds. As well as the brand name badge, it was also common to fix other badges to the chrome slots within the grille, such as breakdown cover organisations such as the AA and the RAC (Royal Automobile Club).
These types of grilles gave character to the car, but were often heavy in weight and prone to pitting and rust.

Modern Day Plastic Car Grilles

Modern vehicles are more likely to have a front grille made out of plastic, sometimes integrated to the front bumper and other times a separate unit. Often chrome frames and features are added, but much lighter than those of older cars. The grille can also form part of the cars crumple zone playing a part in safety test for head on accidents.
Alfa Romeo Guilietta Grille Red

Red Alfa Romeo Guilietta Grille Paris Motor show 2012

Audi Q3 Grille Grey

Audi Q3 Grille Paris Motor Show 2012

BMW M135i xDrive Grille

BMW M135i xDrive Paris Motor Show 2012

Citroen DS4 Grille

Citroen DS4 Front Grille Paris Motor Show 2012

Jeep Cherokee Grille

Jeep Cherokee Grille at Paris Motor Show 2012

Kia Proceed grille

Kia ProCeed front Grille at Paris motor show 2012

Mazda6 Grille

Mazda6 front grille Paris motor show 2012

Nissan Juke Grille

Nissan Juke grille at Paris motor show 2012

Seat Leon Grille

Seat Leon Grille Presented at the Paris Motor Sow 2012

Toyota Rav4 Grille

Toyota Rav4 Grille Paris Motor Show 2012

Volkswagen Gti Grille

Volkswagen Gti Grille White Paris Motor Show 2012

Volvo XC70 Grille

Volvo XC70 Front Grille Paris Motor show 2012

Many manufacturers now offer a grille that makes the cars brand recognisable no mater what model or size of vehicle, in most cases incorporating its logo badge. Modern trend is to have coloured matching grilles to the overall colour of the vehicle or contrasting.

The Face Of The Car

Often a grille can be seen as a human face, including a smile or a frown and the headlights often being described as the eyes. Some Audi models for example were branded with its grille and front lights looking like a charging bull on its TV adverts. Marketing companies will often match the face of modern vehicles to suit a typical car buyer.