Over the years, automobile body styles have been given all kinds of names. Their origin stems from the days of the horse drawn coaches, with modifications as the horseless carriage came of age. A lot of the names also have origins from the regions they were developed in; usually in Europe. (i.e. Berlin and Landau - Germany, Sedan - France, etc.) In this link, we will see how these names describe a specific body style - and how loosely some of them have been used of late by automotive manufacturers.

After the end of World War I, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) developed a standard nomenclature for body styles. Below we will see what these were:

Phaeton
	The phaeton is an open body with two fixed cross seats for four or five passengers. Sometimes there are folding seats in the tonneau for two additional passengers. The conventional body has four doors with a removable top and side curtains.
Roadster
An open type body, having a fixed cross seat for two passengers, and a space or compartment in the rear for luggage. Folding seats fitting into the luggage compartment are sometimes used. The conventional body has two doors, a folding top and removable side curtains.
Coupé
	The coupé is an enclosed single compartment body with one fixed cross seat. This seat may be straight to accommodate two passengers, or staggered to accommodate three persons. The conventional body has two doors, and two movable glass windows on each side. The roof is permanent, and there is a luggage compartment at the rear.
Sedan
The sedan is an enclosed single compartment body with two fixed cross seats for four or five passengers. Folding seats in the tonneau for two additional passengers are sometimes used. The conventional body has four doors, but some models have only two. There are three movable glass windows on each side, and the roof is non-collapsible.
Berline
	A berline is a body along the same description of the Sedan. The exception is that at the rear of the driver's seat, there is an enclosed two compartment body. Generally one glass window in the partition is made so that it can be moved horizontally or vertically.
Limousine
A partially enclosed body with a non-collapsible roof that extends the full length, and is attached to the front windshield. Only the partition up to the rear of the driver's seat is enclosed. The rear has a fixed cross seat for two passengers, and folding seats for two additional passengers. There are two doors, and two movable glass windows on each side.
Brougham
	A body style similar to the limousine with the exception that the non-collapsible roof extends only over the portion of the body that is entirely enclosed. This body style is also known as the town car.
Cabriolet
A body similar to the brougham with the general characteristics of the landaulet (see below). The B pillar is designed to be collapsible or hinged. The roof is designed to be collapsible entirely or in sections - front or rear. All windows including the partition behind the driver's seat are collapsible in the event of top down driving. The rear has a fixed cross seat for two or three passengers, and folding seats for two additional passengers.
Landaulet
	A body similar in appearance to the brougham, with the exception that the enclosed section is shorter, and the roof is collapsible up to the partition behind the driver's seat. There is one fixed cross seat for two or three passengers in the back. Only the doors have windows which are movable. Traditionally, the rear quarters are covered in fabric or leather, and outside joints support the roof (a.k.a landau bars). Like the cabriolet, the rear section of this body style is shorter than others, so there is no room for collapsible seats.
Sedan Landaulet
A body of the same proportions and description of the sedan, with the exception that the portion of the top behind the doors is collapsible.
Brougham Landaulet
	A body of the same proportions as the Brougham but with a collapsible roof in the driver's compartment and the rear seat area. The Munsters' Koach designed by George Barris for the 1960's TV series The Munsters is a Brougham Landaulet body.
Limousine Landaulet
The Limousine Landaulet bears the same dimensions as a limousine with the exception of the collapsible roof over the rear seat.
Berline Landaulet
	The Berline Landaulet has the same resemblance of a Berline body with the exception of the collapsible roof over the rear seat.

This page was last updated .   Send your feedback!