Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder or body-maker is a person or company who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.
Prior to the popularization of
Many renowned automotive coachbuilders are based in Italy and France. In the Italian language, a coachbuilding company is called a carrozzeria, while in the French language it is called a carrosserie.
Horse-drawn origins
A British trade association the
Coach-building had reached a high degree of specialization in Britain by the middle of the 19th century. Separate branches of the trade dealt with the timber, iron, leather, brass and other materials used in their construction. And there were many minor specialists with each of these categories. The “body-makers” produced the body or vehicle itself, while the “carriage-makers” made the stronger timbers beneath and around the body. The timbers used included ash, beech, elm, oak, mahogany, cedar, pine, birch and larch. The tools and processes used were similar to those used in cabinet-making, plus other specific to coach-making. Making the curved woodwork alone called for considerable skill. Making the iron axles, springs and other metal used was the work of the “coach-smith,” one of the most highly paid classes of London workmen.[3] The coating of the interior of the coach with leather and painting, trimming, and decorating the exterior called for specialist tradesmen with a high degree of skill. Building carts and wagons required similar skills, but of a coarser kind.
Automobiles
From the beginning of the automobile industry manufacturers offered complete cars assembled in their own factories commonly using entire bodies made by specialist people using different skills. Soon after the start of the twentieth century mass production coachbuilders developed such as
Specialist market sector
There remained a market for bodies to fit low production, short-run and luxury cars. Custom or bespoke bodies were made and fitted to another manufacturer's
The car manufacturer would offer for sale a chassis frame, drivetrain (consisting of an engine, gearbox, differential, axles, and wheels), brakes, suspension, steering system, lighting system, spare wheel(s), front and rear mudguards (vulnerable and so made of pressed steel for strength and easy repair) and (later) bumpers, scuttle (firewall) and dashboard. The very easily damaged honeycomb radiator, later enclosed and protected by a shell or even reduced to an air intake, was or held the visual element identifying the chassis' brand. To let car manufacturers maintain some level of control over the final product their warranties could be voided if coachbuilders fitted unapproved bodies.
As well as bespoke bodies the same coachbuilders also made short runs of more-or-less identical bodies to the order of dealers or the manufacturer of a chassis. The same body design might then be adjusted to suit different brands of chassis. Examples include Salmons & Sons' Tickford bodies with a patent device to raise or lower a convertible's roof, first used on their 19th-century carriages, or Wingham convertible bodies by Martin Walter.
Obsolescence
Separate coachbuilt bodies became obsolete when vehicle manufacturers found they could no longer meet their customers' demands by relying on a simple separate chassis (on which a custom or bespoke body could be built) mounted on
Ultra-luxury vehicles
Larger car dealers or distributors would commonly preorder stock chassis and the bodies they thought most likely to sell and order them for sale off their showroom floor.
All luxury vehicles during the automobile's Golden Era before World War II were available as chassis only. For example, when
]The practice continued after World War II waning dramatically in the 1950s and 1960s. Rolls-Royce debuted its first
Unibody construction
Independent coachbuilders survived for a time after the mid-20th century, making bodies for the chassis produced by low-production companies such as
The advent of
- Transforming into dedicated design or styling houses, subcontracting to automotive brands (e.g. Zagato, Frua, Bertone, Pininfarina)
- Transforming into general coachwork series manufacturers, subcontracting to automotive brands (e.g. Karmann, Bertone, Vignale, Pininfarina)
- Manufacturing runs of special coachworks for trucks, delivery vans, touring cars, ambulances, fire engines, public transport vehicles, etc. (e.g., Pennock, Van Hool, Plaxton, Heuliez)
- Becoming technical partners for the development of roof constructions (e.g., Karmann, Heuliez), for example, or producers of various (aftermarket) automotive parts (e.g., Giannini)
Gallery
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Pourtout drophead coupé on a Lancia Belna chassis 1935
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Touring2-seater body on a 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B chassis
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Fixed head coupé byGhia 1954 on an Alfa Romeo 1900SS chassis
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Hebmüller Cabriolet modifications upon a mass-produced Volkswagen platform chassis
List of automobile coachbuilders
Austria
- ABC Auto-Karosseriefabrik
- Armbruster
- Josef Breiter
- Carl Blaha & Söhne
- Karl Czerny
- Johann Grimas
- Franz Hanek
- Johann Heinrich
- Hölbl
- Jauernig
- Kastenhofer
- Ferdinand Keibl
- Kohlruss
- Köllensperger
- Wilhelm Kübler
- Lohner
- Öffag
- Reichelt
- Rohrbacher
- Brüder Schafranek
- Schreiner & Blaha
- A. Schwanzar
- Stadtherr & Klimesch
- Josef Swoboda
- Wiener Karosserie-Fabrik
- Weingartshofer & Griess
- Weiser & Sohn
Belgium
- Auto-Carrosserie Nationale
- Bidée
- Bogaerts, Stoelen & Van Ouytsel
- Bousson
- Carrosserie Parisienne
- Colson
- Jacques Coune
- D'Ieteren
- De Mola
- De Ruytter
- De Wolf
- Delisse
- Dens
- Devaux
- Driessens & Oblin
- Feval
- Franeau
- Gamette
- Généraux
- Grümmer (Bruxelles)
- Jean Hackir
- Hofkens
- Joachim
- Jonckheere
- Lahaye
- Lefèvre & Heuvels
- Lilien
- Lorenz & Walch
- Louis Maes
- Matthys & Osy
- Meeussen
- Monchamps
- Navez
- Oblin
- Phlups
- Pritchard & Demollin
- Purnelle
- Seghers & Fils
- Snutsel
- Simons
- Sprengers
- TTT
- Vanden Plas
- Van Dun
- Van Hool
- Van Muylder
- Verhaest
- Verwilt
- Vesters & Neirinck
- Vogt & Demeuse
- Walch
China
- The Auto Palace Co (Shanghai)[6]
- The Central Garage Company (Shanghai)
- China Motors LTD (Shanghai)
- Grand Garage Français (Shanghai)
- H.S. Honisberg & Co., Inc.
- Hudford Garage (Shanghai)
- The Shanghai Horse Bazaar and Motor Company Limited (Shanghai)[7]
- Universal Motor Car & Body Works (Shanghai)
Czech Republic
- Bohemia
- Brozik
- Fischer
- Jech
- Kadrmas
- Karosa
- Klubal & Co.
- Julius Kubinsky
- Leitner
- Lepil
- Petera
- Plachy
- Pokorny & Beiwl
- Snydr
- Sodomka
- Spacil
- Antonin Tomas
Denmark
- Aagaard
- Andreasen
- Asnæs
- Carsten Jakobsen
- Dansk Karosseri Fabrik
- Funder
- I. C. Hansen
- J.H. Jensen
- Næsby
- Nørrebros
- Odsherred
- Vesterbros
France
- Achard, Fontanel & Cie (Lyon)
- Ailloud & Dumond (Lyon)
- Alin & Liautard (Courbevoie)
- Amiot (Dinard, Dinan)
- André Roze
- Angé (Toulouse)
- Ansart & Teisseire (Neuilly)
- Antem
- Arthur Boulogne
- Aubertin
- Audineau
- Augereau (Brou)
- Neuilly)
- Baehr
- Bail (Paris)
- Baqué (Toulouse)
- Barbier (Cannes)
- Barou
- Bedel
- Belvallette Frères
- Bergeon & Descoins
- Berlioz & Gouillon (Paris)
- Berluteau (Melun)
- Bernin (Tours)
- Berton-Labourdette
- Besset (Annonay)
- Beuzelin
- Bigatti (Nice)
- Billeter & Cartier (Lyon)
- Binder
- Boneberge (Lyon)
- Bonneville & Chabrol (Toulouse)
- Boré (Saint-Lô)
- Botiaux
- Bourack & de Costier
- Brandone
- Breteau
- Broadwater
- Busson
- Candelaresi (Lyon)
- Carrier (Argenteuil, Alençon)
- Candelarési (Lyon)
- Carde & fils (Bordeaux)
- Chabrol (Toulouse)
- Chapelle & Jabouille
- Chappe et Gessalin, (Brie-Comte-Robert)
- Chapron(Levallois-Perret)
- Philippe Charbonneaux
- Chatellard (Toulouse)
- Chaussende (Lyon)
- Chausson (Asnières, Gennevilliers)
- Chavet
- Chéreau (Avranches)
- Chesnot
- Chicot (Levallois)
- Chilbourg (Paris)
- Clabot (Alfortville)
- Crouzier
- Currus
- Darl'mat (Paris)
- Declerq & Cordonnier (Lille, Roubaix)
- De Corvaia
- DeCostier (Boulogne s/Seine)
- Decultil & Cie (Lyon)
- Delaroche & Turquet (Le Mans)
- Delaugère (Orléans)
- Deloche (Paris)
- Derouault & Jongen
- Desouches, David & Cie (Pantin)
- Desvaux (Rueil)
- De Villars
- Di Rosa (La Garenne-Colombes)
- Drouet & Gaucher (Courbevoie)
- Driquet
- Maurice Dumas (Bordeaux)
- Louis Dubos (Neuilly)
- Dubos (Puteaux)
- Duchesne
- Duhamel et Compagnie (Paris)
- Durisotti
- Dupont
- Duval
- Duvivier (Levallois-Perret)
- Ehrler (Paris)
- Ehmgard et Delbenque (Paris)
- Esclassan – Tôlerie automobile et industrielle (Boulogne s/Seine)
- Facel-Métallon (Dreux)
- Faget & Varnet (Levallois)
- Faurax (Paris since 1808, later Lyon)
- Faurax & Chaussende (since 1920, Lyon)
- Felber frères (Puteaux)
- Fernandez & Darrin (Paris)
- Figoni et Falaschi (Boulogne s/Seine)
- Firmin (Paris)
- Fleury (Thonon)
- Floquet (Saint-Amand)
- Forrler (Strasbourg)
- Fournier (Bordeaux)
- Fournier (Suresnes)
- Franay (Levallois-Perret)
- Frugier (Toulouse, Limoges)
- Gallé (Boulogne s/Seine)
- Gangloff (Colmar)
- Garros (Toulouse)
- Gaston Grümmer
- Gaudichet & Turquet (Le Mans)
- Henri Gauthier (Villeurbanne)
- Gilotte (Courbevoie)
- Girardo frères (Cannes)
- Grange frères (Valence-sur-Rhône)
- Gras (Dijon)
- Gruau (Laval)
- Guilloré
- Léon Hanovre (Paris)
- Hénon (Albert)
- Henry (Nancy)
- Heuliez (Cerizay)
- Hibbard & Darrin (Paris)
- Carrosserie Industrielle
- Jamet (La Guerche, Berry)
- Jeanteaud (Paris)
- Jouan, carrosserie de cuirs (Clichy)
- Jousse & Parsy (Montargis)
- Justrobe (Toulouse)
- Kellner (Paris)
- Kelsch (Levallois)
- Klapper (Toulouse)
- Kraemers fils (Paris)
- Labarre (Evreux)
- Labbé (Lamballe)
- La Carrosserie Industrielle (Courbevoie)
- Lacoste frères (Toulouse)
- Lagache & Glaszmann (Montrouge)
- Lagogué (Alençon)
- Lamplugh & Cie (Levallois-Perret)
- Lavocat & Marsaud
- Letourneur et Marchand (Neuilly)
- Le Vieux (Paris)
- Lourtioux (Montluçon)
- Mamy (Besançon)
- Mandement (Toulouse)
- Manessius (Puteaux)
- Maron-Pot (Levallois-Perret)
- Massias (Toulouse)
- Mercier (Toulouse)
- Meulemeester (Clichy)
- Michel (Nice, Marseille)
- Million & Guiet
- Monjardet (Besançon)
- Montel & fils (Marseille)
- Morel (Paris)
- Morin (Parthenay)
- Morin (Rennes)
- Mühlbacher & fils (Puteaux)
- Nicolas (Angoulême)
- Ottin (Lyon)
- Paul Née
- Philippe Mühlbacher (Toulouse)
- Pelpel (Noyal s/Vilaine)
- Petitprez & Verschure (Tourcoing)
- Pezet (Toulouse)
- Phaetonia (Courbevoie)
- Plante (Pau)
- Poinsenet (Epernay)
- Pourtout (Rueil-Malmaison)
- Pralavorio Simon (Lyon Montplaisir)
- Privat (Dijon)
- Pruneville (Lyon)
- Radovitch (Reims)
- Rambert & fils (Clermont-Ferrand, Courbevoie)
- Raquin (Montrichard)
- Rasp (Paris)
- Ravistre & Martel (Annonay)
- Repusseau & Cie (Levallois-Perret)
- Rétif (Sancoins, Berry)
- Rheims & Auscher, La Carrosserie Industrielle (Levallois-Perret)
- Rousseau (Montargis)
- Rungette (Levallois-Perret)
- Saoutchik (Neuilly)
- Soulé (Toulouse)
- Spinnewyn (Tourcoing)
- Surirey (Flers)
- Tassé (Pontchâteau)
- Tirbois (Niort)
- Tizot & Viguier (Marseille)
- Tremble (Puteaux)
- Tual (Tredion)
- Vallas (St-Just en Chevalet)
- Van den Bussche (Lille)
- Van den Hende (Roubaix)
- Vanvooren (Courbevoie)
- Vedrine & Cie (Courbevoie)
- Verplancke (Roubaix)
- Veuillet (Fleurieu-sur-Seine)
- Vinet
- VOG (Chartres, Neuilly)
- Wanaverbecq (Lambersart)
- Wantz (Meaux)
- Warengehm (Levallois-Perret)
- Weymann (Paris)
- Widerkehr (Colmar)
- Willy van den Plas (Paris, Lille)
Germany
- Ambi-Budd
- Auer
- Autenrieth
- Baur
- Binz
- Buhne
- Deutsch
- Dörr & Schreck
- Drauz
- Erdmann & Rossi
- Friederich
- Gläser
- Glüer
- Grümmer (Aachen)
- Hebmüller
- Ihle
- Kässbohrer
- Karmann
- Kathe
- Keinath
- Kellner
- Konigsberg
- Kruse (Husum)
- Kühlstein
- Kühn
- Johann Michael Mayer (München)
- Mengelbier (Aachen)
- Neoplan
- Neuss
- Nowack
- Papler
- Plenikowski (Hartha)
- Rembrandt
- Reutter
- Rometsch
- Setra
- Spohn
- Styling Garage
- Szase
- Voll & Ruhrbeck
- Weinberger, Karl
- Weinberger, Ludwig
- Weinsberg
- Wendler
Greece
- Tangalakis
Hungary
- Antal Zupka
- Balogh
- Glattfelder
- István Tücsök
- Lajos Zupka
- Ludovika
- Metallo
- Misura
- Nagy Géza
- Schillinger
- Uhri
- Gyula Varga
India
- DC Design
- Dykes & Co
- French Motor Car & Electric Co
- Press & Co
- Ruby Industries
- Simpson & Co
- Steuart
Indonesia
- Adi Putro
- Laksana
- New Armada
- Tentrem
Ireland
- Booth Bros
- Duffy Coachbodies
- O'Gorman
- Pierce
Italy
- Accossato
- Ala d'Oro
- Albanesi
- Alessio
- Allemano
- Ansaloni
- Aprile
- Ares Design
- Arrigo Perini
- Auto Sport
- Autodromo
- Balbo
- Beccaria & Canè
- Beccaris & Teraschi
- Belloni
- Bertone
- Bertolini
- Bizzarrini
- Boano
- Bollani
- Boneschi
- Borsani
- Bottazzi
- Brianza
- Campana
- Canta
- Capozzi & Peraldo
- Caprera
- Casaro
- Cattelan
- Caselani
- Castagna
- Cecomp
- Coggiola
- Colli
- Conrotto
- Corna
- Coriasco
- De Simon
- Drogo
- Dux
- Ellena
- Eurostyle
- Faina
- Fantuzzi
- Farina
- Fiandri & Malagoli
- Filacchione
- Fioravanti
- Fissore
- Fona
- Fontana
- Frua
- Garavini
- Ghia
- Ghia-Aigle
- Giannini
- Giugiaro
- Gransport
- Grazia
- I.DE.A
- Introzzi
- Italdesign
- Italiana Cooperativa
- Italo-Argentina
- Locato & Viarengo
- Locati & Torretta
- Lombardi
- Lotti
- Maggiora
- Mantelli, Prato & Cornaglia
- Marazzi
- MAT
- Meade
- Meteor
- Moderna
- Monterosa
- Montescani
- Monviso
- Morelli
- Moretti
- Motto
- Nembo
- Orlandi
- OSI
- Pavesi
- Pavesi & Crespi
- Pilato
- Pininfarina
- Riva
- Sala
- Savio
- Scaglietti
- Schieppati
- Scioneri
- Sibona & Basano
- Simonetti
- Sports Cars (Drogo)
- Stola
- Studiotorino
- Touring
- Varesina
- Vendrame
- Viberti
- Vignale
- Viotti
- Zagato
Japan
- Mitsuoka
- Watanabe
Luxembourg
- Conrardy
Poland
- Brzeskiauto
- Danziger Karosseriefabrik
- Feliks Strzalek
- Plage i Laśkiewicz
Russia
- Bräutigam
- Frese & Co
- Ilyin
- Krummel
Spain
Sweden
- Bröderna Johansson
- Frändbergs
- Freyschuss
- Hoflageribolaget
- Heinels
- Järbo
- Jakobsson
- Kabo
- Nilssons
- Nordberg
- Norrmalm
- Nylunds
- Ringborg
- Thulinverken
- Valbo
Switzerland
- Beutler
- Gangloff
- Geismeister
- Graber
- Hermann Graber
- Ramseier
- Worblaufen
The Netherlands
- Akkermans
- Bronkhorst
- Bij 't Vuur
- Van Beurden Carrosserie Holland
- Dolk
- Donderwinkel
- Egbers
- Garstman
- Gips & Jacobs
- Hermans
- Hover & Tiwi
- Hulsman
- Jac Met
- Kimman
- Lathouwers
- Van Leersum & Co
- De Ley
- Van Lijf & Co
- Mudde
- Muller
- Mijnhardt
- N.A.M. (Nederlandsche Auto-Maatschappij)
- Nederlandsche Carrosseriefabrieken
- Oostwoud
- Pennock
- Van Rijswijk & Zoon
- Roos
- Schutter & van Bakel
- Smulders
- Soudijn
- Spyker
- Jean Stegen
- Teulings
- W J Van Trigt & Zoon
- Vandenbrink Design
- Verheul
- Veth & Zoon
United Kingdom
- Abbey
- Abbott
- Alexander Dennis (formerly Walter Alexander Coachbuilders)
- Aston Martin
- Barker
- Carbodies
- Carlton
- Crayford Engineering
- Charlesworth
- Corsica
- Croall
- Cunard
- Gordon England
- Flewitt
- Freestone and Webb
- Grose
- J Gurney Nutting & Co
- Harrington
- John Hatchett (London)
- Holmes (London)
- Hooper
- Jarvis of Wimbledon
- Jensen
- John Charles
- Hoyal
- Lancefield
- Martin Walter
- Arthur Mulliner
- H. J. Mulliner & Co.
- Mulliner Park Ward
- Mulliners (Birmingham)
- Nu-Track
- Optare
- Park Ward
- Harold Radford
- Rippon Bros
- Salmons
- Swallow
- Tickford
- Thrupp & Maberly
- Vanden Plas
- Vince & Son
- Walter Alexander Coachbuilders
- Wesleys Newport Pagnell
- Vincent of Reading
- Windovers
- Wingham Martin Walter
- Wrightbus
- James Young
United States
- Alex Madjaric Body Works
- Abbot-Downing
- Biddle and Smart (Amesbury)
- Bohman & Schwartz
- Brewster
- Briggs
- Brunn
- Budd
- Coachcraft
- Darrin of Paris
- Demarest
- Derham
- Dietrich Inc.
- Earl Automobile Works
- Fisher
- Albert Fisher (Detroit)
- Fleetwood
- Holbrook
- Judkins
- KEM Motorworks
- LeBaron
- Locke
- Murphy
- Murray
- Rollson
- Rollston
- Rubay
- Studebaker
- Towson
- Walker
- Waterhouse
- Widman
- Willoughby
- Wilson
Survivors of the unibody production-line system
See also
Notes
- ^ Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily fragile, but satisfactory wheels by a separate trade, a wheelwright, held together by iron or steel tyres, was always most critical.
From about AD 1000 rough vehicle construction was carried out by a wainwright, a wagon-builder. Later names include cartwright (a carpenter who makes carts, from 1587); coachwright; and coachmaker (from 1599). Subtrades include wheelwright, coachjoiner, etc. The word coachbuilder first appeared in 1794. Oxford English Dictionary 2011
References
- ^ "Coach". Oxford English Dictionary (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. 1933.
- G.N. Georgano, G. N. Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886–1930. (London: Grange-Universal, 1990), p.206
- ^ The Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol.IV (First ed.). London: Charles Knight. 1848. p. 677.
- ^ Early Pierce-Arrow cast aluminum body technology. The Pierce-Arrow Society accessed February 25, 2019
- ^ "Steel Bodies: In an Eggshell", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis Publishing, 1974), p. 2178.
- ^ "The Shanghai Body Builders of the 1920s".
- ^ "The Shanghai Horse Bazaar and Motor Company Limited".
- ^ Coway web site Archived 2012-04-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Jankel web site Archived 2012-04-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, Mobility Cars, Disability Car, Adapted Vehicles for Sale". jubileemobility.co.uk.
- ^ "Specialist Vehicle Converter & Supplier – MacNeillie". MacNeillie.
- ^ "Hearse for Sale – Limousine for Sale – Wilcox Limousines". Wilcox Limousines.
- ^ "Woodall Nicholson". woodall-nicholson.co.uk.
External links
- Coachbuild.com: Encyclopedia of worldwide Coachbuilders from past to present
- Encyclopedia of American Coachbuilders
- Goldarths: The Fine Art of Coachbuilding
- The Kellner Affair: Matters of Life and Death by Peter M. Larsen and Ben Erickson. Details Jacques Kellner and George Paulin involvement in the French Resistance.
- Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles - Southern Mobility Vehicles