A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.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 A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

, 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 Coachwork is the body of an

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarde ...

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

, horse-drawn carriage, or

railway carriage A railroad car, railcar (American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is a ...

. The word "coach" was derived from the Hungarian town of

Kocs Kocs () is a village in Komárom-Esztergom county, Hungary. It lies west of Tata and north-west of Budapest. A site of horse-drawn vehicle manufacture from the 1400s, the name is the source of the word ''coach'' and its equivalent in other lang ...

. Coachbuilt body is the British English name for the coachbuilder's product. ''Custom body'' is the standard term in

North American English North American English (NAmE, NAE) is the most generalized variety of the English language as spoken in the United States and Canada. Because of their related histories and cultures, plus the similarities between the pronunciations (accents), v ...

. "Coachbuilt body" is also the British English name for mass-produced vehicles built on assembly lines using the same but simplified techniques until more durable all-steel bodies replaced them in the early 1950s. Prior to the popularization of

unibody A vehicle frame, also historically known as its '' chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism. Until the 1930s, virtually every car ha ...

construction in the 1960s, there were many independent coachbuilders who built bodies on chassis provided by a manufacturer, often for luxury or sports cars. Many manufacturers such as Ferrari outsourced all bodywork to coachbuilders such as

Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian ...

. Coachbuilders also made custom bodies for individual customers.The coachbuilder craftsmen who might once have built bespoke or custom bodies continue to build bodies for short runs of specialized commercial vehicles such as luxury motor coaches or

recreational vehicles A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and camper ...

or motor-home bodied upon a rolling chassis provided by an independent manufacturer. A 'conversion' is built inside an existing vehicle body.

Horse-drawn origins

A British trade association the

Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. An organisation of Coachmakers and Wheelwrights petitioned for incorporation in 1630. The petition was granted almost fifty ye ...

was incorporated in 1630. Some British coachmaking firms operating in the 20th century were established even earlier. Rippon was active in the time of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards. Brewster, the oldest in the U.S., was formed in 1810. 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. 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 Mulliners or

Pressed Steel ''Pressed'' is a 2011 Canadian crime drama film directed by Justin Donnelly and starring Luke Goss, Tyler Johnston, Jeffrey Ballard, and Michael Eklund. It is the debut directing project for Justin Donnelly. Plot Business executive Brian Parker ...

in Great Britain, Fisher Body, Budd, Briggs in the U. S., or

Ambi-Budd Ambi-Budd was a German automobile body company founded by Edward Gowen Budd In Germany, Edward Gowen Budd worked with Arthur Müller and set up a steel pressing plant ''Ambi Budd Presswerke'' (ABP) in the old Rumpler factory and became a successful ...

in Germany. Many other big businesses remain involved. Austin 7 Swallow at Coventry Motor Museum

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

rolling chassis A rolling chassis is the chassis without bodywork of a motor vehicle ( car, truck, bus, or other vehicle), assembled with suspension and wheels. Heavy vehicles Separate chassis remain in use for almost all heavy vehicles ranging from pickup ...

by the craftsmen who had previously built bodies for horse-drawn carriages. Bespoke bodies are made of hand-shaped sheet metal, often aluminum alloy. Pressed or hand-shaped the metal panels were fastened to a wooden frame of particularly light but strong types of wood. Later many of the more important structural features of the bespoke or custom body such as A, B and C pillars were cast alloy components. Some bodies such as those entirely alloy bodies fitted to some

Pierce-Arrow The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was an American motor vehicle manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901 to 1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks ...

cars contained little or no wood, and were mounted on a conventional steel chassis. Bugatti Type 57 chassis

The car manufacturer would offer for sale a chassis frame,

drivetrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...

(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 For business applications, see Dashboard (business). A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel (IP), or fascia) is a control panel set within the central console of a vehicle or small aircraft. Usually located directly ahead of the drive ...

. 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

leaf spring A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, i ...

s on

beam axle A beam axle, rigid axle or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically they have als ...

Unibody A vehicle frame, also historically known as its '' chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism. Until the 1930s, virtually every car ha ...

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

combined chassis and body structures became standardised during the middle years of the 20th century to provide the rigidity required by improved suspension systems without incurring the heavy weight, and consequent fuel penalty of a truly rigid separate chassis. The improved more supple suspension systems gave vehicles better road-holding and much improved the ride experienced by passengers.

Ultra-luxury vehicles

1920 Editing Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 French Owner's Manual Chassis

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 Duesenberg introduced their Model J, it was offered as chassis only, for $8,500. Other examples include the Bugatti Type 57,

Cadillac V-16 The Cadillac V-16 (also known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line model from its January 1930 launch until 1940. The V16 powered car was a first in the United States, both extremely expensive and exclusive, with every chassis ...

, Packard Twelve,

Ferrari 250 The Ferrari 250 is a series of sports cars and grand tourers built by Ferrari from 1952 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series includes many variants designed for road use or sports car racing. 250 series cars are chara ...

, Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8,

Hispano-Suiza J12 The Hispano-Suiza J12 is a luxury automobile that was made by Hispano-Suiza in France from 1931 to 1938. It was the largest and most expensive car ever built by Hispano-Suiza. It replaced the Hispano-Suiza H6. The J12 was only available as a cha ...

, and all

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

s produced before World War II. Delahaye had no in-house coachworks, so all its chassis were bodied by independents, who created their designs on the Type 135. For the

Delahaye Delahaye was a family-owned automobile manufacturing company, founded by Émile Delahaye in 1894 in Tours, France. Manufacturing was moved to Paris following incorporation with two unrelated brothers-in-law as equal partners in 1898. The compa ...

, most were bodied by

Chapron Henri Chapron (30 December 1886 - 14 May 1978) was a prominent French automobile coachbuilder. His carrosserie, created in 1919, was located in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret. Chapron was born in Nouan-le-Fuzelier (Sologne), and began his c ...

, Labourdette, Franay,

Saoutchik Founded by cabinet maker Jacques Saoutchik (born Iakov Savtchuk in Russian Empire in 1880), Saoutchik was a French coachbuilding company founded in 1906. In the 1930s, the company became well known for their often extravagant automobile designs ...

Figoni et Falaschi Figoni et Falaschi is a French luxury brand and coachbuilder firm which was active from 1935 through to the 1950s. The designs were created by Giuseppe Figoni, while his partner Ovidio Falaschi ran the business. Early history: Figoni Giuseppe ...

, or Pennock. The practice continued after World War II waning dramatically in the 1950s and 1960s. Rolls-Royce debuted its first

model, their Silver Shadow, in 1965.

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

, Ferrari, and Bentley. Producing body dies is extremely expensive (a single door die can run to US$40,000), which is usually only considered practical when large numbers are involved—though that was the path taken by Rolls-Royce and Bentley after 1945 for their own in-house production. Because dies for pressing metal panels are so costly, from the mid 20th century, many vehicles, most notably the

Chevrolet Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctiv ...

, were clothed with large panels of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

-reinforced resin, which only require inexpensive molds. Glass has since been replaced by more sophisticated materials, if necessary hand-formed. Generally, these replace metal only where weight is of paramount importance. The advent of

construction, where the car body is unified with and structurally integral to the chassis, made custom coachbuilding uneconomic. Many coachbuilders closed down, were bought by manufacturers, or changed their core business to other activities: *Transforming into dedicated design or styling houses, subcontracting to automotive brands (e.g.

Zagato Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in Terrazzano, a small village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft)- 11,000 ...

, Frua, Bertone,

) *Transforming into general coachwork series manufacturers, subcontracting to automotive brands (e.g.

Karmann Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known as simply Karmann, was a German automobile manufacturer and contract manufacturer based in Osnabrück. Founded by Wilhelm Karmann in 1901, the company specialized in a variety of automotive roles, includi ...

, Bertone,

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian ...

) *Manufacturing runs of special coachworks for trucks, delivery vans, touring cars, ambulances, fire engines, public transport vehicles, etc. (e.g., Pennock,

Van Hool Van Hool NV () is a Belgium, Belgian family-owned coachbuilder and manufacturer of buses, Coach (bus), coaches, trolleybuses, and Semi-trailer, trailers. Most of the buses and coaches are built entirely by Van Hool, with engines and axle ...

Plaxton Plaxton is an English builder of bus and coach vehicle bodies based in Scarborough. Founded in 1907 by Frederick William Plaxton, it became a subsidiary of Alexander Dennis in May 2007. In 2019, the maker was acquired by Canadian bus manu ...

Heuliez Heuliez was a French company that worked as a production and design unit for various automakers. It specialized in producing short series for niche markets, such as convertibles or station-wagons. The business activity ended on 31 October 2013. ...

) *Becoming technical partners for the development of roof constructions (e.g.,

), for example, or producers of various (aftermarket) automotive parts (e.g.,

Giannini Giannini is a Brazilian musical instruments manufacturing company, based in Salto, São Paulo. Products currently manufactured by Giannini include electric guitar, electric, steel-string acoustic guitar, steel-string acoustic, classical guitar, ...

)

Gallery

File:Lancia Belna Cabriolet 1935 Pourtout.jpg, Pourtout drophead coupé on a Lancia Belna chassis 1935 File:Coys vintage car 501593 fh000035.jpg, Touring 2-seater body on a 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B chassis File:Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Ghia.jpg, Fixed head coupé by

Ghia Carrozzeria Ghia SpA (established 1916 in Turin) is an Italian automobile design and coachbuilder, coachbuilding firm, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as "Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio". The headquarters are located at Corso Guglielmo Mar ...

1954 on an Alfa Romeo 1900 SS chassis File:VW Hebmüller-Cabriolet bicolor vl TCE.jpg, Hebmüller Cabriolet modifications upon a mass-produced Volkswagen platform chassis

List of coachbuilders

Austria

*Ambruster *Keibl

Belgium

* D'Ieteren *Grümmer (Bruxelles) *Simons * Vanden Plas *

Denmark

* Carsten Jakobsen

France

*Achard, Fontanel & Cie (

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

) *Ailloud & Dumond (

) *Alin & Liautard ( Courbevoie) * Amiot (

Dinard Dinard (; br, Dinarzh, ; Gallo: ''Dinard'') is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, northwestern France. Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a holiday destination, and this ...

Dinan Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan. Geography Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead o ...

) *Angé (

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...

) *Ansart & Teisseire ( Neuilly) * Antem ( Levallois) *Arnault ( Garches) *Arqué (Toulouse) *Aubertin (

Levallois-Perret Levallois-Perret () is a commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department and Île-de-France region of north-central France. It lies some from the centre of Paris in the north-western suburbs of the French capital. It is the most densely populated ...

) *Paul Audineau (Levallois) *Augereau (

Brou Brou may refer to: * Brou, Eure-et-Loir, a village and ''commune'' in France * Brou-sur-Chantereine, a village and ''commune'' in Seine-et-Marne, France * Brou people, a Khmer Loeu ethnic group in Cambodia See also * Royal Monastery of Brou, in B ...

) * Autobineau ( Neuilly) *Bail (Paris) *Baqué (

) *Barbier (

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...

) *Bedel (

Trouville-sur-mer Trouville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Trouville on Sea''), commonly referred to as Trouville, is a city of 4,603 inhabitants in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Trouville-sur-Mer borders Deauville across the R ...

) *Belvallette (Paris, Neuilly) *Bergeon & Descoins (

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

) *Berlioz & Gouillon (Paris) *Berluteau (

Melun Melun () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region, north-central France. It is located on the southeastern outskirts of Paris, about from the centre of the capital. Melun is the prefecture of the Seine-et-Ma ...

) *Bernin (

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...

) *Besset ( Annonay) *Bigatti (

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...

) *Billeter & Cartier (

) * Binder (

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

) *Blanc & Barral (Paris) *Blesser (Paris) *Blois (Toulouse) *Boneberge (Lyon) *Bonneville & Chabrol (

) *Gustave Borde (

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

) *Boré (

Saint-Lô Saint-Lô (, ; br, Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy.

) *Boschet ( Saint-Brieuc) *Bounet (Toulouse) *Bouteiller ( Nantes) *Brandone (

) *Bruand ( Chaumont) *Henri Bretonniere ( Nantes, Brittany) *Gratien Calmettes (

) *Candelaresi (

) *Carrier ( Argenteuil, Alençon) *Chabrol (Toulouse) *Candelarési (Lyon) *Carde & fils (

) * Chappe et Gessalin, (

Brie-Comte-Robert Brie-Comte-Robert () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Brie-Comte-Robert is on the edge of the plain of Brie and was formerly the capital of the ''Brie française''. "Brie" com ...

) *

(Levallois-Perret) * Philippe Charbonneaux *Chatellard (Toulouse) *Chaussende (Lyon) * Chausson ( Asnières,

Gennevilliers Gennevilliers () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department of Île-de-France. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2017, it had a population of 46,907. History On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the ...

) *Chéreau ( Avranches) *Chicot (Levallois) *Chilbourg (Paris) *Clabot (

Alfortville Alfortville () is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. History The commune of Alfortville was created on 1 April 1885 from part of the commune of Maisons ...

) *Clochez (Paris) *Cluzeau ( Bergerac) *Cottard (

Bourg-en-Bresse Bourg-en-Bresse (; frp, Bôrg) is the prefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ancient province of Bresse ( frp, Brêsse, links=no). In 2018, ...

) *Crouzier frères ( Moulins) * Currus (Paris) *

Darl'mat Émile Darl'mat (1892–1970) was the creator and owner of a Peugeot distributor with a car body business established at the rue de l'Université in Paris in 1923. In the 1930s the firm gained prominence as a low volume manufacturer of Peugeot-b ...

(Paris) *Declerq & Cordonnier (

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

, Roubaix) *DeCostier (Boulogne s/Seine) *Decultil & Cie (Lyon) *Victor Delassale (Paris) *Delaroche & Turquet ( Le Mans) *Delaugère (

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Pantin Pantin () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2019 its population was estimated to be 59,846. Pantin is located on the edge of the city of Paris and is mainly formed by a plai ...

) *Desvaux ( Rueil) *Di Rosa (

La Garenne-Colombes La Garenne-Colombes () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from Notre Dame de Paris which is the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. Name The city used to be p ...

) *Drouet & Gaucher (Courbevoie) *Maurice Dumas (

) *Louis Dubos (Neuilly) *Dubos ( Puteaux) *Duhamel et Compagnie (Paris) *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

) *Faurax & Chaussende (since 1920, Lyon) *Felber frères (Puteaux) * Fernandez & Darrin (Paris) *

(Boulogne s/Seine) *Firmin (Paris) *Fleury ( Thonon) *Floquet (Saint-Amand) *Forrler ( Strasbourg) *Fournier (

) *Fournier (

Suresnes Suresnes () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. Located in Hauts-de-Seine, from the centre of Paris, it had a population of 49,145 as of 2016. The nearest communes are Nanterre, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud a ...

) * Franay (Levallois-Perret) *Frugier (Toulouse, Limoges) * Gallé (Boulogne s/Seine) *Gangloff ( Colmar) *Garros (Toulouse) *Gaudichet & Turquet ( Le Mans) *Henri Gauthier (

Villeurbanne Villeurbanne (; frp, Velorbana) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after ...

, Beaulieu-Audincourt) *Gilotte (Courbevoie) *Girardo frères (

) *Grange frères (Valence-sur-Rhône) *Gras (

) *Gruau ( Laval) *Grümmer (Clichy) *Guérard (

) *Guetting (Paris) * Guilloré (Courbevoie) *Guilloux ( Châlon-sur-Saone) *Guldener (

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

) *Hamet ( Limoges) *Léon Hanovre (Paris) *Hénon (

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

) *Henry ( Nancy) *

( Cerizay) * Hibbard & Darrin (Paris) *Jamet (La Guerche, Berry) *Jeanteaud (

) *L. Jean (

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

) *Jouan, carrosserie de cuirs ( Clichy) *Jousse & Parsy (

Montargis Montargis () is a commune in the Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Montargis is the seventh most populous commune in the Loiret, after Orléans and its suburbs. It is near a large forest, and contains light industry and farming, ...

) *Justrobe (Toulouse) * Kellner (Paris) * Kelsch (Levallois) *Klapper (Toulouse) *Kraemers fils (Paris) *Labarre ( Evreux) *Labbé ( Lamballe) *Henri Labourdette (Paris) *La Carrosserie Industrielle ( Courbevoie) *Lacoste frères (Toulouse) *Lagache & Glaszmann (

Montrouge Montrouge () is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased again in recent years. ...

) *Lagogué ( Alençon) *Lamplugh & Cie (Levallois-Perret) *Langütt (

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzer ...

) *Laporte (Toulouse) *Le Bastard ( Rouen) *Leffondré ( Groslay) * Letourneur et Marchand (Neuilly) *Le Vieux (Paris) *Lourtioux ( Montluçon) *Mamy (

) *Mandement (Toulouse) * Manessius (Puteaux) *Maron-Pot (Levallois-Perret) *Massias (Toulouse) *Mercier (

) *Meulemeester ( Clichy) *Michel (

) *Mignot & Billebault (Boulogne s/Seine) * Million Guiet (Levallois) *Léon Molon (

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...

) *Mouche & Cie (

) *Monjardet (

) *Montel & fils (

) *Morel (Paris) *Morin ( Parthenay) *Morin ( Rennes) *Mühlbacher & fils (Puteaux) *Nicolas ( Angoulême) *Ottin (

) *Philippe Mühlbacher (

) *Pelpel (Noyal s/Vilaine) *Petitprez & Verschure (

Tourcoing Tourcoing (; nl, Toerkonje ; vls, Terkoeje; pcd, Tourco) is a city in northern France on the Belgian border. It is designated municipally as a commune within the department of Nord. Located to the north-northeast of Lille, adjacent to Roubai ...

) *Pezet (Toulouse) *Phaetonia ( Courbevoie) *Société Phocéenne (

) * Pichon-Parat ( Sens) *Henri Pique (

) *Plante ( Pau) *Poinsenet ( Epernay) * Pourtout (

Rueil-Malmaison Rueil-Malmaison () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2017, it had a population of 78,152. It is one of the wealthiest suburbs of P ...

) *Pralavorio Simon (

Montplaisir) *Privat (

) *Maurice Proux ( Courbevoie) *Pruneville (

) *Radovitch ( Reims) *Rambert & fils (

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attract ...

, Courbevoie) *Raquin (

Montrichard Montrichard () is a town and former commune in the Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Montrichard Val de Cher. During the French Revolution, the commune was known as '' ...

) *Rasp (Paris) *Ravistre & Martel ( Annonay) *Repusseau & Cie (Levallois-Perret) *Rétif ( Sancoins, Berry) *Rheims & Auscher, La Carrosserie Industrielle (Levallois-Perret) *Rieucros (

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...

) *Georges Rigier (Neuilly) *Alexis Robert (Paris) *Rothschild, later Rheims & Aucher (Levallois-Perret) *Rotrou ( Verneuil sur Avre) *Rousseau (

) *Rungette (Levallois-Perret) *

(Neuilly) *Soulé (Toulouse) *Spinnewyn (

) *Surirey (Flers) *Tassé (

Pontchâteau Pontchâteau (; br, Pontkastell-Keren) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population Personalities *Jacques Demy (19311990), film director. *Lydie Denier (1964), actress. See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlant ...

) *Benjamin Thibaut (Toulouse) *Baptiste Thomas (1820–1877, Paris) *Tirbois ( Niort) *Tizot & Viguier (

) *Tremble ( Puteaux) *Tual (Tredion) *Vallas (St-Just en Chevalet) *Van den Bussche (

) *Van den Hende ( Roubaix) * Vanvooren (Courbevoie) *Vedrine & Cie (Courbevoie) *Verplancke ( Roubaix) *Veuillet (Fleurieu-sur-Seine) *Vidal (Toulouse) *de Villars (Courbevoie) *Vilotte (Toulouse) *Vinet (Neuilly) *Visse & Haf (Levallois) *Vivez (

) *VOG ( Chartres, Neuilly) *Wanaverbecq (

Lambersart Lambersart () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. This commune is located in the Métropole Européenne de Lille, and is a suburb of the city of Lille, bordering it on its northwest side. Inhabitants of the town are called ...

) *Wantz (

Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...

) *Warengehm (

) * Weymann (

) *Widerkehr ( Colmar) *Willy van den Plas (Paris,

)

Germany

*Auer *Autenrieth * Baur *

Binz Binz is the largest seaside resort on the German island of Rügen. It is situated between the bay of Prorer Wiek and the ''Schmachter See'' (a lake) in the southeast of the island. To the north of Binz stretches the Schmale Heide (the "narrow he ...

*Buhne * Deutsch *Dörr & Schreck *Drauz * Erdmann & Rossi *Friederich * Gläser *Glüer *Grümmer (Aachen) * Hebmüller * Ihle * Kässbohrer *

* Kathe * Keinath * Kellner *Konigsberg *Kruse (Husum) * Kühlstein *Kühn *Johann Michael Mayer ( München) *Mengelbier ( Aachen) * Neoplan *

Neuss Neuss (; spelled ''Neuß'' until 1968; li, Nüss ; la, Novaesium) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district. It ...

*Nowack *Papler *Plenikowski (

Hartha Hartha is a town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated 11 km west of Döbeln, and 12 km north of Mittweida. Personalities * Carl Grünberg (1847–1906), woven goods manufacturer in Hartha and politici ...

) * Rembrandt * Reutter * Rometsch * Setra *Spohn *

Styling Garage Styling Garage (also known as SGS) was a coachbuilder and tuner near Hamburg, Germany, which operated from 1979 until 1986. SGS made extravagant and expensive designs, mainly based on the Mercedes-Benz W126 (S-class). More than half of their buyer ...

*Szase *Voll & Ruhrbeck *Weinberger, Karl *Weinberger, Ludwig *

Weinsberg Weinsberg (South Franconian: ''Weischberg'') is a town in the north of the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It was founded around 1200 and is situated in the Heilbronn district. The town has about 11,800 inhabitants. It is noted for its win ...

*Wendler

Indonesia

* Adi Putro * Laksana * Morodadi Prima * New Armada * Tentrem

Italy

* * Allemano * Bertone *

Bizzarrini Bizzarrini S.p.A. is an Italian automotive manufacturer: in 1964 it was founded by former Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Iso engineer Giotto Bizzarrini. The company built a small number of highly developed and advanced sport and racing automobiles befor ...

* Boano * Boneschi * Castagna * Cecomp *

Coggiola Coggiola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northeast of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,285 and an area of .All demographic ...

* Colli * De Simon * Farina *

Fissore Fissore is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: People * Matías Fissore (born 1990), Argentine footballer *Riccardo Fissore (born 1980), Italian footballer Companies *Carrozzeria Fissore Carrozzeria Fissore was an Italian coach ...

* Frua * Garavini *

* Giugiaro * I.DE.A *

Italdesign Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best k ...

* Lombardi * Maggiora * Marazzi * MAT * Morelli *

Motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

* Nembo * OSI *

* Sala *

Scaglietti Carrozzeria Scaglietti () was an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding company active in the 1950s. It was founded by Sergio Scaglietti in 1951 as an automobile repair concern, but was located across the road from Ferrari in Maranello outsid ...

* Sports Cars (Drogo) * Studiotorino * Touring * Varesina *

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Viotti *

Japan

Mitsuoka is a small Japanese automobile company. It is noted for building unique cars with unconventional styling, some of which are modern while others imitate the look of American, European and particularly British retro cars of the 1950s and 1960s. Mit ...

Spain

* Abadal *

Ayats Ayats is the trading name of Carrocerías Ayats SA, a Spain-based coachbuilder. The company constructs a range of coach bodies on a variety of chassis, and also manufacture their own integral products. Their products are used throughout Europe ...

*Bettla *Blancou *

Capella Capella is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Auriga. It has the Bayer designation α Aurigae, which is Latinised to Alpha Aurigae and abbreviated Alpha Aur or α Aur. Capella is the sixth-brightest star in ...

*Carrizo *J Farré *Forcada *Fiol *Galo Mateos *

Herrero Herrero is a Spanish-language occupational surname literally meaning "blacksmith". The feminine form is Herrera. People with this surname include: *Abel Herrero (born 1971), Cuban artist *Abel Herrero (born 1969), Texas politician * Álvaro Peña ...

*Hijos de Labourdette * Irizar * Lucas *Molist *Reynés *Roqueta *Serra *Vert *

Vidal Vidal (, , , ) is a Catalan, Aragonese, and possibly also Romansh surname, which also appears in French, Italian, Portuguese and English, and as a given name. Vidal may refer to: Surname * Maurice Vidal Portman (1850–1935), a British doct ...

Sweden

*Hoflageribolaget *

Nordberg Nordberg is a neighbourhood in Nordre Aker in Oslo, the capital of Norway. From 1934 to 1992 it was served by Nordberg Station on the Sognsvann Line, but is now served by Østhorn and Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, H ...

Norrmalm Norrmalm is a city district in Stockholm, Sweden. History Norrmalm is part of the larger borough of Norrmalm (''Norrmalms stadsdelsområde''). The southern part of the district, Lower Norrmalm (''Nedre Norrmalm''), also known as City, cons ...

Switzerland

*Beutler *Gangloff *Geismeister * Graber * Hermann Graber * Ramseier * Worblaufen

The Netherlands

*Akkermans * Bronkhorst * Bij 't Vuur *Dolk *Donderwinkel * Egbers *Garstman *Gips & Jacobs * Hermans *Hover & Tiwi * Hulsman *Jac Met *Kimman *Lathouwers *Van Leersum & Co *De Ley *Van Lijf & Co *Mudde *

Muller Muller is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: A–H * A. Charles Muller (born 1953), translator *Bauke Muller (born 1962), Dutch bridge player * Bennie Muller (born 1938), Dutch footballer *Bill Muller (1965–2007), US journalis ...

*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 An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

* Abbott *

Alexander Dennis Alexander Dennis is a British bus manufacturing company based in Larbert, Scotland. The largest bus and coach manufacturer in the United Kingdom with a 50% market share in 2019, it has manufacturing plants and partnerships in Canada, China, E ...

(formerly Walter Alexander Coachbuilders) * Aston Martin * Barker * Carbodies * Carlton *

Crayford Engineering Crayford Engineering (more commonly known simply as Crayford) was an automobile coachbuilder based in Westerham, Kent, England and formed in 1962 by Jeffrey Smith (engineer and designer) and David McMullan, (sales). In the 1970s, a subdivisio ...

* Charlesworth * Corsica * Croall *

Cunard Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...

* Gordon England *Flewitt *

Freestone and Webb Freestone and Webb were English coachbuilders who made bodies for Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars but also built bodies on other chassis including Alfa Romeo, Packard, and Mercedes-Benz. The business was founded in 1923 by V.E. Freestone and ...

Grose The Grose was an English automobile built between 1898 and 1901, Grose also built bodies for cars, buses, ambulances and commercial vehicles until the late 1950s. Company History Mr. Joseph G. Grose began work as a leather currier in Ambush ...

J Gurney Nutting & Co J Gurney Nutting & Co Limited was an English firm of bespoke coachbuilders specialising in sporting bodies founded in 1918 as a new enterprise by a Croydon firm of builders and joiners of the same name. The senior partner was John (Jack) Gurney ...

* Harrington *John Hatchett (London) *Holmes (London) * Hooper * Jarvis of Wimbledon * Jensen * John Charles * Hoyal * Lancefield * Martin Walter *

Arthur Mulliner Arthur Mulliner was the 20th century name of a coachbuilding business founded in Northampton in 1760 which remained in family ownership. The business was acquired by Henlys Limited in 1940 and lost its separate identity. Mulliner Northampton ...

* H. J. Mulliner & Co. * Mulliner Park Ward *

Mulliners (Birmingham) Mulliners Limited of Birmingham was a British coachbuilding business in Bordesley Green, with factories in Bordesley Green and Cherrywood Roads. It made standard bodies for specialist car manufacturers. In the 19th century there were family ties w ...

* Nu-Track *

Optare Switch Mobility (originally called Optare) is an English bus manufacturer based in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Indian company Ashok Leyland. The company would be responsible for the EV operations of the group with ...

Park Ward Park Ward was a British coachbuilder founded in 1919 which operated from Willesden in North London. In the 1930s, backed by Rolls-Royce Limited, it made technical advances which enabled the building of all-steel bodies to Rolls-Royce's high st ...

* Harold Radford *

Rippon Bros Rippon Bros was a coach building business thought to have begun as early as the 16th century. Historian John Stowe (1524/25 – 1605) reported that in 1555 Walter Rippon made a coach for the Earl of Rutland, and that in 1564 he made another for ...

* Salmons *

Swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

Tickford Tickford is an automobile engineering and testing business in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, known for tuning and such products as the 140 mph Tickford Turbo Capri. Under the name Salmons & Sons and their Tickford products the firm has ...

Thrupp & Maberly Thrupp & Maberly was a British coachbuilding business based in the West End of London, England. Coach-makers to Queen Victoria they operated for more than two centuries until 1967 when they closed while in the ownership of Rootes Group. Mr Thru ...

* Vanden Plas * Vince & Son *

Walter Alexander Coachbuilders Walter Alexander CoachbuildersCompanies House extract company no SC0261 ...

*Wesleys Newport Pagnell * Vincent of Reading *Windovers * Wingham Martin Walter * Wrightbus * James Young

United States

*Alex Madjaric Body Works * Abbot-Downing *

Biddle and Smart Biddle and Smart was a manufacturer of carriages and then automobile bodies based in Amesbury, Massachusetts. It started as a successful carriage manufacturer before making the transition to auto body manufacturer in 1905. History Carriagemaker ...

(Amesbury) * Bohman & Schwartz * Brewster * Briggs * Brunn * Budd *Coachcraft * Darrin of Paris *Demarest * Derham * Dietrich Inc. * Earl Automobile Works * Fisher * Albert Fisher (Detroit) *

Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830s, when the principal lando ...

Holbrook Holbrook may refer to: Places England *Holbrook, Derbyshire, a village * Holbrook, Somerset, a hamlet in Charlton Musgrove * Holbrook, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, a former mining village in Mosborough ward, now known as Halfway *Holbrook, Suffolk, ...

* Judkins *KEM Motorworks * LeBaron *Locke * Murphy * Murray * Rollson *

Rollston Rollston Company was an American coachbuilder producing luxury automobile bodies during the 1920s and 1930s readily acknowledged to be of the very highest quality. After bankruptcy in 1938 some of the same owners began a very similar business und ...

*Rubay * Studebaker *Towson *

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People * Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) * Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California ...

* Waterhouse *Widman * Willoughby * Wilson

Survivors of the unibody production-line system

*Coway *Jankel *Jubilee *MacNeillie * Overfinch *Wilcox *Woodall-Nicholson

Notes

References

External links

Coachbuild.com: Encyclopedia of worldwide Coachbuilders from past to presentEncyclopedia of American CoachbuildersGoldarths: The Fine Art of Coachbuilding
by Peter M. Larsen and Ben Erickson. Details Jacques Kellner and George Paulin involvement in the French Resistance. {{Authority control