Coupe

A coupe is a type of car.

It often has a sloping roof. This roof goes down at the back. Most coupes have two doors.

Some coupes have small seats in the back. These seats are smaller than the front ones. Long ago, a coupe was a carriage. It was a shorter carriage for two people. The name means "cut." This is because it was made shorter. It was a special way to travel.

A coupe is a type of car with a special shape.

Most coupes have a roof that slopes down at the back. They usually have two doors.

Some coupes have small seats in the back. These seats are often lower quality than the front seats. Some cars have a 2+2 style. This means they have two main seats and two small ones in back.

The word coupe comes from a French word that means "cut." Long ago, it was a type of horse-drawn carriage. It was a shorter version of a larger carriage. It was made for two people. Early cars followed this same design. In the early 1900s, drivers sat in the open air. The passengers sat inside a small, enclosed part behind them.

Since the 1960s, most people use the word for a two-door car with a fixed roof. Some new cars have four doors but use the name anyway. They do this because they have a sleek, low roofline.

A coupé is a special type of passenger car.

Most coupés have a roof that slopes down at the back. They often have only two doors. Some models have extra seats in the back. These rear seats are usually much smaller than the front ones. They are also often lower in quality. A car with two main seats and two small ones in back is called a 2+2 style.

The word coupé comes from a French word meaning "cut." This name describes how the shape is shorter than other vehicles. Long ago, it was a type of horse-drawn carriage. These carriages were shorter versions of the larger berline carriage. They did not have seats facing the rear. They were often used by women for social visits or shopping. This design moved from carriages to the very first automobiles.

Early cars followed the design of these old carriages.

In the early 1900s, the driver sat in the open air at the front. The passengers sat on a bench seat inside an enclosed part behind the driver. By the 1910s, the term meant a two-door car with an enclosed cabin. Some special versions, like the coupé de ville, kept the driver in an open section. Since the 1960s, most people use the word for a two-door car with a fixed roof.

There are many different kinds of coupés. A berlinetta is a lightweight and sporty two-door car. A club coupé has a larger area for rear passengers. A hardtop coupé is a two-door car without a middle pillar between the windows.

In the 1930s, American makers built business coupés for salespeople. These had no rear seat or a removable one. Some cars even had an "opera" style designed for driving to the opera. These could even have spots to store top hats.

Today, people sometimes argue about what a coupé should be. Some companies sell four-door cars as "four-door coupés" or "quad coupés."

These cars have a low, sleek roofline that makes the back feel smaller. The 1962 Rover P5 was an early example of this style. Some rules, like the 1977 ISO3833 standard, say a coupé must have two doors. Other groups, like the Society of Automotive Engineers, focus on the space in the back instead. This shows how the definition of the word is always changing.

A coupé is a specific type of passenger car defined by its shape and design.

Most coupés feature a fixed roof with a sloping or truncated rear roofline. While many people associate the term with two-door vehicles, the exact definition can vary between different organizations. In the 1940s and 1950s, these cars were easily distinguished from sedans by their shorter roofs. They generally offered a sportier and more compact profile than standard family cars.

To understand how a coupé is defined, we must look at different technical standards. The 1977 International Standard ISO3833 defines a coupé as having two doors and a fixed roof. This standard also requires at least two seats in one row and two side windows. However, the United States Society of Automotive Engineers uses a different measurement. Their J1100 publication does not specify the number of doors at all. Instead, it defines a coupé by its interior volume. Specifically, a coupé must have a rear interior volume of less than 34 cubic feet.

The term has many different specialized variations. A berlinetta is a lightweight, sporty two-door car that often includes 2+2 seating. This 2+2 style means the car has two functional front seats and two smaller rear seats. A club coupé is another variation that offers a larger rear-seat area than a standard 2+2. In these models, the rear seat is full-width and accessible by tilting the front seats forward. Another historical style is the hardtop coupé. This design lacks a structural "B" pillar between the front and rear side windows.

History shows that the coupé began long before the invention of the automobile. The design originated from the berline horse-drawn carriage in the 18th century. A coupé was essentially a shortened or "cut" version of the berline. These carriages were designed for two passengers and lacked any rear-facing seats. Because of their enclosed passenger compartments, they were considered ideal for social visits. When cars were first developed, they followed this same logic. Early automobile passenger compartments often featured a driver in an open section and passengers in an enclosed area behind them.

In the 20th century, manufacturers created many niche versions of the coupé. During the late 1930s, American companies developed the business coupé. These were designed for traveling salespeople and often had no rear seat at all. There was even an "opera coupé" designed for attending the opera. These cars sometimes featured small, circular "opera windows" to allow occupants to see out without being seen. Some even included special compartments for storing top hats.

Modern automotive marketing has caused significant debate regarding the term. Since the early 2000s, many manufacturers have sold four-door cars as "four-door coupés" or "quad coupés." These vehicles, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS, feature a low, sleek roofline. This design reduces headroom and makes accessing the back seats more difficult. While the 1962 Rover P5 was an early example of this, modern reactions to the term are mixed. Some automotive experts, such as those at Edmunds, argue that the four-door coupé category does not actually exist.

Finally, the coupé relates to many other vehicle body styles and engineering concepts. Some coupés are simply two-door versions of existing family sedans. For example, the 1974–1978 AMC Matador coupé featured a shorter wheelbase and aerodynamic styling. In other cases, a coupé might share a platform with a sedan but have very different engineering. Some models, like the Toyota GT86, are unique model lines with little in common with a brand's other vehicles. This variety shows how the coupé continues to evolve in the automotive world.