Coupé de ville

Coupe de Ville (North American, with silent "e" in "coupe") or coupé de ville is one of a large number of terms used to describe an automobile with an external or open-topped driver's position and an enclosed compartment for passengers. Among other names for this body style are sedanca, town car, victoria, and brougham.

Most versions are variations on one of two main types. In one, known as the town car in North America or, in continental Europe, as the coupé chauffeur as well as the coupé de ville, the driver is separated from a fully enclosed passenger compartment by a partition; in the other, the passenger compartment is without its own doors and is accessed from the front.

The unusual body dates to medieval Europe. In order to identify incoming guests at court as friendly, it was necessary for the host to be able to identify the livery of the visiting guests' coachman from a distance. To enable the coachman to be identifiable, he was hence placed high up and in the open.

The term "coupé de ville" is known to be in use in the 19th century before the invention of the automobile. As a carriage, the coupé de ville was a variant of the coupé carriage that was nearly indistinguishable from the British clarence.

The term "de ville" is French for "for town" and indicates that the vehicle is for use in town or for short distances. When added to the end of a body style (saloon, coupé, landaulet, etc.), "de Ville" indicated that the top over the driver's compartment could be folded away, retracted, or otherwise removed. As a vehicle for town use, the coupé de ville usually had no facilities for carrying luggage.

In North America, manufacturers have used the term liberally to the point where the terms "Sedanca" and "de Ville" have almost lost their distinction.

One style of coupé de ville has rear doors to access the enclosed passenger section and a partition, similar to that in a limousine between the enclosed passengers and the open driver. In the United States, this style is referred to as a "town car" or, earlier, a town brougham, while, in northern Europe, the term "coupé de ville" is used for both this version and the two-door version described in the previous section.

Another style of coupé de ville has a fixed or folding roof over the rear seats and open front seats. Also known as a sedanca or a sedanca coupé, this version may or may not have had sliding or detachable roof panel for covering the front seats. The French-derived term "coupé de ville" is also used for this two-door version without a divider between the driver and the passengers. In the United States, the similar term "coupe de ville" is used for this version. A coupé de ville is alternatively defined in North America as a drophead coupé with a three-position top which may be fully closed, fully open, or partially closed, leaving rear passengers covered.

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