Coupe

{{lang|fr|Coupé}} ({{IPA|fr|kupe}}) is based on the past participle of the French verb {{lang|fr|couper}} ("to cut") and thus indicates a car which has been "cut" or made shorter than standard. It was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. These {{lang|fr|berlines coupées}}{{cite book |last=Haajanen |first=Lennart W. |others=Illustrations by Bertil Nydén |year= 2003 |title= Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles |publisher=McFarland |isbn= 0-7864-1276-3 |lccn= 2002014546 |pages= 16, 18, 20, 50}} or {{lang|fr|carrosses coupés}} ("clipped carriages") were eventually clipped to {{lang|fr|coupés}}.{{citation |contribution=coupé, n.3 |contribution-url= https://oed.com/view/Entry/43120 |date=1893 |title=Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press}}.

There are two common pronunciations in English:

• {{IPAc-en|k|uː|ˈ|p|eɪ}} ({{respell|koo|PAY}}) – the anglicized version of the French pronunciation of coupé.
• {{IPAc-en|k|uː|p}} ({{respell|KOOP}}) – as a spelling pronunciation when the word is written without an accent.{{citation |contribution=coupé |url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coupe |title=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=30 August 2020}} and pronounced as one syllable. This is the usual pronunciation and spelling in the United States and much of Canada,{{cite web|title=Porsche Actually Made a Video on How to Pronounce Its Name|url= https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/videos/a31871/porsche-actually-made-a-video-on-how-to-pronounce-its-name/ |website=roadandtrack.com|date= 9 December 2016 |access-date=13 April 2018}} with the pronunciation entering American vernacular no later than 1936{{cite book|first=Henry L. |last=Mencken |year=1936 |title=The American Language |url= https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.169487 |edition=4th |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.169487/page/n369 347] |quote=I have... heard... coop for coupé |author-link=H. L. Mencken }} and featuring in the Beach Boys' hit 1963 song "Little Deuce Coupe".

File:1955 Cadillac Coupe Deville.jpg ]]

A coupé is a fixed-roof car with a sloping rear roofline and one or two rows of seats. However, there is some debate surrounding whether a coupe must have two doors for passenger egress{{cite web|title=For the Last Time, a Coupe Is a Car With Two Doors|url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/for-the-last-time-a-coupe-is-a-car-with-two-doors-271257 |website=autotrader.com |access-date=16 April 2018}}{{cite magazine|title=Range Rover's $295K Coupe SUV Proves No Niche Is Too Small|url= https://www.wired.com/story/range-rover-suv-sv-coupe-geneva/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=16 April 2018|last1= Stewart |first1=Jack }} or whether cars with four doors can also be considered coupés.{{cite web|title=Sedan vs. Coupe Cars: Meaning, Definition & Differences|url= http://www.automoblog.net/2009/02/12/coupe-vs-sedan-whats-the-difference/ |website=automoblog.net |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210304054011/http://www.automoblog.net/2009/02/12/coupe-vs-sedan-whats-the-difference/ |archive-date=4 March 2021 |access-date=19 April 2024}} This debate has arisen since the early 2000s, when four-door cars such as the Mazda RX-8 and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class have been marketed as "four-door coupés" or "quad coupés", although the Rover P5 was a much earlier example, with a variant introduced in 1962 having a lower, sleeker roofline marketed as the Rover P5 Coupé.

In the 1940s and 1950s, coupés were distinguished from sedans by their shorter roof area and sportier profile.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OtKWmLLiuTgC&q=%22perceived+as+the+more-stremlined%2C+sportier+models%22&pg=PA55 |page=55 |title=The ultimate hot rod dictionary: a-bombs to zoomies |first=Jeff |last=Breitenstein |publisher=Motorbooks International |year=2004 |isbn=9780760318232 |access-date=22 April 2015}} Similarly, in more recent times, when a model is sold in both coupé and sedan body styles, generally the coupe is sportier and more compact.{{cite web|url= http://www.thefreedictionary.com/coupé |title=Coupé |publisher=Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary |year=2010 |access-date=22 April 2015}} There have been a number of two-door sedans built as well, a bodystyle the French call a coach.

The 1977 version of International Standard ISO{{spaces}}3833—Road vehicles - Types - Terms and definitions—defines a coupe as having two doors (along with a fixed roof, usually with limited rear volume, at least two seats in at least one row and at least two side windows).{{Citation| author=((Technical Committee ISO/TC22, Road vehicles))| publication-date =1977-12-01| title=ISO 3833-1977: Road vehicles – Types – Terms and definitions |type=ISO International Standard |edition=Second |publisher=International Organization for Standardization| place=Geneva, Switzerland | at =Clause 3.1.1.5 |url= https://www.iso.org/standard/9389.html}} On the other hand, the United States Society of Automotive Engineers publication J1100{{cite web |title=J1100: Motor Vehicle Dimensions - SAE International |url= https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j1100_197309/ |website=sae.org |access-date=20 April 2019}}{{when|date=April 2019|reason= Which version is this stated in? It doesn't appear in the 1984 or 2001 version.}} does not specify the number of doors, instead defining a coupé as having a rear interior volume of less than {{convert|33|cuft|L|0|abbr=on}}.{{cite journal|first=David Traver |last=Adolphus |title=Club Coupes - If you think you know what a Club Coupe is, think again |url= https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2007/03/Club-Coupes/1423429.html |date=March 2007 |journal=Hemmings Classic Car |access-date=14 July 2018}}{{cite web |title=Coupe – Coupe Body Style – Two Door Coupe |website=autobytel.com |url= http://www.autobytel.com/coupes/car-buying-guides/coupe-coupe-body-style-two-door-coupe-104289/ |access-date=22 April 2015}}

The definition of coupé started to blur when manufacturers began to produce cars with a 2+2 body style (which have a sleek, sloping roofline, two doors, and two functional seats up front, plus two small seats in the back).{{Cite web |last=Jack |date=2022-12-28 |title=What is a Coupe Car |url=https://usacoupe.com/what-is-a-coupe-car/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=USACoupe |language=en-US |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229173125/https://usacoupe.com/what-is-a-coupe-car/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Weber |first=Bob |title=What is the difference between coupe and sedan? |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/2017/08/26/what-is-the-difference-between-coupe-and-sedan/ |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=1 June 2019 |access-date=19 April 2024}}

Some manufacturers also blur the definition of a coupé by applying this description to models featuring a hatchback or a rear cargo area access door that opens upwards.{{cite web|url= https://www.thefreedictionary.com/hatchback |title=hatchback - definition |website=thefreedictionary.com |date=2014 |access-date=19 April 2024}}{{cite web|url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hatchback |title=Hatchback - definition |website=merriam-webster.com |access-date=19 February 2020}} Most often also featuring a fold-down back seat, the hatchback or liftback layout of these cars improves their practicality and cargo room.{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Dan |title=Best Hatchbacks |url= https://www.carbibles.com/best-hatchbacks/ |website=Carbibles |date=4 February 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200923180751/https://www.carbibles.com/best-hatchbacks/ |archive-date=23 September 2020 |access-date=19 April 2024}}

File:Opočno castle in 2009 55.JPG ]]

The coupe carriage body style originated from the berline horse-drawn carriage. The coupe version of the berline was introduced in the 18th century as a shortened ("cut") version with no rear-facing seat.{{cite journal|first=David Traver |last=Adolphus |title=Club Coupes - If you think you know what a Club Coupe is, think again |date= March 2007 |journal=Hemmings Classic Car |url= https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2007/03/Club-Coupes/1423429.html |access-date=30 March 2020 |quote=Coupé (some designers still insist on the 'koo-pay' pronunciation) is the French verb meaning 'to cut,' and it was first applied to 19th Century carriages, where the rear-facing seats had been eliminated, or cut out.}}{{harvtxt|Haajanen|2017|p=52}}. "When the Berline body was shortened the Berline Coupe, or just Coupe, resulted."{{cite web |title=Royal carriages|url= https://www.kreml.ru/?cmd=00200600000000000110000000000000000&cmdex=4090006C7309900000000 |website=Moscow Kremlin Museums |access-date= 14 April 2018}} Normally, a coupé had a fixed glass window in the front of the passenger compartment.{{sfn|Haajanen|2003|p=50}} The coupé was considered an ideal vehicle for women to use to go shopping or to make social visits.{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/worldonwheels00stra |access-date=2014-09-04 |first=Ezra |last=Stratton |publisher=Ezra Stratton |title=World on Wheels |location=New York |year=1878 |isbn=0-405-09006-4 |chapter=Chapter VIII. French carriages, including historical associations |page= [https://archive.org/details/worldonwheels00stra/page/242 242] |quote=For the use of ladies making calls or engaged in shopping, no better carriage has yet been invented. |ol=7004294M}}

The early coupé automobile's passenger compartment followed in general conception the design of horse-drawn coupés,{{sfn|Haajanen|2017|pp=52–53, 57}} with the driver in the open at the front and an enclosure behind him for two passengers on one bench seat.{{Sfn|Haajanen|2003|p=51}}{{cite book |last=Clough |first=Albert L. |title=A dictionary of automobile terms |year=1913 |publisher=The Horseless Age |page=89 |url= https://archive.org/stream/adictionaryauto00clougoog#page/n93/mode/1up |access-date=17 May 2015}} The French variant for this word thus denoted a car with a small passenger compartment.{{sfn|Haajanen|2017|pp=52–53, 57}}

By the 1910s, the term had evolved to denote a two-door car with the driver and up to two passengers in an enclosure with a single bench seat.{{Sfn|Clough|1913|p=89}} The coupé de ville, or coupé chauffeur, was an exception, retaining the open driver's section at front.{{Sfn|Haajanen|2003|pp=51, 55-56}}

In 1916, the Society of Automobile Engineers suggested nomenclature for car bodies that included the following:{{cite news| title=What's What in Automobile Bodies Officially Determined |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1916/08/20/archives/whats-what-in-automobile-bodies-officially-determined.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=20 August 1916 |quote=Here it is, with other body types and distinctions, officially determined recently by the Nomenclature Division of the Society of Automobile Engineers |access-date=22 April 2015}}{{cite book |last=Forbes |first=Kingston |title=The Principles of Automobile Body Design: covering the fundamentals of open and closed passenger body design |year=1922 |publisher=Ware Bros. |page= [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_oqU7AAAAMAAJ/page/n235 238] |url= https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_oqU7AAAAMAAJ |access-date=22 April 2015}}

{{Blockquote|text=Coupe: An enclosed car operated from the inside with seats for two or three and sometimes a backward-facing fourth seat.

Coupelet: A small car seating two or three with a folding top and full height doors with fully retractable windows.

Convertible coupe: A roadster with a removable coupe roof.}}

During the 20th century, the term coupé was applied to various close-coupled cars (where the rear seat is located further forward than usual and the front seat further back than usual).{{Sfn|Clough|1913|p=33}}{{cite book|last=Beattie |first=Ian |title=The Complete Book of Automobile Body Design|year= 1977 |publisher=Haynes Publishing Group |location=Yeovil, UK|isbn= 0854292179|page= 17}}

Since the 1960s the term coupé has generally referred to a two-door car with a fixed roof.{{cite web|title=Sedan vs. Coupe: What's the Difference? |url= https://www.carmax.com/articles/sedan-vs-coupe |website=carmax.com |access-date=14 April 2018}}

Since 2005, several models with four doors have been marketed as "four-door coupés", however, reactions are mixed about whether these models are actually sedans instead of coupés.{{cite web|title=Car Review: 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS 500|url=http://driving.ca/mercedes-benz/cls-class/reviews/road-test/road-test-2005-mercedes-benz-cls-500-2|website=driving.ca|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=14 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414233819/http://driving.ca/mercedes-benz/cls-class/reviews/road-test/road-test-2005-mercedes-benz-cls-500-2|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS Class Review |url= https://www.thecarconnection.com/overview/mercedes-benz_cls-class_2018 |website=thecarconnection.com|access-date=14 April 2018}}{{cite web|title=2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 - First Look|url=http://www.superstreetonline.com/cars/new-car-reviews/epcp-0503-2005-mercedes-benz-cls-500/|website=superstre etonline.com|date=16 March 2005|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613123535/http://www.superstreetonline.com/cars/new-car-reviews/epcp-0503-2005-mercedes-benz-cls-500/|url-status=dead}} According to Edmunds, an American automotive guide, "the four-door coupe category doesn't really exist."{{cite web |last1=Montoya |first1=Ronald |title=Defining Vehicle Types |url= https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/defining-vehicle-types.html |work=Edmunds |date=28 May 2013 |access-date=14 July 2018}}

{{main article|Berlinetta}}

A berlinetta is a lightweight sporty two-door car, typically with two seats but also including 2+2 cars.{{cite web|url= http://www.autonews.fr/dossiers/industrie/211126-porsche-960-berlinette-flat8-911-performances/ |title=Porsche 960: une nouvelle berlinette à moteur flat-8 |website=autonews.fr|date=28 April 2016 }}

A club coupe is a two-door car with a larger rear-seat passenger area, compared with the smaller rear-seat area in a 2+2 body style. Thus, club coupes resemble coupes as both have two doors, but feature a full-width rear seat that is accessible by tilting forward the backs of the front seats.{{cite web|url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/club%20coupe |title=Club coupe |website=merriam-webster.com |access-date=19 April 2024}}

A hardtop coupe is a two-door car that lacks a structural pillar ("B" pillar) between the front and rear side windows. When these windows are lowered, the effect is like that of a convertible coupé with the windows down. The hardtop body style was popular in the United States from the early 1950s until the 2000s. It was also available in European and Japanese markets.{{cite web |last1=Niedermeyer |first1=Paul |title=Curbside Classic: 1984 Subaru GL Hardtop Coupe – A Requiem For The Affordable Hardtop |url= https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-1984-subaru-gl-hardtop-coupe-a-requiem-for-the-affordable-hardtop/ |website=.curbsideclassic.com |date=27 July 2020 |access-date=19 April 2024}}{{cite web |title=Jaguar XK140 Hardtop Coupe |url= https://www.supercars.net/blog/jaguar-xk140-hardtop-coupe/ |website=supercars.net |date=2 March 2016 |access-date=19 April 2024}} Safety regulations for roof structures to protect passengers in a rollover were proposed, limiting the development of new models.{{cite web |last1=Severson |first1=Aaron |title=What is a hardtop? |url= https://ateupwithmotor.com/terms-technology-definitions/what-is-a-hardtop/ |publisher=Ate Up With Motor |date=9 April 2008 |access-date=28 February 2021}} The hardtop body style went out of style with consumers while the automakers focused on cost reduction and increasing efficiencies.{{cite journal |title=A History of Hardtops |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/a-history-of-hardtops |journal=Hemmings Classic Car |date=April 2006 |access-date=28 February 2021}}

{{main article|Combi coupé}}

Saab used the term "combi coupé" for a car body similar to the liftback.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Pvsv78xj7UIC&q=%22station+wagon%22+vs.+%22hatchback%22&pg=PA31 |page= 31 |first=Reza N. |last=Jazar |title= Vehicle dynamics: theory and applications |publisher= Springer-Verlag|year= 2008 |isbn= 978-0-387-74243-4 |access-date=22 April 2015}}

File:Packard 120 Eight Business Coupe 1936.jpg business coupe]]A two-door car with no rear seat or with a removable rear seat intended for traveling salespeople and other vendors carrying their wares with them. American manufacturers developed this style of coupe in the late 1930s.{{cite web|title=Automotive History: Trying To Make (Business Coupe) Sense Of The Gremlin|url= http://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automotive-history-trying-to-make-business-coupe-sense-of-the-gremlin/ |access-date=14 April 2018 |website=curbsideclassic.com}}

File:LaFayette Four Door Coupe 1921.jpg

The 1921 and 1922 LaFayette models were available in a variety of open and closed body styles that included a close-coupled version featuring two center-opening doors on each side that was marketed as a Four-Door Coupe.{{cite web|url= https://americancarhistorian.com/lafayette/ |title=LaFayette |date=19 May 2020 |first=Deb |last=Tracy |website=americancarhistorian.com |access-date=16 July 2024}} The 1927 Nash Advanced Six was available in four-door coupe body style.{{cite web|url= https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1927-Nash.pdf |title=The Nash Advanced Six, Seven Passenger Sedan, Four Door Coupé, Victoria (brochure) |website=xr793.com |access-date=23 July 2024}}

More recently, the description has been applied by marketers to describe four-door cars with a coupe-like roofline at the rear. The low-roof design reduces back-seat passenger access and headroom.{{cite web |last=Powell |first= Philip |title= The Fastback is Back Thanks to Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen |work=Classical Drives |date=8 January 2008 |url= http://www.classicaldrives.com/50226711/the_fastback_is_back_thanks_to_mercedes_audi_bmw_volkswagen.php |archive-date=1 August 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130801122953/http://www.classicaldrives.com/50226711/the_fastback_is_back_thanks_to_mercedes_audi_bmw_volkswagen.php |access-date= 22 April 2015}} The designation was used for the low-roof model of the 1962–1973 Rover P5,{{cite book |last=Langworth |first=Richard M. |title= Complete book of collectible cars, 1930–1980 |year= 1986 |publisher=Random House Value Publishing |page= [https://archive.org/details/completebookofco00lang/page/389 389] |isbn= 978-0-517-47934-6 |url= https://archive.org/details/completebookofco00lang/page/389 }} followed by the 1992–1996 Nissan Leopard / Infiniti J30.{{cite web |title=The Infiniti J30 Was A Four-Door Coupe Before It Was Fashionable |url=https://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-infiniti-j30-was-a-four-door-sedan-before-it-was-fa-1679477558 |website=kinja.com |access-date=21 April 2019 |archive-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421133838/https://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-infiniti-j30-was-a-four-door-sedan-before-it-was-fa-1679477558 |url-status=dead }} Recent examples include the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS, 2010 Audi A7, Volkswagen CC, Volkswagen Arteon, and 2012 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.{{Citation |title= Mercedes CLS-Klasse |publisher=Auto, Motor und Sport | url= http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/mercedes-cls-9416.html |access-date=18 June 2011}}{{cite web |title=Neuer Audi A7 Sportback: Erste Bilder, Details und Preise |date=27 July 2010 |trans-title=New Audi A7 sportback: First pictures, details and pricing |url= http://www.heise.de/autos/artikel/Neuer-Audi-A7-Sportback-Erste-Bilder-Details-und-Preise-1045664.html |language=de |publisher=Heise |access-date= 22 April 2015}}{{Citation |language=de |title= Audi A7 Sportback 3.0 TDI quattro S tronic (DPF) |url= http://www.adac.de/_ext/itr/tests/Autotest/AT4513_Audi_A7_Sportback_3_0_TDI_quattro_S_tronic_DPF/Audi_A7_Sportback_3_0_TDI_quattro_S_tronic_DPF.pdf |publisher=ADAC |date=January 2011|first=Stefan |last=Giuliani |access-date= 22 April 2015}}

Similarly, several cars with one or two small rear doors for rear seat passenger egress and no B-pillar have been marketed as "quad coupes". For example, the 2003 Saturn Ion, the 2003 Mazda RX-8, and the 2011-2022 Hyundai Veloster.

File:VW Scirocco I orange hr TCE.jpg, a 3-door hatchback with coupe-inspired styling]]Particularly popular in Europe, many cars are designed with coupe styling, but a three-door hatchback/liftback layout to improve practicality, including cars such as the Jaguar E-Type, Mitsubishi 3000GT, Datsun 240Z, Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7, Alfa Romeo Brera,{{cite web |title=Alfa Romeo Brera {{!}} Used Car Buying Guide |date=10 January 2017 |website=Autocar |url= https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-car-buying-guides/alfa-romeo-brera}} Ford/Mercury Cougar{{cite web |title=Ford Cougar (1998 - 2002) used car review |first=Andy |last=Enright |date=8 Apr 2009 |website=rac.co.uk |url= https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/ford/cougar/cougar-1998-2002/}} and Volkswagen Scirocco.{{cite web |title=The Top Gear car review: Volkswagen Scirocco |website=topgear.com |date=13 January 2015 |url= https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/volkswagen/scirocco}}

A two-door car designed for driving to the opera with easy access to the rear seats. Features sometimes included a folding front seat next to the driver{{cite web |title= Dictionary of Historic Automotive Terms |publisher=Chalk Hill Educational Media |url= http://www.chalkhillmedia.org/Museum/historic_automotive_terms.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110514084222/http://www.chalkhillmedia.org/Museum/historic_automotive_terms.htm |archive-date=14 May 2011 |access-date= 22 April 2015}}{{cite book |last=Burness |first=Tad |title=American Car Spotter's Bible 1940–1980 |publisher=Krause Publications |year=2005 |page=736 |isbn=9780896891791}} or a compartment to store top hats.{{cite news|title=Archival Revival: One-of-a-kind Nash here a few more weeks|url= https://kenoshanews.com/community/local_history/archival-revival-one-of-a-kind-nash-here-a-few/article_8395ac50-e6e9-545c-ac26-3917259abc4b.html |newspaper=Kenosha News |date=6 September 2016 |access-date=19 April 2024}}

Often they would have solid rear-quarter panels, with small, circular windows, to enable the occupants to see out without being seen. These opera windows were revived on many U.S. automobiles during the 1970s and early 1980s.{{cite book | last= Frazee |first= Irving Augustus | title= Automotive Fundamentals |publisher=American Technical Society |year=1949 |page= 81 }}{{request quotation|date=October 2018}}

The three-window coupe (commonly just "three-window") is a style of automobile characterized by two side windows and a backlight (rear window).{{cite web |last1=Schueter |first1=Roger |title=What's the difference between an old three-window coupe and a five-window model? |url= https://www.bnd.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/answer-man/article190249139.html |publisher=Belleville News-Democrat |date=17 December 2017 |access-date=15 December 2020}} The front windscreens are not counted. The three-window coupe has a distinct difference from the five-window coupe, which has an additional window on each side behind the front doors.{{cite web |last1=Wagner |first1=Rob |title=What Is the Difference Between a 1934 Ford 3-Window & 5-Window Coupe? |url= https://itstillruns.com/difference-ford-3window-5window-coupe-8527960.html |publisher=It Still Runs |access-date=15 December 2020}} These two-door cars typically have small-sized bodies with only a front seat and an occasional small rear seat.{{cite web |last1=Kilchermann |first1=Lori |title=What is a Three Window Coupe? |url= https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-a-three-window-coupe.htm |publisher=WiseGeek |date=21 November 2020 |access-date=15 December 2020}}

The style was popular from the 1920s until the beginning of World War II. While many manufacturers produced three-window coupes, the 1932 Ford coupe is often considered the classic hot rod.{{cite web |last1=Bernsau |first1=Tim |title=Hot Rod 3-Pack: 1932 Ford Three-Window Coupes |url= https://www.motortrend.com/articles/1932-ford-coupe-3-pack/ |work=Hot Rod (Motor Trend) |date=6 October 2020 |access-date=19 April 2024}}{{cite book |last1=Thacker |first1=Tony |title='32 Ford Deuce: the official 75th anniversary edition |date=2007 |publisher=Motorbooks |isbn=9780760317419}}{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Thom |title=How the 1932 Ford Deuce became the quintessential hot rod |url= https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/how-the-deuce-coupe-became-the-quintessential-hot-rod/ |work=Hagerty |date=15 March 2018 |access-date=19 April 2024}}

{{main|Coupe SUV}}

Some SUVs or crossovers with sloping rear rooflines are marketed as "coupe crossover SUVs" or "coupe SUVs", even though they have four side doors for passenger egress to the seats and rear hatches for cargo area access however only a car with 2 doors and no B style are considered a true coupe.

File:Matador1.JPG coupe]]

In the United States, some coupes are "simply line-extenders two-door variants of family sedans", while others have significant differences from their four-door counterparts.{{cite web |url= https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/fwd-coupe-comparison/ |first=Edward |last=Loh |title=Comparison: 2008 Honda Accord Coupe vs 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse vs 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe (Front-wheel-drive coupe comparison) |work=Motor Trend |date=11 February 2008 |access-date=19 April 2024}}

The AMC Matador coupe (1974–1978) has a shorter wheelbase with a distinct aerodynamic design and fastback styling, sharing almost nothing with the conventional three-box design and more "conservative" four-door versions.{{cite web|url= https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/amc-matador/ |first=Aaron |last=Severson |date=25 December 2009 |title=What's a Matador? The AMC Matador, Rebel, and Classic |website=ateupwithmotor.com |access-date=19 April 2024}}{{cite web |title=Fish Out of Water: AMC's 1974-78 Matador Coupe |url= https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/fish-out-of-water-amcs-1974-78-matador-coupe/ |website=macsmotorcitygarage.com |date=6 May 2018 |first=Bill |last=McGuire |access-date=19 April 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Dunton |first1=Pete |title=1974 AMC Matador Coupe – the Forgotten Coupe |url= https://oldcarmemories.com/1974-amc-matador-coupe-the-forgotten-coupe/ |website=oldcarmemories.com |date=15 December 2008 |access-date=19 April 2024}}

Similarly, the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus coupes and sedans (late-1990 through 2000s), have little in common except their names.{{cite web |last1=Markus |first1=Frank |title=Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a16580876/dodge-stratus-and-chrysler-sebring-first-drive-review/ |work=Car and Driver |date=1 September 2009 |access-date=19 April 2024}} The coupes were engineered by Mitsubishi and built in Illinois, while the sedans were developed by Chrysler and built in Michigan.{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/18/business/behind-wheel-dodge-stratus-chrysler-sebring-when-lightning-doesn-t-strike-twice.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |title=Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring; When Lightning Doesn't Strike Twice |first=Michelle |last=Krebs |newspaper=The New York Times |date=18 February 2001 |access-date=22 April 2015}} Some coupes may share platforms with contemporary sedans.

Coupes may also exist as model lines in their own right, either closely related to other models, but named differently – such as the Alfa Romeo GT or Infiniti Q60 – or have little engineering in common with other vehicles from the manufacturer – such as the Toyota GT86.

File:1932 Ford Three Window Coupe hot rod (5409924810).jpg|1932 Ford Model 18 - a three-window coupe

File:Buick 37 46S Opera Coupe 1937.jpg|1937 Buick 37 46S - an opera coupe

File:1946 Ford V8 Club Coupe (15359652557).jpg|A 1946 Ford V8 - a club coupe

File:1948 Bentley coupé de ville - fvl.jpg|1948 Bentley Coupe de Ville

File:Ferrari-250-GT-Berlinetta-1.jpg|1961 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta - a Berlinetta coupe

File:Saab 900i 16v.jpg|1978–1987 Saab 900 marketed as a combi coupe

File:RX-8 2010Y-MODEL-SIDE.jpg|2010 Mazda RX-8 - marketed as a four-door coupe

File:2017 Ford Mustang (FM) coupe (2017-07-15) 01.jpg|2017 Ford Mustang

File:Toyota Supra GR Genf 2019 1Y7A5650.jpg|2020 Toyota GR Supra - 3-door liftback/fastback coupe

{{Commons category|Coupes}}

• Convertible
• Grand tourer
• Coupé de Ville

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Category:Car body styles

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