RE: Coupe or Sedan?

[John McEwen <moparrr@xxxxxxx>]

A point of clarification is called for here. 
Alfred has a given a good description of the 
issue but I'd like to go back historically to the 
beginning of the "hardtop".

The term derives from the original "Hard Top 
Convertible" which was the designation used when 
the first mass-produced hardtops were introduced 
by GM in '49.  The defining icons were three in 
number:  1.  The car had no B pillar.  2.  The 
roof was styled in a manner similar to a 
convertible coupe.  3.  There were usually bright 
metal imitation bows mounted over the headliner 
which represented the actual bows of the 
convertible roof.

The term "two door sedan" is redundant.  Prior to 
about 1970 car bodies had many different 
designations often dating back to the days of 
carriages.  The sedan was a four door car.  The 
coach was a two door car having the same roof 
size as a sedan.  A coupe, which is our 
corruption of the French Coupé or 'cut', means 
that the car is a coach with a roof line 
resembling a roadster and usually possessing a 
smaller rear compartment - often with a 
short-cushioned seat..  Typically the roof line 
was sloping to the tail.  There were other body 
styles as well which are irrelevant to this 
discussion except that a roadster was 
traditionally a two seater with a fold down roof 
and no side glass.

The abbreviated roof was easy to tell from a 
coach by the size of the rear quarter windows - 
if it had any. Early coupes were often three 
window and had blind quarters (if it had any). 
Incidentally, prior to about 1955 or even later, 
the word 'coupe' was usually pronounced in the 
French manner 'koopay' with accent on the last 
syllable.

If you have a look at pictures of Ford, GM or 
Chrysler during the period from 1938 - 1950 you 
will immediately note the difference in the body 
styles.  This was also a time of fastback 
styling.  Cadillac used a unique term for its 
fastback.  It was called a Sedanet although it 
was actually a coach - but GM didn't want people 
to think that it was a shortened "smaller" car.

The ultimate coupé during these years was the 
business coupe which featured only a front seat 
and a luggage platform in the rear which matched 
the built-up floor of the trunk which had a 
removable panel.  These business coupes often had 
radically shortened roofs but full length bodies 
so that the long trunks thus created could haul 
all manner of salesman's samples.   The last of 
the true business coupes was built in about '51.

Ford built a typical version of this car with 
altered roof line through '51 and today they are 
very rare.  Of interest is that Ford continued to 
build a car designated as a Business Coupe, using 
what it called a Club Coupe body.  It was the 
lowest-price car offered and featured only a 
front seat with a platform behind.  This was open 
to the trunk and the floors were leveled to match 
so that the car could haul long objects.   The 
last of these was built in 1954 - with a shorter 
roof and smaller quarters.  In '55, Ford 
continued the line as a Business Sedan (although 
it had two doors) and this model continued, as a 
three passenger car, through 1958.  Externally 
the cars were identical to the Ford's Tudor  (two 
door) sedan (Coach) of the period.  They were 
usually without exterior trim and had plain 
durable interiors.

As has been noted, during the '70s styles changed 
with the reversion from convertibles and true 
hardtops to the so-called 'colonnade hardtops' 
which were really just plain coupes or coaches. 
The framing of the door glass is largely 
irrelevant although it was a marker of the 
hardtop in the '50s and '60s.   What really 
matters is that the Matador Coupe, especially 
those with opera windows, is in fact a true coupe 
in the spirit of the '40s.  If Cadillac had built 
it, it would have been a Sedanet.  It has two 
doors, small quarter windows and a fastback line. 
The previous Matador 2D HT is a true hardtop 
(convertible).

That's probably more than any of you wanted to know!

John