{{short description|Passenger car in a three-box configuration}} {{globalize|article|United States|date=February 2021}} {{use American English|date=April 2021}} {{use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{multiple image | width = 200 | align = right | direction = vertical | image1 = Toyota Camry 2.5 Hybrid Ascent Sport (IX) – f 02012026.jpg | caption1 = 2025 Toyota Camry 4-door sedan | image2 = 1928 Model A Ford.jpg | caption2 = 1928 Ford Model A Tudor sedan | image3 = Dodge4Door1920.jpg | caption3 = World's first all-steel sedan made by Budd for Dodge Bros, 1919 }}
A '''sedan''' (American English), or '''saloon''' (British English),<ref name="oxfordsaloon">{{cite web|authorlink=Oxford English Dictionary|title=saloon (noun)|url= https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/saloon?q=Saloon |work=Oxford Learner's Dictionaries |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref><ref name="cambridgesaloon">{{cite web|title=saloon|url= https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/saloon |work=Cambridge Dictionary |language=en-GB |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref> is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo.<ref name="cdn">{{cite web| title=Car Design Glossary - Part 2: One-Box (Monospace or Monovolume) |publisher=Car Design News |quote=The principal volumes of the traditional sedan can be split into separate compartments or boxes: the hood/bonnet is the first box; the passenger compartment the second, and the trunk/boot the third - i.e. it's a 'three-box' car. |url= http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item131867/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203045234/http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item131867/ |archive-date=3 December 2013 |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref> Variations of the sedan style include the close-coupled sedan, club sedan, convertible sedan, fastback sedan, hardtop sedan, notchback sedan, and sedanet.
The sedan name derives from the 17th-century litter known as a "sedan chair", a one-person enclosed box with windows carried by porters. The first recorded use of the term ''sedan'' to describe an automobile body style occurred in 1912.<ref>{{cite web |title=Where Does the Word "Sedan" Come From? |url= https://thenewswheel.com/where-does-the-word-sedan-come-from/ |website=thenewswheel.com |date=10 January 2017 |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref>
==Definition== [[File:Three body styles with pillars and boxes.png|thumb|Profiles of a sedan, station wagon and hatchback versions of the same model (a Ford Focus)]]
A sedan ({{IPAc-en|s|ᵻ|ˈ|d|æ|n}}) is a car with a closed body (i.e., a fixed metal roof) with the engine, passengers, and cargo in separate compartments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of sedan in English by Oxford Dictionaries |url= https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sedan |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160926170201/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sedan |url-status= dead |archive-date=26 September 2016 |website=oxforddictionaries.com |access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> This broad definition does not differentiate sedans from various other car body styles. In practice, the typical characteristics of sedans include the following: * A B-pillar (between the front and rear windows) that supports the roof.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8ccGAAAAQBAJ&q=sedan+body+style+center+pillar+two+and+four-door+versions&pg=PA27 |pages=27–28 |title=Auto Body Repair Technology |first=James |last=Duffy |publisher=Cengage Learning |year=2008 |edition=Fifth |isbn=9781418073541 |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref> * Two rows of seats for passengers.<ref name="Haajanen" />{{refpage|page=134}} * A three-box design with the engine at the front and the cargo area at the rear, although many exceptions exist.<ref name="Morello">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=fjq6TPUnrucC&q=sedan+cars+main+task+is+to+transport+people+and+their+baggage+on+ordinary+roads&pg=PA184 |page=184 |title=The automotive body - Volume I, Components design |first=Lorenzo |last=Morello |publisher=Springer |year=2011 |isbn=9789400705128 |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Starting Out: Car Design Glossary - Part 2 |url= http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item131867/ |website=cardesignnews.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203045234/http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item131867/ |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * A less steeply sloping roofline than a coupé results in increased headroom for rear passengers and a less streamlined appearance.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is the difference between coupe and sedan? |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/sc-motormouth-autos-20170821-column.html |website=chicagotribune.com |date=26 August 2017 |access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> * A rear interior volume of at least {{convert|33|ft3|m3|2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Club Coupes |url= https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2007/03/Club-Coupes/1423429.html |website=hemmings.com |access-date=7 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Coupe vs. Sedan: What's the Difference and Definitions of the Body Styles? |url= https://www.automoblog.net/2009/02/12/coupe-vs-sedan-whats-the-difference/ |website=automoblog.net |access-date=7 December 2018 |date=12 February 2009}}</ref>
{{anchor|Four-door}} It is sometimes suggested that sedans must have four doors (to provide a simple distinction between sedans and two-door coupés); others state that a sedan can have four or two doors.<ref name="Haajanen" />{{refpage|page=134}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Morello |first1=L. |last2=Rossini |first2=Lorenzo Rosti |last3=Pia |first3=Giuseppe |last4=Tonoli |first4=Andrea |title=The Automotive Body: Volume I: Components Design |date=2011 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9789400705135 |pages=184 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=fjq6TPUnrucC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Coupe vs. Sedan: What's the Difference and Definitions of the Body Styles? |url= https://www.automoblog.net/2009/02/12/coupe-vs-sedan-whats-the-difference/ |website=automoblog.net |date= 12 February 2009 |access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Although the sloping rear roofline defined the coupe, the design element has become common on many body styles with manufacturers increasingly "cross-pollinating" the style so that terms such as sedan and coupé have been loosely interpreted as "'four-door coupes' - an inherent contradiction in terms."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Range Rover's $295K Coupe SUV Proves No Niche Is Too Small |url= https://www.wired.com/story/range-rover-suv-sv-coupe-geneva/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=25 November 2018 |last1= Stewart |first1= Jack }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stafford |first1=Eric |title=Sedan vs. Coupe: How Different Are They? |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28411772/sedan-vs-coupe/ |website=Car and Driver |date=24 July 2019 |access-date=3 April 2023}}</ref>
When a manufacturer produces two-door and four-door sedan versions of the same model, the shape and position of the greenhouse on both versions may be identical, with only the B-pillar positioned further back to accommodate the longer doors on the two-door versions.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/AMC/1962_AMC/1962_Rambler_Brochure/1962%20Rambler-06ab-07.html |title=1962 Rambler Brochure |pages=6–7 |website=oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref>
== Etymology == thumb|Turkish sedan chair from a historical exhibition thumb|upright|Article about the Studebaker models in ''Motor World'', November 14, 1912
The term "sedan" as applied to automobiles traces its roots to human-powered transport before its adoption by the automotive industry.
The word "sedan" is believed to derive from the Latin word "sedere" and the Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to sit," likely through various Italian dialects.<ref name= SL>{{cite book |editor-last=Stevenson |editor-first=Angus |editor-first2=Christine A. |editor-last2=Lindberg |title=New Oxford American dictionary |date=2010 |location=Oxford |isbn=9780199891535 |edition=Third}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Harper |first=Douglas |date=20 November 2024 |title=Etymology of *sed- |url= https://www.etymonline.com/word/*sed- |access-date=20 November 2024 |work=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref>
This etymological origin points to the sedan chair, a sophisticated form of litter that emerged in the 1630s. A sedan chair is an enclosed box, typically fitted with windows, designed for transporting a single seated person. It is carried by porters, one at the front and one at the rear, using horizontal poles.<ref name="oxforddictionaries.com">{{cite web |title=Definition of sedan |url= https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sedan |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160926170201/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sedan |url-status= dead |archive-date=26 September 2016 |website=oxforddictionaries.com}}</ref> While sedan chairs were developed in the 17th century, the concept of litters for human transport dates back much further, predating ancient Egypt, India, and China.
Before the term "sedan" was formally applied to automobiles, fully enclosed car bodies existed. These early enclosed vehicles drew inspiration from their horse-drawn carriage predecessors, which had their own established terminology. For example, in the United Kingdom, enclosed carriages were known as a brougham, while in France they were described as a berline, and in Italy, a berlina. Since then, "berline" and "berlina" have become the standard terms for sedans in their respective countries.
The precise origin of the first enclosed automobile body is debated. Some sources suggest the 1899 Renault Voiturette Type B as a contender for the "first sedan," given that it is the earliest known car produced with a roof, albeit a two-seat vehicle with an additional external seat for a footman or mechanic. A singular instance of similar coachwork is also documented on a 1900 De Dion-Bouton Type D.<ref name="speeddoctor.net">{{cite web |title=Renault Voiturette Type B (1899) |url= https://www.speeddoctor.net/2013/renault-voiturette-type-b-1899/ |website=speeddoctor.net |date=26 October 2015 |access-date=18 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="autoclassics.com">{{cite web |title=Renault's first ever car attends Paris Motor Show |url= https://www.autoclassics.com/posts/news/renault-first-car-paris-motor-show |website=autoclassics.com |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190424231021/https://www.autoclassics.com/posts/news/renault-first-car-paris-motor-show |archive-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> However, these early examples often featured limited seating or were unique, one-off constructions.
The first recorded use of the term "sedan" specifically about an automobile body style occurred in 1912. This designation was applied when the Studebaker Four and Studebaker Six models were marketed and described in automotive magazine articles as sedans.<ref name= SL/><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Motor World |date=November 14, 1912 |page=18 |location=New York |title=Studebaker Line Radically Reconstructed}}</ref> This marked the adoption of the term into the burgeoning automotive lexicon.
A sedan is typically described as a fixed-roof passenger car designed to accommodate at least four seats, most often characterized by a "three-box" configuration with separate compartments for the engine, passengers, and cargo.<ref name= SL/> Based on this widely accepted definition, the 1911 Speedwell is often cited as the earliest example of a true sedan. Based in Dayton, Ohio, this automobile manufacturer built a closed, two-door car and named it a "Sedan".<ref name="Georgano- Early and Vintage">{{cite book |last1=Georgano |first1=G.N. |title=Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886-1930 |date=1985 |publisher=Grange-Universal |location=London}}</ref>{{refpage|page=87}}
==International terminology== thumb|upright|1900 Renault Type B
In American English, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, the term ''sedan'' is used (accented as ''sedán'' in Spanish).<ref>{{cite web|title=sedán {{!}} Diccionario de la lengua española |url= https://dle.rae.es/sedán |website=dle.rae.es |language=es |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref> In British English, a car of this configuration is called a ''saloon'' ({{IPAc-en|s|ə|ˈ|l|u|n}}).<ref name="cambridgesaloon"/> Hatchback sedans are known simply as ''hatchbacks'' (not ''hatchback saloons''); long-wheelbase luxury saloons with a division between the driver and passengers are ''limousines''.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}
In Australia and New Zealand, ''sedan'' is now predominantly used; they were previously simply cars. In the 21st century, ''saloon'' remains in the long-established names of particular motor races.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} In other languages, sedans are known as ''berline'' (French), ''berlina'' (European Spanish, European Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian), though they may include hatchbacks. These names, like the sedan, all come from forms of passenger transport used before the development of automobiles. In German, a sedan is called ''Limousine''.<ref name="HaajanenEddaido"/>
In the United States, two-door sedan models were marketed as Tudor in the Ford Model A (1927–1931) series.<ref name="Fiske">{{cite web |last1=Gary |first1=Fiske |title=1930 Ford Model A "Tudor" |url= https://vtauto.org/1930-ford-model-a-tudor/ |publisher=Vermont Auto Enthusiasts |date=April 2017 |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref> Automakers use different terms to differentiate their products and for Ford's sedan body styles "the ''tudor'' (2-door) and ''fordor'' (4-door) were marketing terms designed to stick in the minds of the public."<ref name="Fiske"/> Ford continued to use the Tudor name for 5-window coupes, 2-door convertibles, and roadsters since all of those body styles had two doors.<ref>{{cite web |title=1937 Ford Tudor |url= https://www.classicautomall.com/vehicles/1195/1937-ford-tudor |website=classicautomall.com |date=2022 |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref> The Tudor name was also used to describe the Škoda 1101/1102, a car introduced in 1946 the Czechoslovak automaker.<ref name="Cibulka">{{cite web |last1=Cibulka |first1=Zdeněk |title=Škoda Tudor: A Car That Still Has a Lot to Offer |url= https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/skoda-world/design/skoda-tudor-a-car-that-still-has-a-lot-to-offer/ |publisher=Škoda Storyboard |date=25 April 2019 |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref> The public popularized the name for the two-door model and was later applied by Škoda to its entire line that included a four-door sedan and station wagon versions.<ref name="Cibulka"/>
== Standard styles == [[File:2015 Chrysler 300 rear 4.8.18.jpg|thumb|right|Chrysler 300C notchback sedan <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.autoevolution.com/news/auto-evolution-a-sedan-that-keeps-on-giving-the-chrysler-300-story-212821.html |title=Auto Evolution: A Sedan That Keeps on Giving - The Chrysler 300 Story |date=1 April 2023 |first=Mircea |last=Panait |website=autoevolution.com |quote=...the notchback-styled 300... |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref>]]
===Notchback sedans=== {{main|Notchback}}
In the United States, the notchback sedan distinguishes models with a horizontal trunk lid. The term is generally only referred to in marketing when it is necessary to differentiate between two sedan body styles (e.g., notchback and fastback) of the same model range.
===Liftback sedans=== {{main|Liftback}} [[File:2018 Ford Mondeo (MD) Trend liftback (2018-11-22) 02.jpg|thumb|right|Ford Mondeo liftback.]]
Several sedans have a fastback profile, but a hatchback-style tailgate is hinged at the roof. Examples include the Peugeot 309, Škoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra XD, Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, BMW 4 Series Grand Coupe, Audi A5 Sportback, and Tesla Model S. The terms hatchback and sedan are often used to differentiate between body styles of the same model. To avoid confusion, the term hatchback sedan is not often used, but it is a five-door car with a short, sedan-like roof and a large rear hatch.<ref name="Haajanen" />{{refpage|pages=90-91}} This design, frequently marketed as a fastback or liftback, provides a cargo area that can be expanded by folding down the rear seats. The key difference from a station wagon is the shorter roofline and a more steeply sloping rear. In some European countries, this body style is known as a ''Kombi-sedan''. Due to their compact size and short rear overhang, smaller modern hatchbacks can sometimes be confused with small station wagons.<ref name="Haajanen" />{{refpage|pages=90-91}}
===Fastback sedans=== {{main|Fastback}}
There have been many sedans with a fastback style with two and four doors. For example, after World War II, Nash Motors introduced revolutionary 1949 designs that featured an innovative, all-enveloping aerodynamic shape named Airflyte that was so unconventional that it earned the nickname "bathtub".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1949-1951-nash-airflyte.htm |author=((Auto editors of ''Consumer Guide'')) |title=1949-1951 Nash Airflyte |date=6 November 2007 |website=auto.howstuffworks.com |access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/queen-of-the-bathtub-era-the-1949-51-nash-airflyte/ |title=Queen of the Bathtub Era: The 1949-51 Nash Airflyte |date=20 October 2020 |last=McGuire |first=Bill |website=macsmotorcitygarage.com |access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref> The radical design was to minimize wind resistance with a continuous, seamless front to rear bumper design and roof treatment that set a new standard for a fastback sedan.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/the-magnificent-bathtub/ |title=The Magnificent Bathtub |first=Patrick |last=Foster |date=25 March 2024 |work=Hemmings |access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/Art_of_the_American_Automobile/Fhe78_dppaUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Nash+%22Fastback+sedan%22&dq=Nash+%22Fastback+sedan%22&printsec=frontcover |page=180 |title=Art of the American Automobile - The Greatest Stylists and Their Work |first=George N. |last=Georgano |author-link=G. N. Georgano |date=1995 |publisher=Smithmark |isbn=9780765196323 |access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref> Another example was Volkswagen's two-door Type 3 models differentiated and marketed in the United States as ''squareback'' and ''fastback'' sedans.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Complete_Book_of_Classic_Volkswagens/KlcqDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Fastback+sedan%22&pg=PA265&printsec=frontcover |pages=264-265 |title=The Complete Book of Classic Volkswagens |first=John |last=Gunnell |date=2017 |publisher=Motorbooks |isbn=9780760359358 |via=Google Books |access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GFYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA77&dq=%22Fastback+sedan%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiUzO-Jh9GPAxVgMlkFHVWANyAQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Fastback%20sedan%22&f=false |title=Our Beauty. (VW advertisement) |page=77 |magazine=Life |date=21 April 1967 |volume=62 |issue=16 |via=Google Books |access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref> {{Gallery |mode=packed |height=100 |align=center |File:VW Standard, Bj1950 2005-09-17.jpg|1950 Volkswagen Beetle |File:1939 Lincoln Zephyr fastback 4-door sedan r-md.JPG |1939 Lincoln-Zephyr |File:1948 Cadillac (537888887).jpg|1948 Cadillac Series 62 |File:2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 (C 218) BlueEFFICIENCY sedan (2015-08-02) 02.jpg |2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS }}
===Hardtop sedans=== [[File:1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham 4-door hardtop (7143765601) (cropped).jpg|thumb|1957 Cadillac Eldorado four-door hardtop]] [[File:SunbeamRapierSeries1.jpg|thumb|1957 Sunbeam Rapier two-door hardtop]] {{main|Hardtop#Pillarless Hardtops}}
Hardtop sedans were a popular body style in the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s. Hardtops are manufactured without a B-pillar, leaving uninterrupted open space or, when closed, glass along the side of the vehicle.<ref>{{cite web|title=Definition of: Hardtop |url= http://www.engineering-dictionary.org/Hardtop |publisher=Engineering Dictionary |date=2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190706205113/http://www.engineering-dictionary.org/Hardtop |archive-date=6 July 2019 |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Collision repair and refinishing: a foundation course for technicians |first1=Alfred |last1=Thomas |first2=Michael |last2=Jund |page=164 |publisher=Cengage Learning |year=2009 |isbn=9781401889944}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uOEDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Hardtop+sedan%22+style&pg=PA116 |title=Rambler has everything new - even a hardtop wagon |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=January 1956 |pages=116–117 |volume=105 |issue=1 |via=Google Books |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref> The top was intended to look like a convertible's top. However, it was fixed and made of a rigid material that did not fold.<ref name="HaajanenEddaido" />
All manufacturers in the United States from the early 1950s into the 1970s provided at least a two-door hardtop model in their range and a four-door hardtop. The lack of side bracing demanded a strong, heavy chassis frame to combat unavoidable flexing. The pillarless design was also available in four-door models using unibody construction.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chrysler moves to Unibody (unit-body construction): 1960 |url= https://www.allpar.com/threads/chrysler-moves-to-unibody-unit-body-construction-1960.236659/#post-1085245072 |website=allpar.com |date=14 January 2021 |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref> For example, Chrysler moved to unibody designs for most of its models in 1960, and American Motors Corporation (AMC) offered four-door sedans, as well as a four-door station wagon from 1958 until 1960 in the Rambler and Ambassador series.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Donnelly |first=Jim |title=1958 Rambler Ambassador |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1958-rambler-ambassador |magazine=Hemmings Motor News |date=June 2013 |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref>
In 1973, the US government passed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 216, creating a required roof strength test to measure the integrity of roof structure in motor vehicles to come into effect some years later. The objective was to reduce deaths and injuries due to the car's roof crushing into the passenger compartment in case of a rollover crash.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-571/subpart-B/section-571.216 |title=571.216 Standard No. 216; Roof crush resistance; Applicable unless a vehicle is certified to § 571.216a. |work=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=1 December 2024 }}</ref> Hardtop sedan body style production ended with the 1978 Chrysler Newport. Roofs were often available with standard or optional vinyl cover.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automotive-history-the-history-of-the-vinyl-roof-part-3-top-it-off/ |title=Automotive History: The History of the Vinyl Roof, Part 3 – Topping Things Off |first=Tom |last=Halter |date=23 October 2021 |website=curbsideclassic.com |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref> The structural B-pillar design was minimized by styling methods like matt black finishes. Stylists and engineers soon developed more subtle solutions.<ref name="HaajanenEddaido" />
==Mid-20th century variations== ===Close-coupled sedans=== [[File:1929Packard633CloseCoupled5PassengerClubSedanRightSide (cropped).jpg|thumb|1929 Packard Close Coupled Sedan]]
A close-coupled sedan is a body style produced in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. Their two-box, squarish styling made these designs more like crossover vehicles than traditional three-box sedans. Like other close-coupled body styles, the rear seats are farther forward than a regular sedan.<ref name="Haajanen" />{{refpage|page=43}}<ref name="ateupwithmotor.com">{{cite web |last1=Severson |first1=Aaron |title=From Pillar to Post: More Automotive Definitions |url= https://ateupwithmotor.com/terms-technology-definitions/automotive-design-terms/ |website=ateupwithmotor.com |access-date=11 December 2018 |date=15 August 2009}}</ref> This reduced the length of the body; close-coupled sedans, also known as town sedans, were the shortest of the sedan models offered.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cummings |first1=Christopher |title=Cadillac V-16s Lost and Found: Tracing the Histories of the 1930s Classics |date=2014 |publisher=McFarland |page=50 |isbn=9781476612393 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ajrTAgAAQBAJ}}</ref>
Models of close-coupled sedans include the Chrysler Imperial,<ref>{{cite web |title=1931 Chrysler Imperial Close Coupled Sedan |url= http://imperialclub.org/Yr/1931/JerryCapak/index.htm |website=imperialclub.org |access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1931 Chrysler Imperial Close-Coupled Sedan |url= https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/sj11/auction/lots/r129-1931-chrysler-imperial-close-coupled-sedan |website=rmsothebys.com |access-date=24 November 2018 |date=22 July 2017}}</ref> Duesenberg Model A,<ref>{{cite web |title=1925 Duesenberg Model A Close Coupled Sedan - Amazing Original Car! |url= http://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=79041 |website=car-from-uk.com |access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> and Packard 745<ref>{{cite web |title=1930 Packard |url= https://www.sealcoveautomuseum.org/collection-test/1930-packard/ |website=sealcoveautomuseum.org |access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
===Coach sedans=== [[File:Bugatti Coach Type 73A (1947) pic1 (cropped).JPG|thumb|left|1947 Bugatti Coach]] thumb|1932 Chevrolet Coach
A two-door sedan for four or five passengers but with less room for passengers than a standard sedan. A coach body has no external trunk for luggage. Haajanen says it can be difficult to tell the difference between a club and a brougham and a coach body, as if manufacturers were more concerned with marketing their product than adhering to strict body style definitions.<ref name="HaajanenEddaido">{{cite book|title=Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles |first=Lennart W. |last=Haajanen |isbn=9780786437375 |publisher=McFarland |year=2007}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2026}}
===Close-coupled saloons=== [[File:Rover 3.5 coupe P5B ca 1967 profile shot showing lowered roofline.jpg|thumb|1967 Rover 3-litre coupé]]
Close-coupled saloons originated as four-door thoroughbred sporting horse-drawn carriages with little room for rear passengers' feet. In automotive use, manufacturers in the United Kingdom used the term to develop the chummy body, where passengers were forced to be friendly because they were tightly packed. They provided weather protection for extra passengers in what would otherwise be a two-seater car. Two-door versions would be described in the United States and France as coach bodies.<ref name="Haajanen1">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jvNTCgAAQBAJ |title=Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles |first=Lennart W. |last=Haajanen |isbn=9780786437375 |publisher=McFarland |year=2007 |access-date=24 December 2018}}</ref> A postwar example is the Rover 3 Litre Coupé.
===Club sedans=== thumb|left|1932 Buick series 90 Club Sedan [[File:1954 Kaiser Manhattan Club Sedan (34602810421) (cropped).jpg|thumb|1954 Kaiser Manhattan Club Sedan]]
Produced in the United States from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s, the name club sedan was used for highly appointed models using the sedan chassis.<ref name="Haajanen">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jvNTCgAAQBAJ |title=Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles |first=Lennart W. |last=Haajanen |isbn=9780786437375 |publisher=McFarland |year=2007 |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref>{{refpage|page=44}} Some people describe a club sedan as a two-door vehicle with a body style otherwise identical to the sedan models in the range.<ref name="hemmings.com">{{cite web |title=Club Coupes |url=https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2007/03/Club-Coupes/1423429.html |website=hemmings.com |access-date=18 November 2018}}</ref> Others describe a club sedan as having either two or four doors and a shorter roof and therefore less interior space than the other sedan models in the range.<ref name="Haajanen" />{{refpage|page=44}}
''Club sedan'' originates from a railroad train's club carriage (e.g.,, the lounge or parlour carriage).<ref name="Haajanen" />{{refpage|page=44}}
===Sedanets=== [[File:1947 Buick Sedanette.jpg|thumb|1947 Buick Sedanet]]
From the 1910s to the 1950s, several United States manufacturers have named models either Sedanet or Sedanette. The term originated as a smaller version of the sedan;<ref name="Haajanen Sedanette">{{cite book |last1=Haajanen |first1=Lennart W. |title=Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles, 2d ed. |date=2017 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786499182 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6GQoDwAAQBAJ |access-date=25 November 2018 |page=136}}</ref> however, it has also been used for convertibles and fastback coupes. Models that have been called Sedanet or Sedanette include the 1917 Dort Sedanet,<ref>Dort Motor Car Co, ''Wisconsin Motorist'' November 1916, H A Apple, publisher, Milwaukee</ref> King,<ref name="Haajanen Sedanette" /> 1919 Lexington,<ref name="Haajanen Sedanette" /> 1930s Cadillac Fleetwood Sedanette,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits/Cadillac/1930_Cadillac_V8_VVI.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220430070124/https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits/Cadillac/1930_Cadillac_V8_VVI.pdf |archive-date=30 April 2022 |title=1930 New Interpretations of Motoring Luxury |work=GM Heritage Centre |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref> 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Sedanette,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Willson |first1=Quentin |title=Classic American Cars |date=1997 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=9780789420831 |url=https://archive.org/details/classicamericanc0000will |url-access=registration |access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> 1942-1951 Buick Super Sedanet,<ref>{{cite web |title=1948 Buick Series 40 Special Sedanet – Just A Few Inches Short Of A GM's Greatest Hit |url= http://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1948-buick-series-40-special-sedanet-a-few-inches-short-of-a-gms-greatest-hit/ |website=curbsideclassic.com |access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fastback Fascination – 1949 Buick Model 56-S Super Sedanet |url= https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/fastback-fascination-1949-buick-model-56-s-super-sedanet/ |website=hemmings.com |access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> and 1956 Studebaker.
== See also == {{Portal|Cars}} * Car classification
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Sedans}} * [https://www.britannica.com/technology/sedan-vehicle Sedan vehicle] at Britannica.com
{{automobile configuration}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sedan (Automobile)}} Category:Sedans Category:Car body styles Category:Car classifications