CoupÃ©

The coupé or coupe in the classic sense is a closed two-door car with a sporty and elegant appearance. Compared to the sedan, this body shape has a truncated roof that is often worn by only two pairs of columns. Originally, two-seater coupe, in the modern sense even four-or five-seater will be counted to the rear but less comfortable than the seats for driver and front passenger (2 2 seats ).

Coupes may be stand alone vehicles such as the Audi TT, others were or are derived by shortening and alteration of the roof or the side line of a sedan. There is a corresponding Cabriolet To many coupes.

Ferrari traditionally distinguishes between coupe and Berlinetta (Italian diminutive of " Berlina "; German about: small sedan ). All berlinetta Ferrari are two-seater with a closed cockpit.

More conceptual overlaps exist with Gran Turismo, Personal Luxury Cars and coach.

2.1 Opera Coupe
2.2 Business Coupe
2.3 Three- Window Coupe
2.4 Five - Window Coupe
2.5 Sport Coupe
2.6 Sedanca Coupe
2.7 Club Coupe
2.8 hardtop coupe
2.9 Faux Cabriolet
2:10 Other forms

Term development

The name comes from a four-wheeled carriage coupe model with two seats in the cabin, in which the driver far forward and also sat outside. Viewed from the side looked like this vehicle a four-seater carriage, in which the part where normally were the front seats, cut (French: coupe ) was.

Even in vehicles vehicles were described with the term coupe initially, were unlike a sedan not completely closed. In these, the driver sat up front in the car without a roof in the open air while the passengers were in the back of a closed compartment space. An example of this is the Bugatti Royale Coupe "Napoleon".

In the 1950s the term coupé was used for particularly sporty or exclusive limousines with two doors, but also for sports cars. Coupes had at this time often only two seats. Since the 1960s and 1970s the term coupé is increasingly used for sporting, two-door sedans, which are often equipped with a gently sloping hatchback, used.

Therefore, while at the local manufacturers a coupe of times a body variant known sedans represented, where usually the front end the same and the overall appearance showed strong similarities to the directly related model types, it was in Italy and partly in France in the 1960s, 1970s, and partly also common in the 1980s, to create completely autonomous bodies in the coupe variants. These had usually to even stand-alone interiors and often shared a few technology modules with their type siblings. This was true for eccentric small manufacturers such as Lancia same way as when the two major manufacturers Fiat and Alfa Romeo, and is apparently due to the obtained from the automotive start time tradition of many body and design firms in Italy and France. The vehicles of this somewhat broader definition coupe usually have more than two seats, but the space on the back seat is usually very crowded and not very comfortable. This is due to the fact that the wheelbase is reduced in comparison to the four-door version.

Some cars are offered in three-door and are therefore cheaper than the sedan and also as exclusive coupe, such as the Ford Taunus 20M P7, or more recently the Opel Astra G: The car was manufactured as a two-door variant of Opel as well as a coupe in small series of Bertone.

A curiosity, the Renault Avantime dar. Although the car qualifies as a coupe and has been no less exclusive, the high center of gravity and large interior make the car becomes unique in the genus " Van Coupe ".

Extensions of the term

The positive image of the exclusive elegant Coupé has led to a projection of the concept of a simple three-door or even on sports sedans.

Sports coupe

The first projection was the sport coupe. These were easier to sporting Zwei-/Dreitürer as the Opel Manta and Ford Capri.

In the 1990s, the Citroen Xsara was marketed as a three-door coupe. The two-door variant of the Mercedes -Benz A-Class has been marketed as a coupé, which has nothing in common with the original understanding of the term " coupe ".

Four-door Coupe

Four-door coupes are no coupes in the traditional sense. They combine individual design and design characteristics of coupes with those of a sedan. They usually have a lowered compared to conventional sedans roof, usually a flat or flowing roof line extending in the C-pillar and frameless side windows. In technical terms, the four-door coupes are mostly derived from sedans that should appeal to a broad range of customers volume models. Contrast, are intended to cover higher-priced market niches four-door coupe.

The concept of the four-door coupe has its origin in product marketing. It is first assumed that the expectation that the prestige value of a coupe is higher than that of a sedan. With the phrase " four-door coupe " be aware of two interconnected features that are mutually exclusive is traditionally understood. This gives the impression that it was an entirely new body concept has been developed.

It, however, repeated four-door cars were marketed under the term coupe since the late 1950s. As the first four-door coupe is considered the Rover P5, which came on the market in 1958 and was marketed in a version with flat roof as a coupe. In the following decades, cars were repeatedly offered met the one or more of the above criteria of a four-door coupe. These include the series introduced in 1988 and the Japanese market Nissan Cefiro reserved, which was expressly referred to in the press as a four-door coupe.

Mercedes -Benz took up this concept with the introduced in autumn 2004 Mercedes -Benz CLS is the first provider again and established it in the upper class. In the spring of 2013, the concept has been realized in the compact class with the CLA again.

The press sees many Mercedes -Benz as the " founder of the four-door coupe segment " and has adopted the term for other models of similar design. Given this success attracted other manufacturers gradually presented themselves vehicles - such as the 2008 VW Passat CC.

Partly also vehicles like the Porsche Panamera, the Audi A7 or the Citroën DS4 will be counted for this purpose; also the Aston Martin Rapide and Lamborghini Estoque to can be described as a four-door coupe. However, the conceptual distinction to the conventional hatchback is blurred.

Former designs

Opera Coupe

The Opera Coupe ( in Europe also: coupé Opéra) is one of the oldest versions of the coupe with four seats, two of them on a bench in the rear. In addition to the driver there is only one jump seat to ease access to the rear seats. After World War II coupes were somewhat larger interior, four to five seats and wider doors so designated. They often had a round or oval window in the rear part of the roof, sometimes with leather-covered roof and / or storm straps. Thus, there are overlaps on Five - Window Coupe, the Sports Coupe and Coupe Club; the latter solved the Opera coupe from the late 1920s.

Business Coupe

The business coupe was widely used in the United States from the early 1920s to the mid- 1950s. It had a large, externally accessible luggage compartment. This extended into the passenger compartment and was often covered with rubber mats. Because of this increased storage space, there was no passenger space in the rear. From the outside, these vehicles are hard to distinguish from other coupes. Often the Business Coupe was the cheapest variant of a model and therefore popular with commercial travelers. Until the mid- 1950s, the business coupe was replaced by the more practical station wagon with three or five doors.

Three- Window Coupe

Three- Window Coupe is a common, particularly in the U.S. term for a coupe with side windows in the doors, but not in the rear part of the roof. The name refers to the side and the rear window; the front wheel is taken for granted. In general, there was a bench for three persons, some versions had an additional two-seater bench or a transversely mounted to the direction of a single seat in the rear. The sports coupe (see below) is derived from it. The Three Window Coupe came in the 1940s out of fashion.

Five - Window Coupe

From a three window coupe, the five - fenstrige version differed by additional discs in the rear roof part. The name refers to the two sides and the rear window. Versions without passenger space in the rear are the exception. The Five - Window Coupe was built longer than the three - fenstrige variant.

Sports coupe

The roof of the sports coupe ( not to be confused with the aforementioned Sport Coupe) is upholstered in leather, faux leather or textile material to give the impression of a convertible. This impression was reinforced by often trim at the roof edge which imitated the storm Ironing real convertible. Sport coupes were a bit more luxurious than normal versions. The style came quickly after 1930 out of fashion.

Sedanca Coupe

The luxurious Sedanca coupe has a removable or openable front roof part and is thus a precursor of the coupe with a targa roof. This is also referred to as Sedanca design should be confused neither with the Sedanca de Ville ( a partially closed prestige vehicle ) nor with the Sedanca Three Position Drophead coupe, a convertible roof with three different positions.

Club Coupe

In the United States from the early 1920s until the early 1950s, the Club Coupe was a common mixed form of two-door coupe and sedan. Successor of the club coupes were the hardtop coupe on the one hand and the Club Sedan ( two-door B- pillar and roof long ) on the other.

Hardtop Coupe

From the pre-war period some handmade individual pieces are known, but the Cadillac Coupe DeVille is considered the first standard produced hardtop coupe. The vehicles were usually built on the chassis of a convertible, because this was already reinforced. This was necessary because the roof could not contribute to the rigidity of the structure without the B-pillar.

Faux Cabriolet

As can be deduced from the name, is closed to vehicles which gave the impression that they are convertible. The name was common in Europe for the sport coupe and was revived with the advent of the hardtop coupe.

Other forms

Coupé Fiacre (also available as a convertible ): The lines was modeled on the carriage. The Coupé Fiacre can therefore be described as one of the first automobiles in retro style.
Goutte d' eau ( " water drops ", also available as a convertible ): A very extravagant body with rounded, sweeping shapes. Was developed this style by French coachbuilding company Figoni & Falaschi.
Coupe de Ville: This design has little to do with the coupe as it is defined in this article. The Coupe de Ville is a chauffeur-driven limousine with open driver's compartment.