Re: Coupe or Sedan?

["piper_pa20" <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is really John Mahoney isn't it?  Come on, fess up.  :)

Joe Fulton
Salinas, CA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John McEwen" <moparrr@xxxxxxx>
To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 6:33 PM
Subject: RE: Coupe or Sedan?


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.