Landaulet

A landaulet or landaulette is a car body style similar to a limousine, but with the passenger section covered by a convertible top. It was based on a carriage of similar style that was a cut-down (coupé) version of a landau. Landaulets are usually used by public figures in formal processions.

A landaulet carriage is a cut-down (coupé) version of a landau carriage The landaulet retained the rear half of the landau's two-part folding top.

Like many other coachbuilding styles, the term landaulet was transferred from horse-drawn carriages to motor carriages. A landaulet automobile has a passenger enclosure with a folding roof over the rear seats. A separate section is at the front for the driver. The condition of the driver's section may range from having no weather protection at all, as was often the case with early landaulets, to being fully enclosed.

A landaulet is a chauffeured vehicle. Since the Second World War, conventional use has been largely restricted to formal processions by dignitaries when the dignitary's security can be assured. Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, and Pope Benedict XVI used landaulets based on Mercedes-Benz automobiles.

The Maybach division of Daimler AG showed a landaulet concept car at the Middle East International Auto Show in November 2007. They added the landaulet to their 2009 model line. The Maybach division has since been discontinued.

1816 Carriage

1898 Panhard-Levassor Landaulet type AL 1898

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