Coach, Coachwork!

What is the difference between a vehicle and an automobile? Automobiles are vehicles, but not all vehicles are automobiles. Before the development of automobiles in the 19th century, people travelled in vehicles drawn by animals, mostly horses. Coaches, carriages and carts are certainly vehicles, but they are not automobiles. An automobile is a vehicle which is self-driven by an engine.

There were several types of horse-drawn vehicles, often described by the form of their coachwork: convertible, sedan, landau, carriage… These types of bodywork were adapted by the designers of the first automobile, by the craftsman who were working simultaneously on horse-drawn vehicles and automobiles.

Many craftsmen worked on all the elements of the automobile, to satisfy the wishes of the rich owner who wanted to personalise his vehicle. The automobile manufacturer delivered an automobile on a chassis with wheels, engine and components. Then the cabinetmaker was involved to produce the wooden cockpit which defines the general shape of the automobile. The saddler-upholsterer produced the seats, the roof headliner and the hood of leather or cloth, and the coachbuilder made the metal bodywork. Other components were then added such as lanterns, headlights and horns.

The forms of bodywork evolved with the development of car design and in the 1920s, a new type of bodywork appeared, especially designed for the automobile: the torpedo convertible.