Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/15/85; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ucbvax!citrin From: citrin@ucbvax.ARPA (Wayne Citrin) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: Coupes vs. Sedans Message-ID: <7866@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Thu, 6-Jun-85 13:28:29 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.7866 Posted: Thu Jun 6 13:28:29 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 7-Jun-85 05:06:16 EDT References: <21@ucbcad.UUCP> Reply-To: citrin@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne Citrin) Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 50 Here's the best response I received to my question. It gives an historical perspective to the coupe/sedan distinction. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin) --------- The word coupe has been badly corrupted by Detroit (along with a lot of other automotive terms). A coupe was originally a closed car with seating for only two people - i.e. no back seat. Back in the twenties and thirties coupes were perceived as more stylish and sporting. Coupes usually had more trunk space and were popular with salesman, doctors, and the like who usually travelled alone. By the forties many coupe styles included a small "squeezed in" back seat often called opera seats for occasional if somewhat cramped extra capacity. These were also called club coupes and generally had the same basic lines of the two passenger coupe. After this it was all down hill. I've seen the word coupe used to describe a design where back seat roominess was sacrificed for styling. "Boxy" type 4-passenger cars are usually called sedans by the manufacturers. -------- / \ -------- --------- / | original coupe shape ----------------------------- \ / \ / --- --- --------------- / \ / ---------- / | original sedan shape /------------------------------ \ / \ / --- --- Also-- You may have seen the old Model A Fords with rumble seats. Both roadsters (2 seat open cars) and coupes (2 seat closed cars) had rumble seats for extra seating.