Almost correct Rubymorgan, I used to do rally driving (in my previous life) and recall we had to put these "front mud guards" on, mainly for the high speed mudroads. You might have noticed that when driving at high speed through a mud pool, the mud splashes as much to the front as to the back (actually to all directions). The mudflaps kept the lights clear of mud.
And btw not only on Italian rally cars;
