A sedan car An automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the (American English American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two thirds of native speakers of English live in the United States, pronunciation /sɪˈdæn/) or saloon car (British English British English, or UK English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere. The Oxford English Dictionary applies the term to English "as spoken or written in the British Isles; esp[ecially] the forms of English usual in Great Britain...", reserving ") is a passenger car with two rows of seats and adequate passenger space in the rear compartment for adult passengers. The vehicle usually has a separate rear trunk The trunk or boot of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as East Asia. In earlier usage, a boot was a built-in (boot in British English) for luggage, although some manufacturers such as Chevrolet The Chevrolet Corvair is a compact, six passenger automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1960 through 1969 model years. The Corvair has the distinction of having been the only American-made, mass-produced passenger car to feature a rear-mounted engine. The Corvair engine, an air-cooled, horizontally-opposed,, Tatra The Tatra T613 was a large luxury car with rear mounted air-cooled engine manufactured by Czech manufacturer Tatra from the 1970s to the 1990s, as a replacement for the Tatra T603 series, and Volkswagen The Volkswagen Type 3, also referred to as the Volkswagen 1500 and later the Volkswagen 1600, was a range of small cars from German manufacturer Volkswagen . Initially, VW used the moniker VW 1500 rather than Volkswagen to avoid confusion with its venerable Volkswagen (1200cc) sedan have made rear-engined In automobile design, a rear-engine design layout places the engine at the rear of the vehicle. The center of gravity of the engine itself is past the rear axle. This is not to be confused with the center of gravity of the whole vehicle, as an imbalance of such proportions would make it impossible to keep the front wheels on the ground models. It is one of the most common body styles Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production, while others are of historical interest only. These styles are largely independent of a car's classification in terms of price, size and intended broad market; the same car model might be available in multiple body styles (or model ranges). For some of the for modern automobiles, and is often marketed at families under the rubric of family sedan.
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Types of sedan
Several versions of the body style exist, including four-door, two-door, and fastback A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans models.
A sedan seats four or more people and has a fixed roof that is full-height up to the rear window A window is a transparent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like a float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which prevent them from collapsing in. The roof structure will typically have a fixed "B" pillar An A-pillar is a name applied by car stylists and enthusiasts to the shaft of material that supports the windshield on either of the windshield frame sides. By denoting this structural member as the A-pillar, and each successive vertical support in the greenhouse after a successive letter in the alphabet (B-pillar, C-pillar etc.), this naming on sedan models. Most commonly it is a four-door; two-door models are rare, but they do occur (more so historically). In the U.S., the term sedan has been used to denote a car with fixed window frames, as opposed to the hardtop A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style style without a "B" pillar and where the sash, if any, winds down with the glass. However, true hardtops have become increasingly rare.
Notchback sedans
1962 Chevrolet Impala, a typical notchback sedanA notchback Notchback is a form of car body style; in different parts of the world the precise definition varies. The term is common in the United States where it refers to the typical "three-box" design of sedans. The most widely used definition is an automobile having a roof that drops off sharply to the top of the rear compartment.The Notchback sedan is a three-box sedan, where the passenger volume is clearly distinct from the trunk volume of the vehicle (when seen from the side). The roof is on one plane, generally parallel to the ground, the rear window at a sharp angle to the roof, and the trunk lid is also parallel to the ground. Historically, this has been a popular and arguably the most traditional form of passenger vehicle.
Fastback sedans
1941 Plymouth fastback sedanA fastback A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans sedan is a two-box sedan, with continuous slope from the roof to the base of the decklid The decklid is the cover over the trunk/boot of motor vehicles that allows access to the main storage or luggage compartment. A hinge allows the decklid to be raised, while devices such as springs hold it up in the open position, but excludes the hatchback Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window. The vehicle commonly has two rows of seats, with the rear seat able to fold down to increase cargo space feature. Marketing Marketing is the process by which companies create customer interest in products or services. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business development. It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves terminology is often misleading in this area - for example, Daimler AG Daimler AG (formerly Daimler-Benz AG, ) is a German car corporation (not to be confused with the British Daimler Motor Company) and the world's thirteenth largest car manufacturer as well as the largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures trucks and provides financial services through its Daimler calls the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class sedan a four-door coupé because its semi-fastback design tries to give the impression of a coupé. Certain sedans are edging close to being one-box vehicles, where the windshield is steeply raked from the hood and the rear window slopes toward almost the end of the car, leaving just a short rear deck that is part of the trunk lid - the 2006 4-door Honda Civic The Honda Civic is a line of compact cars developed and manufactured by Honda. In North America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in is an example of this. They are not fastbacks because their bodyline changes from the roof to the rear deck. Their steeply raked rear windows end with a decklid The decklid is the cover over the trunk/boot of motor vehicles that allows access to the main storage or luggage compartment. A hinge allows the decklid to be raised, while devices such as springs hold it up in the open position that does not continue down to the bumper. Instead, their rear ends are tall - sometimes in a Kammback A Kammback is a car body style that derives from the research of the German aerodynamicist Wunibald Kamm in the 1930s, this research itself deriving from that of another pioneer German aerodynamicist, Baron Reinhard Koenig-Fachsenfeld. "Kammback" is an American coinage. In Europe the design is generally known as a Kamm tail or K-tail style - to increase trunk The trunk or boot of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as East Asia. In earlier usage, a boot was a built-in space.
Typically this design is chosen for its aerodynamic Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with the difference being that gas dynamics applies to advantages. Automakers can no longer afford the penalty in fuel consumption Fuel efficiency, is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is often illustrated as a continuous energy profile produced by the traditional notchback Notchback is a form of car body style; in different parts of the world the precise definition varies. The term is common in the United States where it refers to the typical "three-box" design of sedans. The most widely used definition is an automobile having a roof that drops off sharply to the top of the rear compartment.The Notchback three box form.
Two-door sedans
See also: Coupé A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time. Coupés are often hardtopped sports cars or sporty variants of sedan (saloon) body styles, with doors commonly reduced from 4 to 2, and a close-coupled interior (i.e., the rear seat placed further forward than in a Opel Kadett The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automaker Opel between 1937 and 1940, then from 1962 to 1992 B two-door sedanThe Society of Automotive Engineers SAE International , formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, is a professional organization for mobility engineering professionals in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries. The Society is a standards development organization for the engineering of powered vehicles of all kinds, including cars, trucks, boats, aircraft, defines such a vehicle as any two-door model with rear accommodation greater than or equal to 33 cubic feet (0.93 m3) in volume (a calculation made by adding the legroom, shoulder room, and headroom).[citation needed] By this standard, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a grand tourer produced by Ferrari since 2004. It is a large two door fastback coupé. The 612 Scaglietti was designed to replace the smaller 456 M; its larger size makes it a true 4 seater with adequate space in the rear seats for adults, and Mercedes-Benz CL-Class coupés A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time. Coupés are often hardtopped sports cars or sporty variants of sedan (saloon) body styles, with doors commonly reduced from 4 to 2, and a close-coupled interior (i.e., the rear seat placed further forward than in a are all two-door sedans. Only a few sources, however (including the magazine Car and Driver Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines. Originally headquartered in New York City, the magazine has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since the late 1970s), use the two-door sedan label in this manner.
In the popular vernacular, a two-door sedan is defined by appearance and not by volume; vehicles with a B-pillar between the front and rear windows are generally called two-door sedans, while hardtops (without the pillar, and often incorporating a sloping backlight) are called coupés.
The Mazda Mazda Motor Corporation (TYO: 7261) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan RX-8 The Mazda RX-8 is a sports car manufactured by Mazda Motor Corporation. It first appeared in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the successor to the RX-7 and, like its predecessors in the RX range, it is powered by a rotary engine. The RX-8 began North American sales in the 2004 model year meets the volume requirement to be called a sedan, but it has vestigial rear-hinged rear doors, so some call it 2+2-door sedan. Another term for a coupé endowed with rear-hinged doors is a "quad coupé." However, this may simply be vernacular, based on a possible copyright by General Motors General Motors Company, also known as GM, is a United States-based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries, recently employed 244,500 people around the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. By sales, GM ranked as the largest US automaker and the world's second, for its Saturn Ion The Saturn Ion was a compact car sold by the Saturn marque of American automaker General Motors between the 2003 and 2007 model years. It used the GM Delta platform. The Ion replaced the Saturn S-Series in 2003, and was replaced by the new Saturn Astra in 2008. As of 2006, the Ion was the longest compact car sold in North America. Production of Quad-Coupe.
Hardtop sedans
- See main article: Hardtop A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style 1958 AMC Ambassador The Ambassador was the top-line automobile produced by the American Motors Corporation from 1958 until 1974. The vehicle was known as the AMC Ambassador, Ambassador V-8 by Rambler, and Rambler Ambassador at various times during its tenure in production. Previously, the name Ambassador had applied to Nash's "senior" full-size cars. The hardtop sedan
In historic terminology a sedan will have a frame around the door windows, while the hardtop A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style has frameless door glass. A true hardtop A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style sedan design also has no "B" pillar (the roof support behind the front doors). This body style has an open feel, but requires extra underbody strengthening for structural rigidity. The hardtop design can be considered separately (i.e., a vehicle can be simply called a four-door hardtop), or it can be called a hardtop sedan. During the 1960s and 1970s, hardtop sedans were often sold as sport sedans by American manufacturers and were among the top selling body styles. During the 1980s, automakers in the U.S. focused on removing weight and increasing strength, and their new four-door sedans with B-pillars were called pillared hardtops or pillared sedans. The sport sedan term has since been appropriated for other uses. In Japan, and among Japanese manufacturers worldwide, the hardtop design was popular among luxury sedans throughout the 1990s.
Hatchback sedans
Chevy Malibu Maxx hatchback sedanHatchback Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window. The vehicle commonly has two rows of seats, with the rear seat able to fold down to increase cargo space (a.k.a. liftback A liftback is a car body style in which the cargo space is accessed through a tailgate that extends up to the higher end of the C-pillar and includes the rear window. Liftbacks have either fastback-like rear ends, which are significantly sloped compared to more vertical hatchbacks, or are notchback-shaped. A good example of a "fastback-shaped&) sedans typically have the fastback A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans profile, but instead of a trunk lid, the entire back of the vehicle lifts up (using a liftgate or hatch). A vehicle with four passenger doors and a liftgate at the rear can be called a four-door hatchback, four-door hatchback sedan, or five-door sedan. An example of such is the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. There can also be two-door hatchback sedans (three-door sedans), by the same technical explanation for two-door sedans. Examples of this design are the Volkswagen Golf The front-wheel drive Golf was Volkswagen's first successful replacement for the air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle. Historically, it is Volkswagen's best-selling model and the world's third best-selling model, with more than 25 million built by 2007, and Chevrolet Chevette The Chevrolet Chevette was introduced in September, 1975 and produced for the 1976 through 1987 model years. It is Chevrolet's version of GM's worldwide T platform which was also sold as the Vauxhall Chevette, Opel Kadett, Isuzu Gemini and the Holden Gemini, among others. The Chevette essentially replaced the Vega as Chevrolet's entry-level.
Chauffeured sedans
The Lincoln Town Car is used as a chauffeured car in the U.S. Main article: Limousine A limousine is a luxury vehicle sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are referred to as "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white in color. Limousines areStrictly speaking limousine A limousine is a luxury vehicle sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are referred to as "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white in color. Limousines are sedans have a separate compartment for the driver and the passenger compartment is long enough to contain at least two comfortable, forward facing bench seats The bench seat was the traditional seat installed in American automobiles. This seat featured a continuous pad running the full width of the cabin. The second row of most sedans is usually a bench, unless a console is installed in a luxury model such as the Chrysler Pacifica, as is the third row of most SUVs and minivans, which may be forward, or. Vehicles used for these means are usually Lincoln Town Car The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size, luxury sedan sold by Ford's upscale Lincoln brand. The Town Car features a V8 engine, body-on-frame design, rear-wheel drive and large exterior and interior dimensions, Cadillac Cadillac is a luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors. Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mainly in North America, Mercedes, or Rolls-Royce or Maybach for the more wealthy. The term limousine can refer to a large sedan, especially if hired from a service. Chauffeured limousines are primarily used by individuals for weddings, businesses for meetings, as well as for airport and sightseeing transportation. Chauffeurs are professional drivers, usually with experience in the transportation industry or tourism industry. Chauffeured sedans are owned either by private owners, livery services, or corporations. Large corporations as well as governments commonly provide luxury sedans to top executives, as well as VIP guests. Chauffeured sedans, such as the Lincoln Town Car, may also be stretched into limousines that are capable of seating up to twenty people.
Terminology
Sedan chair carried by two peopleOrigin
Main article: Litter (vehicle)The word sedan is possibly derived from a southern Italian dialect derivative of Italian sedia "chair" (the first sedan was said to have been introduced from Naples). However, Portuguese and Spanish navigators and colonists encountered litters of various sorts in India, Japan, Mexico, and Peru. They were imported into Spain in the late sixteenth century. Soon the fashion spread into France and then England. All the names for these derived from the root "sed-" from the Latin "sella" - the traditional name for a carried chair.[1] The first automobile to use that configuration was the 1899 Renault Voiturette Type B. The First closed car, for at least 4 persons, which used the word sedan was the 1911 Speedwell sedan, which was manufactured by the Speedwell Motor Co in Dayton, Ohio.[2] But even before that time completely closed cars were called saloons or limousines, like the 1905 Rational 4-door limousine[3] or the 1907 Renault 4-door limousine[4] or the 1910 Stella 2-door saloon.[5]. But the word saloon or limousine do not inevitable mean a fully closed car like the word sedan. There are many photos of half open limousines and saloons in the book "The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars: 1885 to the Present" by Georgano which prove that, but cars which are called sedans are always fully closed.
The derivation from the town of Sedan in France, where it was said to have been made or first used, lacks historical evidence, according to OED. The word sedan was later used to refer to a litter or windowed box containing a passenger seat carried by two or more bearers.
International terminology
In North American English and American Spanish, the term sedan is used (accented as "sedán" in Spanish).
In British English, a car of this configuration is called a saloon and has its engine under the bonnet at the front, and has a boot for luggage at the rear. Hatchback sedans are usually just called hatchbacks; chauffeured sedans are referred to as limousines. The British English term is sometimes used by British car manufacturers in the United States. For example, the Rolls-Royce Park Ward was sold as a saloon in the United States, while the smaller Silver Seraph was called a sedan.
In Australia the American term sedan is used, albeit with the British terms boot and bonnet being retained. In New Zealand the British terms are used, but the American terms are understood by most of the population. In other languages, sedans are known as berline (French), berlina (European Spanish, European Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian); although these terms also may include hatchbacks. These terms, besides sedan, derive from types of horse-drawn carriages. In German, the term Limousine is used for sedans, as well as for limousines.
See also
References
- ^ T. Atkinson Jenkins. "Origin of the Word Sedan", Hispanic Review, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jul., 1933), pp. 240-242.
- ^ Georgano, G.N. (1985). Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886-1930. London: Grange-Universal. page 87
- ^ Georgano, G. N.: The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars: 1885 to the Present, 2. Ausgabe, E. P. Dutton, New York (1973), page 573, ISBN 0-525-08351-0
- ^ Georgano, G. N.: The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars: 1885 to the Present, 2. Ausgabe, E. P. Dutton, New York (1973), page 578, ISBN 0-525-08351-0
- ^ Georgano, G. N.: The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars: 1885 to the Present, 2. Ausgabe, E. P. Dutton, New York (1973), page 649, ISBN 0-525-08351-0
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