It is quite surprising to realize that for 20 years auto and truck makers did not make a simple needed change to their vehicle front fenders.
Somehow major car and truck companies picked 1936 as the year it would be introduced. Did they all get together and make the decision, was it government encouragement, or ____?
The addition was side extensions or skirts. Prior to this pedestrians on side walks, pets, and building fronts received more than their share of mud and water from passing vehicles. With more and faster vehicles on the road, the problem must have been very annoying. The greater the speed when you hit mud or a puddle, the further the slop was thrown. No doubt many diaries had a page that described the results of this while walking to church in their Sunday best.
The modification in 1936 was not a cure-all but it did help the problem. The following pictures show the open sided fenders on a 1934-35 Chevrolet truck and the 1936 with the change.
1935 and Older (above)
1936 Fender Change (above)
