coupé

The Peugeot 406 Coupé, designed by Pininfarina

1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupé, noted for its large, angular design

1997 Rover Vitesse Coupe, "club" coupé

Rover P5 Coupe, a traditional four-door coupé

Mercedes CLS, a modern four-door coupé

Gala-Coupé of Leopold II, Brussels

1970s Sunbeam Alpine fastback coupé

A coupé (French word from the verb couper to cut) or coupe is a car body style with a close-coupled interior offering either two seats or [[2+2 (car body style)|2+2]] seating (space for two passengers up front and for two occasional passengers in the rear). Through the 1950s convertible models were sometimes called convertible coupés, but since the 1960s the term coupé has generally been applied exclusively to fixed-roof models. Coupés generally, but not necessarily, have two doors, although automobile makers have offered four-door coupés and three- and five-door hatchback coupés, as well. Modern coupés generally have the styling feature of frameless doors, with the window glass sealing directly against a weather-strip on the main body.

The SAE distinguishes a coupé from a sedan (saloon) primarily by interior volume; SAE standard J1100 defines a coupé as a fixed-roof automobile with less than 33 ft³ (0.93 m³, 934 L) of rear interior volume. A car with a greater interior volume is technically a two-door sedan, not a coupé, even if it has only two doors. Some car manufacturers may nonetheless choose to use the word coupe or coupé to describe such a model, e.g., the Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

Alternatively, a coupe is distinguished from a two-door sedan by the lack of a "B" pillar to support the roof. Sedans have an "A" pillar forward at the windshield, a "B" pillar aft of the door, and a "C" pillar defining the aftermost roof support at the rear wind-screen. Thus with all side-windows down, a coupe would appear windowless from the "A" to the "C" pillars. These fixed-roof models are described as a hardtop. A sedan with all side-windows down would have a "B" pillar approximately mid-way to break the windowless appearance.

Not surprisingly, some structural strength is lost by the absence of a "B" pillar. Consequently, many of the "sportiest" cars manufactured, including those that may see serious racing duty, have "B" pillars, and are in fact, sedans, not coupes. Note that no fixed-roof Porsche was manufactured until the recent Cayman without a "B" pillar, making each actually a sedan, not a coupe. The Targa top models are a variation on the convertible design.

In some parts of the world (especially America), it is becoming more of a marketing term for automotive manufacturers, calling any two doors (or three door) a coupé. This is mostly due to the fact that coupés in general are seen as more sporty than sedan, hence a coupé would be perceived as sportier than a 2-door sedan. Lately, some four door sedans are being marketed as coupés, notably the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. Marketing divisions from other companies are set to follow the example of Mercedes; for example Audi with its rumoured 4-door coupé variant of the upcoming A5. In other locations (in particular, Australia, the UK and some of Europe), the traditional 2+2 seating definition persists among the general public.

Pronunciation

In Europe (including the United Kingdom), the original French spelling, coupé, and a French pronunciation (English koo-pay IPA: /kuːpeɪ/), are often used. The stress may be on either the first or second syllable; stressing the first syllable is the more Anglicised variant. Speakers of North American English pronounce coupé as coop (/kuːp/) and spell it without the acute accent. A very North American example of usage is the hot-rodders' term "Deuce Coupe" used to refer to a 1932 Ford.

History

In the 19th century a coupé was a closed four-wheel coach, cut (coupé) to eliminate the forward, rear-facing passenger seats, with a single passenger seat behind the driver, who sat on a box (illustration, right). Commonly, a coupé had a fixed glass window in the front of the body, protected from road dirt by a high curving dashboard.

During the 20th century the term was applied to various close-coupled automobiles. Through the 1950s many automakers offered several varieties of coupé

Club coupé 

a coupé with a larger rear seat, which would today be called a two-door sedan.

Business coupé 

a coupé with no rear seat or a removable rear seat, intended for traveling salesmen and other vendors who would be carrying their wares with them.

Opéra coupé 

a coupé with rear seats that are mounted in the sides of the body and fold downward for use.

Sports coupé or berlinetta 

a uniquely styled model with a sloping roof, sometimes sloping downward gradually in the rear in the style known as fastback.

Four-door coupé 

a sedan with classic coupé-like proportions. The designation was first applied to the Rover P5 from 1962 until 1973 but was revived as recently as 2004 by the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Combi coupé 

a body type from SAAB combining the coupé lines with large loading capacity.

With the growing popularity of the pillarless hardtop during the 1950s some automakers used the term coupé to refer to hardtop (rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof) models and reserved the term sedan for pillared models. This definition was by no means universal, and has largely fallen out of use with near-demise of the hardtop. Similarly, the Rover P5 sedan came in a body style with a lower roof that was called a coupé. Technically, it was cut, as the original definition required, but was not a car body made shorter thereby.

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