The coupé is a carriage in the
coach class. Coupé, meaning 'cut' in French, is a shortened version of a
Berlin style coach by cutting the coach at the front door pillar and making that the front corner pillar of the body. The front has a fixed window and the lower front edge of the coupé body usually has a curve, forming a sort of "J" shape. A coupé has a single seat for two people facing forward, losing the rear-facing front seat of the coach. The coupé has a front window which the Berlin coach usually does not, though when a
coachman is sitting on a seat draped with a
hammercloth, the passengers do not have a view. The best passenger viewing is when the coupé is drawn by horses guided by a
postilion (rider). The coupé or chariot is built with a and a closed body. Earlier designs were suspended with four whip springs and later cee-springs. There is a full-length half-glass door on each side of the main compartment. Hammercloths are color-coordinated with the paint of the body, and
arms and
crests are often painted on the doors and quarter panels. A dress or
state chariot usually has two
footmen dressed in
livery standing on the rear platform. Most coupés were built on the same pattern and were named after their purpose. • A
state or dress chariot is elaborately decorated with luxurious fabrics, fine paintwork, illustrations, and gilded ornaments. Coachmen and footmen would be dressed in
livery. •
A town chariot is less elaborate with sombre colors. • A
traveling chariot or
private posting chariot is a privately-owned carriage that was used for long-distance travel by the wealthy. • A
post chaise is a hired carriage for long-distance traveling. Often fleets of these were painted yellow and called
Yellow Bounders. == Variations ==