Phaeton body

History

The term phaeton had historically described a light, open four-wheeled carriage. When automobiles arrived it was applied to a light two-seater with minimal coachwork. The term was interchangeable with spyder, derived from a light form of phaeton carriage known as a spider. Originally meant to denote a faster and lighter vehicle than a touring car, the two terms eventually became interchangeable.

A detachable folding or rigid roof could be added before a drive in preparation for inclement weather, and side curtains or screens could be installed once the roof was in place. This was mainly temporary and partial relief rather than the more permanent, watertight protection offered by a convertible. As a result, a phaeton was much lighter than the sturdier, weather-ready convertible. Since the body was entirely open, it was easy to add or remove an extra row of seating where space had been left in the original construction.

A phaeton differs from a convertible in having no winding or sliding windows in the doors or the body. File:1917.hudson.phaeton.arp.jpg|1917 Hudson phaeton File:Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 Sala Phaeton.jpg|Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 Sala File:Studebaker Phaeton.jpg|1930 Studebaker File:Ford A Typ180A DeLuxePhaeton1930 2.JPG|1930 Ford Model A File:1934 ford model 40 750 De Luxe Phaeton.jpg|1934 Ford Model B File:1936 Toyota Model AB Phaeton 01.jpg|Toyota AB phaeton

Doubles and triples

There were also double phaetons, with two rows of seats, triple phaetons, and closed phaetons.

After 1912, American use of the term began to be most closely associated with the "triple phaeton" body configurations that had room for three rows of seats, whether all three were installed or not. This also led to the term "phaeton" becoming similar to, and eventually interchangeable with, the term "touring car".

File:1924RollsRoyce.jpg|1924 Rolls-Royce 40/50 File:Duesenberg Convertible SJ LA Grand Dual-Cowl Phaeton 1935.jpg|1935 Duesenberg File:Mercedes Double Phaeton.jpg|1905 Mercedes 28/50 PS double phaeton File:President Johnson (USA) had besprekingen met Kiesinger te Bonn, lijfwacht Presid, Bestanddeelnr 920-2596.jpg|Cadillac phaeton carrying President Johnson, 1967, nicknamed the "Queen Mary" by his Secret Service detail File:Chrysler Phaeton 1.jpg|1997 Chrysler Phaeton concept car

Dual cowl phaeton

Specific use of the term phaeton is with the dual cowl phaeton, a body style in which the rear passengers were separated from the driver and the front passengers by a cowl or bulkhead, often with its own folding windshield.

File:DUESENBERG MODEL SJ LAGRANDE.jpg|1935 Duesenberg Model SJ LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton File:1956 Imperial Parade Phaeton - Dwight Eisenhower car - fvl.jpg|1956 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton

Decline in popularity

The phaeton and the touring car were popular up to the 1930s, after which they were largely replaced by the convertible, which also had a retractable roof, but also included side windows so that the car could be completely enclosed.

The Willys-Overland Jeepster was the last true phaeton produced by a major US automaker, and was introduced ten years after the previous phaeton to be offered by an American manufacturer. The post-World War II demand for automobiles - of any description - was an opportunity for Willys-Overland to build on the Jeep's military recognition and they evolved the 1946 Jeepster two-door station wagon to the 1948 phaeton. It provided a "Spartan but adequate appointments" that included hinged front door vent windows and plastic side curtains rather than roll-up glass windows. Marketed from 1948 to 1951, the Jeepster phaeton was a rather expensive niche vehicle and "though admired by many, it was purchased by relatively few."

In 1952, a year after Willys last offered the Jeepster, Chrysler Corporation built three Imperial Parade phaetons for ceremonial use, one by New York City, one by Los Angeles, and one intended for the White House, but ultimately used for events throughout the United States. These were dual-cowl phaetons custom-built on stretched versions of the company’s Imperial Crown Limousine chassis.

As a model name

In the late 1930s, Buick included a "convertible phaeton" body style, which was actually a four-door convertible, as the doors had roll up windows in them and the car could be fully closed.

During the 1956 model year, Mercury marketed the four-door hardtop versions of its Montclair and Monterey models as "phaetons."

In 2004, Volkswagen introduced a vehicle with the name Phaeton, based on the Audi A8, which had a typical four-door sedan body style.

File:1934 Buick Series 60 Convertible Phaeton.JPG|1934 Buick "convertible phaeton" File:1956MercuryMontclair.jpg|1956 Mercury Montclair Phaeton 4-door hardtop sedan File:2013 Volkswagen Phaeton V6 4MOTION TDi SWB Automatic 3.0.jpg|2013 Volkswagen Phaeton – a four-door hardtop sedan

References

References

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22. (22 July 2012). "Biggest Automotive Missteps: Volkswagen Phaeton - The "Peoples' Car" brand simply couldn't get away with a full-blown luxury sedan". CarBuzz.