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{{Short description|Car body style}}
{{About|the car body style
[[File:2018 Infiniti Q60 Leonberg IMG 0156.jpg|thumb|[[Infiniti Q60
{{wiktionary}}{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
A '''coupe''' or '''coupé''' ({{IPAc-en|k|uː|ˈ|p|eɪ}}, {{IPAc-en|alsous|k|uː|p}}) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brandt |first1=Eric |title=For the Last Time, a
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats.<ref name="Coachbuilt">{{cite web |url= http://www.coachbuilt.com/ter/terminology.htm |title=Coach Building Terminology |year=2004 |website=
__TOC__
== Etymology and pronunciation {{anchor|Name|Etymology|Pronuncation}} ==
{{lang|fr|Coupé}} ({{IPA-fr|kupe
There are two common pronunciations in English:
* {{IPAc-en|k|uː|ˈ|p|eɪ}} ({{respell|koo|PAY}}) – the [[Anglicisation|anglicized]] version of the French pronunciation of ''coupé''.
* {{IPAc-en|k|uː|p}} ({{respell|KOOP}}) – as a [[spelling pronunciation]] when the word is written without an accent.<ref name=oed/><ref>{{citation |contribution=coupé |url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coupe |title=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=30 August 2020}} and pronounced as one syllable.</ref>
== Definition ==
[[File:1955 Cadillac Coupe Deville.jpg|thumb|right|1955 [[Cadillac de Ville series|Cadillac Coupe de Ville]] ]]
A coupe is a fixed-roof car with a sloping rear roofline and one or two rows of seats. However, there is some debate surrounding whether a coupe must have two doors for passenger egress<ref>{{cite web|title=For the Last Time, a Coupe Is a Car With Two Doors|url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/for-the-last-time-a-coupe-is-a-car-with-two-doors-271257 |website=autotrader
In the 1940s and 1950s, coupes were distinguished from [[Sedan (automobile)|sedans]] by their shorter roof area and sportier profile.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OtKWmLLiuTgC&q=%22perceived+as+the+more-stremlined%2C+sportier+models%22&pg=PA55 |page=55 |title=The ultimate hot rod dictionary
The 1977 version of [[International Organization for Standardization|International Standard]] ISO{{
The definition of coupe started to blur when manufacturers began to produce cars with a [[2+2 (car body style)|2+2 body style]] (which have a sleek, sloping roofline, two doors, and two functional seats up front, plus two small seats in the back).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jack |date=2022-12-28 |title=What is a Coupe Car |url=https://usacoupe.com/what-is-a-coupe-car/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=USACoupe |language=en-US |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229173125/https://usacoupe.com/what-is-a-coupe-car/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Weber |first=Bob |title=What is the difference between coupe and sedan? |url=
Some manufacturers also blur the definition of a coupe by applying this description to models featuring a [[hatchback]] or a rear cargo area access door that opens upwards.<ref>{{cite web|url=
== Horse-drawn carriages ==
[[File:Opočno castle in 2009 55.JPG|thumb|Example of a
The [[Coupé (carriage)|coupe carriage]] body style originated from the [[Berlin (carriage)|berline horse-drawn carriage]]. The coupe version of the berline was introduced in the 18th century as a shortened ("cut") version with no rear-facing seat.<ref name="HaajCoupe"/><ref>{{cite journal|first=David Traver |last=Adolphus |title=Club Coupes - If you think you know what a Club Coupe is, think again |date= March 2007 |journal=Hemmings Classic Car |url= https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2007/03/Club-Coupes/1423429.html |access-date=30 March 2020 |quote=Coupé (some designers still insist on the 'koo-pay' pronunciation) is the French verb meaning 'to cut,' and it was first applied to 19th Century carriages, where the rear-facing seats had been eliminated, or cut out.}}</ref><ref>{{harvtxt|Haajanen|2017|p=52}}. "When the Berline body was shortened the Berline Coupe, or just Coupe, resulted."</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Royal carriages|url= https://www.kreml.ru/?cmd=00200600000000000110000000000000000&cmdex=4090006C7309900000000 |website=[[Moscow Kremlin Museums]] |access-date= 14 April 2018}}</ref> Normally, a coupe had a fixed glass window in the front of the passenger compartment.{{sfn|Haajanen|2003|p=50}} The coupe was considered an ideal vehicle for women to use to go shopping or to make social visits.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/worldonwheels00stra |access-date=2014-09-04 |first=Ezra |last=Stratton |publisher=Ezra Stratton |title=World on Wheels |location=New York |year=1878 |isbn=0-405-09006-4 |chapter=Chapter VIII. French carriages, including historical associations |page= [https://archive.org/details/worldonwheels00stra/page/242 242] |quote=For the use of ladies making calls or engaged in shopping, no better carriage has yet been invented. |ol=7004294M}}</ref>
== History ==
The early coupe automobile's passenger compartment followed in general conception the design of horse-drawn coupes,<ref name="Haajanen">{{cite book |last=Haajanen |first=Lennart W. |title=Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles |edition=Second |year=2017 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9918-2 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gFwnDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 52–53, 57]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFwnDwAAQBAJ |access-date=14 July 2018}}</ref> with the driver in the open at the front and an enclosure behind him for two passengers on one [[bench seat]].{{Sfn|Haajanen|2003|p=51}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Clough |first=Albert L. |title=A dictionary of automobile terms |year=1913 |publisher=The Horseless Age
By the 1910s, the term had evolved to denote a two-door car with the driver and up to two passengers in an enclosure with a single bench seat.{{Sfn|Clough|1913|p=89}}<ref name="NYT1916_08SAEbodies" /> The [[coupé de ville]], or coupe chauffeur, was an exception, retaining the open driver's section at front.{{Sfn|Haajanen|2003|pp=51, 55-56}}
In 1916, the [[SAE International|Society of Automobile Engineers]] suggested nomenclature for car bodies that included the following:<ref name="NYT1916_08SAEbodies">{{cite news| title=What's What in Automobile Bodies Officially Determined |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1916/08/20/archives/whats-what-in-automobile-bodies-officially-determined.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=20 August 1916 |quote=Here it is, with other body types and distinctions, officially determined recently by the Nomenclature Division of the Society of Automobile Engineers |access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Forbes |first=Kingston |title=The Principles of Automobile Body Design: covering the fundamentals of open and closed passenger body design |year=1922 |publisher=Ware Bros. |page= [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_oqU7AAAAMAAJ/page/n235 238] |url= https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_oqU7AAAAMAAJ |access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref>
{{
During the 20th century, the term coupe was applied to various close-coupled cars (where the rear seat
Since the 1960s the term ''coupe'' has generally referred to a two-door car with a fixed roof.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sedan vs. Coupe: What's the Difference? |url= https://www.carmax.com/articles/sedan-vs-coupe |website=carmax.com |access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref>
Since 2005, several models with four doors have been marketed as "four-door coupes", however, reactions are mixed about whether these models are actually sedans instead of coupes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Car Review: 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS 500|url=
== Variations ==
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===''Berlinetta''===
{{main article|Berlinetta}}
A ''berlinetta'' is a lightweight sporty two-door car, typically with two
===Club coupe===
A club coupe is a two-door car with a larger rear-seat passenger area,<ref name="Adolphus" /> compared with the smaller rear-seat area in a 2+2 body style. Thus, club coupes resemble coupes as both have two doors, but feature a full-width rear seat that is accessible by tilting forward the backs of the front seats.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/club%20coupe |title=Club coupe |website=merriam-webster.com |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref>
===Hardtop coupe===
A [[hardtop]] coupe is a two-door car that lacks a structural pillar ("B" pillar) between the front and rear side windows. When these windows are lowered, the effect is like that of a convertible coupe with the windows down.<ref name="HistoryHardtops"/> The hardtop body style was popular in the United States from the early 1950s until the
===''Combi'' coupé===
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===Business coupe===
A two-door car with no rear seat or with a removable rear seat intended for traveling salespeople and other vendors carrying their wares with them. American manufacturers developed this style of
===Four-door coupe / quad coupe ===
[[File:LaFayette Four Door Coupe 1921.jpg|thumb|1921 LaFayette Four-Door Coupe]]
A four-door [[fastback]] car with a coupe-like roofline at the rear. The low-roof design reduces back-seat passenger access and headroom.<ref>{{cite web |last=Powell |first= Philip |title= The Fastback is Back Thanks to Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen |publisher= Classical Drives |date= 8 January 2008 |url= http://www.classicaldrives.com/50226711/the_fastback_is_back_thanks_to_mercedes_audi_bmw_volkswagen.php |archive-date= 1 August 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130801122953/http://www.classicaldrives.com/50226711/the_fastback_is_back_thanks_to_mercedes_audi_bmw_volkswagen.php |access-date= 22 April 2015}}</ref> The designation was first used for the low-roof model of the 1962–1973 [[Rover P5]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Langworth |first=Richard M. |title= Complete book of collectible cars, 1930–1980 |year= 1986 |publisher=Random House Value Publishing |page= [https://archive.org/details/completebookofco00lang/page/389 389] |isbn= 978-0-517-47934-6 |url= https://archive.org/details/completebookofco00lang/page/389 }}</ref> followed by the 1992–1996 [[Nissan Leopard|Nissan Leopard / Infiniti J30]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Infiniti J30 Was A Four-Door Coupe Before It Was Fashionable |url=https://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-infiniti-j30-was-a-four-door-sedan-before-it-was-fa-1679477558 |website=kinja.com |access-date=21 April 2019}}</ref> Recent examples include the 2005 [[Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (W219)|Mercedes-Benz CLS]], 2010 [[Audi A7]] and 2012 [[BMW 6 Series (F06/F12/F13)|BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe]].<ref>{{Citation |title= Mercedes CLS-Klasse |publisher=Auto, Motor und Sport | url= http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/mercedes-cls-9416.html |access-date=18 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Neuer Audi A7 Sportback: Erste Bilder, Details und Preise |trans-title=New Audi A7 sportback: First pictures, details and pricing |url= http://www.heise.de/autos/artikel/Neuer-Audi-A7-Sportback-Erste-Bilder-Details-und-Preise-1045664.html |language=de |publisher=Heise |access-date= 22 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |language=de |title= Audi A7 Sportback 3.0 TDI quattro S tronic (DPF) |url= http://www.adac.de/_ext/itr/tests/Autotest/AT4513_Audi_A7_Sportback_3_0_TDI_quattro_S_tronic_DPF/Audi_A7_Sportback_3_0_TDI_quattro_S_tronic_DPF.pdf |publisher=ADAC |date=January 2011|first=Stefan |last=Giuliani |access-date= 22 April 2015}}</ref>▼
The 1921 and 1922 [[LaFayette Motors|LaFayette]] models were available in a variety of open and closed body styles that included a close-coupled version featuring two center-opening doors on each side that was marketed as a Four-Door Coupe.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://americancarhistorian.com/lafayette/ |title=LaFayette |date=19 May 2020 |first=Deb |last=Tracy |website=americancarhistorian.com |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref> The 1927 [[Nash Motors|Nash]] Advanced Six was available in four-door coupe body style.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1927-Nash.pdf |title=The Nash Advanced Six, Seven Passenger Sedan, Four Door Coupé, Victoria (brochure) |website=xr793.com |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>
▲
Similarly, several cars with one or two small rear doors for rear seat passenger egress and no B-pillar have been marketed as "[[quad coupe]]s". For example, the 2003 [[Saturn Ion]] and 2003 [[Mazda RX-8]].▼
▲Similarly, several cars with one or two small rear doors for rear seat passenger egress and no B-pillar have been marketed as "[[quad coupe]]s". For example, the 2003 [[Saturn Ion]],
[[File:VW Scirocco I orange hr TCE.jpg|thumb|1976 [[Volkswagen Scirocco]], a 3-door hatchback with coupe-inspired styling]]
===Three-door coupe===
Particularly popular in Europe, many cars are designed with coupe styling, but a three-door hatchback/liftback layout to improve practicality, including cars such as the [[Jaguar E-Type]], [[Mitsubishi 3000GT]], [[Nissan S30|Datsun 240Z]], [[Toyota Supra]], [[Mazda RX-7]], [[Alfa Romeo Brera]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Alfa Romeo Brera {{!}} Used Car Buying Guide |date=10 January 2017 |website=Autocar |url= https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-car-buying-guides/alfa-romeo-brera}}</ref> [[Ford Cougar|Ford/Mercury Cougar]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Ford Cougar (1998 - 2002) used car review |
===Opera coupe===
A two-door car designed for driving to the opera with easy access to the rear seats. Features sometimes included a folding front seat next to the driver<ref>{{cite web |title= Dictionary of Historic Automotive Terms |publisher=
Often they would have solid rear-quarter panels, with small, circular windows, to enable the occupants to see out without being seen. These [[opera window]]s were revived on many U.S. automobiles during the 1970s and early 1980s.<ref>{{cite book | last= Frazee |first= Irving Augustus | title= Automotive Fundamentals |publisher=American Technical Society |year=1949 |page= 81 }}</ref>{{
=== Three-window coupe===
The three-window coupe (commonly just "three-window") is a style of automobile characterized by two side windows and a backlight (rear window).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schueter |first1=Roger |title=What's the difference between an old three-window coupe and a five-window model? |url= https://www.bnd.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/answer-man/article190249139.html |publisher=Belleville News-Democrat |date=17 December 2017 |access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref> The front windscreens are not counted. The three-window coupe has a distinct difference from the five-window coupe, which has an additional window on each side behind the front doors.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wagner |first1=Rob |title=What Is the Difference Between a 1934 Ford 3-Window & 5-Window Coupe? |url= https://itstillruns.com/difference-ford-3window-5window-coupe-8527960.html |publisher=It Still Runs |access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref> These two-door cars typically have small-sized bodies with only a front seat and an occasional small rear seat.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kilchermann |first1=Lori |title=What is a Three Window Coupe? |url= https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-a-three-window-coupe.htm |publisher=WiseGeek |date=21 November 2020 |access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref>
The style was popular from the 1920s until the beginning of [[World War II]]. While many manufacturers produced three-window coupes, the 1932 Ford coupe is often considered the classic hot rod.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bernsau |first1=Tim |title=Hot Rod 3-Pack: 1932 Ford Three-Window Coupes |url= https://www.
===
{{
Some [[SUV]]
== Positioning in model range ==
[[File:Matador1.JPG|thumb|1974–1978 [[AMC Matador]] coupe
In the United States, some coupes are "simply line-extenders two-door variants of family sedans", while others have significant differences
The [[AMC Matador]] coupe (1974–1978) has a shorter wheelbase with a distinct aerodynamic design and fastback styling, sharing almost nothing with the conventional [[Car body configurations|three-box]] design and more "conservative" four-door versions.<ref>{{cite web|url=
Similarly, the [[Chrysler Sebring]] and [[Dodge Stratus]] coupes and sedans (late-1990 through 2000s), have little in common except their names.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Markus |first1=Frank |title=Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a16580876/dodge-stratus-and-chrysler-sebring-first-drive-review/ |
Coupes may also exist as model lines in their own right, either closely related to other models, but named differently – such as the [[Alfa Romeo GT]] or [[Infiniti Q60]] – or have little engineering in common with other vehicles from the manufacturer – such as the [[Toyota GT86]].
== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="160" perrow="6">
File:2017 Ford Mustang (FM) coupe (2017-07-15) 02.jpg|2017 [[Ford Mustang#Sixth generation (2015–present)|Ford Mustang]]▼
File:1932 Ford Three Window Coupe hot rod (5409924810).jpg|1932 [[1932 Ford|Ford Model 18]] - a three-window coupe
File:
File:1946 Ford V8 Club Coupe (15359652557).jpg|A 1946 Ford V8 - a club coupe
File:1948 Bentley coupé de ville - fvl.jpg|1948 [[Bentley]] coupe de ville▼
File:Ferrari-250-GT-Berlinetta-1.jpg|1961 [[Ferrari 250#250 GT Berlinetta SWB|Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta]] - a Berlinetta coupe▼
File:Saab 900i 16v.jpg|1978–1987 [[Saab 900]] marketed as a combi coupe
File:RX-8 2010Y-MODEL-SIDE.jpg|2010 [[Mazda RX-8]] - marketed as a four-door coupe
▲File:2017 Ford Mustang (FM) coupe (2017-07-15) 02.jpg|2017 [[Ford Mustang#Sixth generation (
▲File:Ferrari-250-GT-Berlinetta-1.jpg|1961 [[Ferrari 250#250 GT Berlinetta SWB|Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta]] - a Berlinetta coupe
File:Toyota Supra GR Genf 2019 1Y7A5650.jpg|2020 [[Toyota GR Supra]] - 3-door [[liftback]]/[[fastback]] coupe
▲File:1948 Bentley coupé de ville - fvl.jpg|1948 [[Bentley]] coupe de ville
</gallery>
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* [[Convertible]]
* [[Grand tourer]]
* [[Coupé de ville|Coupé de Ville]]
==References==
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