What is a Coupe Car
The term coupe car was already known when there were no autos. It comes from a four-wheeled coach model with two seats in the cabin, in which the driver sat far ahead and also outside. This was also initially implemented for automobiles.
Coupe Car Description
A coupe car is, strictly speaking, a sedan. However, the body is flatter and therefore looks much sportier. Most models have only two doors.The trunk is smaller than that of a sedan (no more than 935 liters of internal space).
The driver and front passenger have plenty of leg room, because the seats are sporty and often fixed deep in the cabin.
Because of its design, passengers in the back cannot sit as comfortably as in a sedan or minivan. In a larger coupe car with four doors, the seats in the rear are still smaller.
Some manufacturers, such as Ferrari, also distinguish between Coupé and Berlinetta (Italian for “small sedan“). All Berlinettas from Ferrari are two-seater with closed cockpit. At Maserati is often the GT (or Grand Tourismo) the speech.
Four-door coupe car and other variants
Mercedes CLS
The coupe car in the classic sense has existed since 2004 and the culmination of launching the market was the four-door coupe car Mercedes CLS.
This is mainly due to the product marketing, because one promises of the prestigious concept of the coupe higher sales figures and leads to the fact that there is now a large number of SUV and roadster car.
Sport Coupe Cars:
Opel Manta
The "marketing hype" around the coupe term meant that even the first variant of the three-door A-Class was designated as such, although this has little in common with the original definition.
At the beginning of the 1970s, two-door and three-door sports cars such as the Opel Manta or the Ford Capri became known as the sports coupe car.
German Coupe Cars:
Audi 100 Coupe S
This car is a real rarity on the road. From March 1968, the Audi 100 C1 ensured the revival of the brand.
The coupe version of the sedan followed in July 1970 and was the proof that you could create a coupe with unequivocal Italian-chic, chic with a few desing adjustments from the thoroughly boring 100-series sedan.
BMW 635 CSi "Shark Mouth"
The most expensive BMW since its time was considered a gentleman express of the 70s and 80s and is with a construction period of almost 14 years, the longest produced BMW model: designed by Paul Bracq BMW 6 Series with the striking, tilted forward "Shark Mouth"
Porsche 911
The 911 was introduced in 1963 as the successor to the Porsche 356 and initially had the designation 901.
Since three-digit numbers were protected by a zero in the middle, however, by Peugeot, he came in 1964 as a Porsche 911 on the market and screwed since the sports car myth. 1973 appeared in the second generation, the G-model.
Italian Coupe Cars:
Lancia Flaminia Zagato Sport
There are many Italian cars - or Berlinetta as Ferraristi would say - but one of the most beautiful and timeless is sure to come from Lancia: the Flaminia Zagato Sport.
Presented at the Turin Auto Show in 1958, it entered production in the spring of 1959 at the Carrozzeria Zagato factory. Typical of the Italian automobile industry: "double bubble roof structure" (two bulges above the heads of passengers), which provided the car with a good range and rigidity of the body.
Maserati 3500 GT
This coupe car made its debut at the Geneva International Motor Show in 1957, as a 2+2-seat Gran Turismo. Built between 1964 and 1972, it has found many prominent buyers.
In addition to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, the 3500 GT was also driven by celebrities such as jazz singer and actor Dean Martin, actor Tony Curtis, actor and writer Anthony Quinn.
Today, both of these Italian cars are very desirable classics.
French Coupe Cars:
Facel Vega
The hand-crafted coupe cars and convertibles were characterized by outstanding performance and an elegant, sophisticated design.
The British automobile press described the Facel Vega in 1960 as "the second best car in the world" - after Rolls-Royce of course.
Citroën DS GT 19
In the summer of 1960, Hector Bossaert presented the prototype of his Citroën DS Coupe GT 19.
This was one of the most beautiful interpretations based on the legendary "Déesse" ("French Goddess"), which became one of the legends of the automobile industry.
English Coupe Cars:
Jaguar XJ Coupe Car
One of the most beautiful silhouettes a car can offer is the Jaguar XJ Coupe car. Available as:
- XJ 4.2 C (Daimler Sovereign Two-Door)
- XJ 5.3 C (Daimler Double-Six Two-Door)
It was not only popular with the English (money) nobility. Well-preserved specimens are extremely rare today.
Aston Martin DB4 and DB5
From the same body-forge (Carrozzeria Touring from Milan) as the Maserati 3500 GT came the Aston Martin DB4.
By the way: the Aston Martin DB5, used in the third film from the famous series about the British superagent James bond "Goldfinger", was a prototype based on the DB4.