A while back I appended a portion of the OIC web pages on body type
definitions. This was a set of definitions created by the SAE (Society of
Automotive Engineers) about 90 years ago:
http://www.imperialclub.org/temp/c_middlebrook/body_styles/bodies.html
Chris Middlebrook
--- On Wed 07/14, Hugh & Therese < hugtrees@xxxxxxxx > wrote:
From: Hugh & Therese [mailto: hugtrees@xxxxxxxx]
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 22:17:11 -0500
Subject: Re: IML: yes, what is a coupe ?
Mr. Sutton asked a question that is of some merit. Though it begins as
a<br>generally directed question, it seems, in the second half of the post, to
be<br>specifically directed towards me. I was not going to continue the thread
as<br>others had, I thought, answered the question and it, to me. had
stretched<br>beyond anything related with Imperials. Mr. Sutton is a person of
who has<br>been on this list far longer than I, so I shall follow his lead, as
ever. I<br>would not care for him to be treated in any way that could be
construed as a<br>rude. Heaven forbid.<br><br>Here is a link to a site that
explains the word coupe, which, of course, is<br>of French
origin.<br><br>http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=coupe<br><br>It will be
obvious to all that a hard top cannot, by strict definition, be<br>considered
to be a coupe. Why else would the automobile industry have felt<br>it
necessary to have two different descriptions for two different kinds
of<br>cars? Words in common parlance do not, of course, adhere to such rigoro
us<br>consistency, as their meanings become fuzzy and change over time. My
museum<br>has just a horse carriage. I myself have ridden in a railway
carriage coupe<br>on British Railways, but this is probably more expounding
than even the ever<br>exhaustive Mr. Sutton might possibly want.<br><br>For the
record, the answer Mr. Sutton cared enough to comment on did not<br>came from
the seat of my pants. Like his question, it was a product of an<br>experienced
brain, trying to explain something to someone who expressed some<br>perplexity,
despite prior explanations, about the differences between the<br>two terms. I
cannot cite any references for the answer beyond my own<br>Imperial related
reading in books, magazines, previous answers given on this<br>list, our web
site and experience. If anyone wishes to dispute my answer in<br>totality or
in part, I, too, will experience some benefit, as my ignorance,<br>along with
the person who originally asked the question, will be dispelled<br>Until Mr.
Sutton brought up the question of giving
attributions for all such<br>answers, I had thought the purpose of the list
was for us to participate<br>non-academically, as equals, and mutually benefit
from this kind of<br>interchange.<br><br>I look forward to seeing full
annotations on all future postings from Mr.<br>Sutton in the future so I might
learn, not, obviously, as I did about the<br>difference between a sedan and a
hard top, from the example of persons of<br>unimpeachable erudition and
knowledge. Mr. Sutton's pursuit of total<br>accuracy in the future will be an
example which I will be delighted to<br>emulate. No doubt I will fail, but how
often does one ever really surpass<br>one's teacher? I'm sure everyone will
want to do so as well and will wish<br>to thank him for this idea as it will
raise the level of intercourse here<br>immeasurably. Mr. Sutton understands
that is sometimes necessary to split<br>hairs in public as long as it is, of
course, in the best interests of<br>mailing list members, a common goal about
which he and I have shared some<br>interesting
private e-mails.<br><br>Hugh<br><br><br><br><br>-----------------
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