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Body Styles

  • Cabriolet - Similar to the sport coupé, it has a provision for converting to an open-type body (i.e., convertible). A rumble seat is a common on older vehicles, but not mandatory feature. Mercedes-Benz distinguishes the cabriolet from the roadster in that the former has a soft-top which folds up while the roadster has a hard-top which is stored in the trunk.
  • Club Coupe - The club coupe designation seems to come from club car, describing the lounge (or parlor car) in a railroad train. The early postwar club coupe combined a shorter-than-sedan body structure with the convenience of a full back seat, unlike the single-seat business coupe. That name has been used less frequently in the 1976-86 period, as most notchback two-door models (with trunk rather than hatch) have been referred to as just "coupes." Moreover, the distinction between two-door coupes and two-door sedans has grown fuzzy.
  • Convertible - Generally this is a two-door automobile without a fixed roof. Instead, the roof folds up or is removed in some way so that the passenger compartment is exposed to the open air. Some roofs are made of flexible fabric or plastic which folds up behind the passenger compartment. Other roofs are not flexible and retract into the trunk. Some retract automatically while others must be manually removed and placed in the trunk. The term was introduced in the 1930s. In the 1950s, a hardtop convertible was introduced to look like a convertible with its top up; but its fixed roof did not fold or retract. It was also called a "drophead coupé" or "open car." Also see hardtop convertible.
  • Convertible Sedan - This is similar to the sedan body type, but with provisions of lowering both the all-weather side windows and the fabric top to create a four-door convertible.
  • Coupe - An enclosed single-compartment body with two doors and varying passenger capacity depending on seat arrangements. The SAE standard J1100 defines it as having less than 33 cubic feet (934 liters) of interior volume. Larger coupes have rear quarter windows. Coupes have fixed permanent back panels and top, as well as a luggage compartment in the rear deck. Originally it meant a vehicle which was "cut" (thus the French "coupé") by a glass partition behind the front seats so that the driver was exposed to the air while those in the back were enclosed.
  • Hardtop Convertible - An automobile with a fixed roof that does not retract into the trunk, but gives the appearance of being a convertible.
  • Hatchback Coupe - Originally a small opening in the deck of a sailing ship, the term "hatch" was later applied to airplane doors and to passenger cars with rear liftgates. Various models appeared in the early 1950s, but weather-tightness was a problem. The concept emerged again in the early 1970s, when fuel economy factors began to signal the trend toward compact cars. Technology had remedied the sealing difficulties. By the 1980s, most manufacturers produced one or more hatchback models, though the question of whether to call them "two-door" or "three-door" never was resolved. Their main common feature was the lack of a separate trunk. "Liftback" coupes may have had a different rear-end shape, but the two terms often described essentially the same vehicle
  • Hatchback - A car design in which the rear trunk and lid are replaced by a rear hatch that includes the backlight (i.e., rear window). Usually the rear seat folds down to accommodate more luggage. Originally a hatch was a small opening in the deck of a sailing ship. The term "hatch" was later applied to airplane doors and to passenger cars with rear liftgates. Various models appeared in the early 1950s, but weather-tightness was a problem. The concept emerged again in the early 1970s, when fuel economy factors began to signal the trend toward compact cars. Technology had remedied the sealing difficulties. By the 1980s, most manufacturers produced one or more hatchback models, though the question of whether to call them "two-door" or "three-door" never was resolved. Their main common feature was the lack of a separate trunk. "Liftback" coupes may have had a different rear-end shape, but the two terms often described essentially the same vehicle.
  • Phantom - Modern term to denote a non-existent body style that is created from a standard body style.
  • Phaeton - Open top body with front and rear seating and a fold down roaster style top. Also called a touring car.
  • Roadster - Open top body with only front seating and a fold down top. Does not have side windows. May have snap in side curtain.
  • Touring Car - Open top body with front and rear seating and a fold down roaster style top. Also called a Phaeton.
Body Style Variations
  • Three Window - A coupe without an extra window in the roof behind the door. Designates the number of windows excluding the windshield. Coupes were offered as both a 3 window and a 5 window.
  • Five Window - A coupe with an extra window in the roof behind the door. Designates the number of windows excluding the windshield. Coupes were offered as both a 3 window and a 5 window.




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