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{{mergefrom|Coachwork|date=December 2010}}
{{cleanup|date=November 2009}}
[[Image:Citroën DS Cabrio Jarama 2006.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Citroen DS]] Decapotable by [[Henri Chapron]]]]
[[Image:Lancia Belna Cabriolet 1935 Pourtout.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Lancia Augusta|Lancia Belna]] Cabriolet 1935 by [[Carrosserie Pourtout|Pourtout]]]]
[[Image:VW Hebmüller-Cabriolet bicolor vl TCE.jpg|thumb|200px|VW [[Hebmüller]]-Cabriolet]]
[[Image:Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Ghia.jpg|thumb|200px|1954 [[Alfa Romeo 1900]] SS [[Ghia]]]]
[[Image:Coys vintage car 501593 fh000035.jpg|thumb|200px|Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B [[Carrozzeria Touring|Touring]]]]
[[Image:Phantom IV.jpg|220px|thumb|200px|[[Hooper (coachbuilder)|Hooper]]<br>[[Rolls-Royce Phantom IV]]<br>Touring limousine, 7 seater<br>for [['Abd al-Ilah|HRH The Prince Regent of Iraq]], 1953<br>this car is 19 ft long and 6 ft 5 inches wide]]
A '''coachbuilder''' is a manufacturer of bodies for Horsedrawn [[carriage]]s (Coaches) or in modern times [[automobile]]s and bus (passenger coaches) bodywork.

==History==
The trade dates back several centuries. [[Rippon (coachbuilder)|Rippon]] was active in the time of [[Queen Elizabeth I]], with [[Hooper (coachbuilder)|Barker]] founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards. The firm of [[Brewster & Co.]] being a relative newcomer (though oldest in the U.S.), formed in 1810.<ref>Georgano, G. N. ''Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886-1930''. (London: Grange-Universal, 1990), p.206</ref> 


Most of the well known names were builders of early automobile bodies which started from the 1890s when you bought a [[chassis]] and sent it to the coachbuilder of your choice to have a body built to suit your needs. This tradition ended with the advent of the [[Monocoque]] body for most mas produced cars after WWII. But Luxury brands such as [[Rolls Royce Motors]] and a few other marques still offered the option. Other coachbuilders were active building sport bodies to fit in place of the standard body such as some [[Austin 7]] derivatives for racing. This was often done in-conjunction with the major manufacturer to create show cars and limited run models for racing.

==Coachbuilding companies==
Others notable companies in Britain included [[Hooper (coachbuilder)|Hooper]], [[H. J. Mulliner & Co.]], [[Park Ward]], [[J Gurney Nutting & Co Limited|Gurney Nutting]], [[Freestone and Webb|Freestone & Webb]],  [[Hooper (coachbuilder)|Barker]], [[Tickford]], [[Thrupp & Maberly]], [[Windover (coachbuilder)|Windover]], [[James Young (coachbuilder)|James Young]] and [[Vanden Plas]]. 

In France, they were led by [[Binder (coachbuilder)|Binder]], [[Figoni et Falaschi]], [[Chapron]], [[Kellner (coachbuilder)|Kellner]], [[Labourdette]], [[Letourneur et Marchand]], [[Gangloff (coachbuilder)|Gangloff]], [[Pourtout (coachbuilder)|Pourtout]], [[Guilloré (coachbuilder)|Guilloré]], [[Franay (coachbuilder)|Franay]] or [[Hibbard & Darrin]] (formed by Americans). 

Germany's top firms were [[Erdmann & Rossi]], [[Gläser]], [[Karmann]], [[Hebmüller]], [[Neuss (coachbuilder)|Neuss]], and [[Papler]]. 

Italy had firms such as [[Pininfarina]], [[Gruppo Bertone|Bertone]], [[Pietro Frua|Frua]], [[Carrozzeria Castagna|Castagna]], [[Ghia]], [[Carrozzeria Allemano|Allemano]], [[Carrozzeria Scaglietti|Scaglietti]], [[Carrozzeria Marazzi|Marazzi]], [[Carrozzeria Boneschi|Boneschi]], [[Fissore]], [[Alessio (coachbuilder)|Alessio]] (of Turin, responsible for the [[FIAT#History|first eight]] FIATs built),<ref>Georgano, p.24 cap.</ref> [[Zagato]], [[Vignale]] and [[Carrozzeria Touring|Touring]]. 

The U.S. featured [[Brewster & Co.]], [[Brunn & Company (automobile)|Brunn]], [[Fleetwood Metal Body|Fleetwood]], [[LeBaron Incorporated|LeBaron]], [[Walter M. Murphy Company|Murphy]], [[Derham (coachbuilder)|Derham]], [[Locke (coachbuilder)|Locke]], [[Rollston]] and [[Willoughby (coachbuilder)|Willoughby]].<ref>Georgano.</ref> 

The best known coachbuilder from Holland was Pennock, but there were also [[Veth & Zn.]] and [[Van Rijswijk]]. 

In Belgium, it was d'Ieteren and van den Plas and located in Switzerland were [[Hermann Graber (coachbuilder)|Hermann Graber]] or [[Ramsauer & Cie (coachbuilder)|Ramsauer & Cie]] which also was known as [[Ramsauer & Cie (coachbuilder)|Worblaufen]] after the place they were built.

==Development==
In the early motoring days, when series production did not yet exist, the process of acquiring a new vehicle was more complex. A customer approached a chassis motoring brand, who used to deliver to the customer only the rolling chassis, comprising: chassis, drivetrain (engine, gearbox, differential, axles, wheels), suspension, steering system and the radiator. Noticeable fact is that the radiator was the only visual element identifying the rolling chassis brand. Subsequently the customer approached a coachbuilder, requesting a personal body design to be fitted on the purchased rolling chassis. Initially, the skills used to build the wooden and metal bodies of vehicles were so specialized, (such as the [[English wheel]]), that most manufacturers procured contracts with existing coachbuilders to produce bodies for their chassis. For example, [[Fisher Body]] built all of [[Cadillac (automobile)|Cadillac]]'s closed bodies in the 1910s.

Commonly the larger dealers or distributors  of ultra-luxury cars would order for stock chassis and particular bodies thought most likely to sell and have them made in suitable quantities for sale off their showroom floor.

Though automobile manufacturers brought body building skills in-house, the practice of bespoke or custom coachbuilding remained in favour among the rich who continued the habit of centuries past. All ultra-luxury vehicles sold as chassis only. For instance, 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]], [[Ferrari 250]], [[Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8]] and all Rolls-Royces produced before World War II. [[Delahaye]] had no in-house coachworks, so all its chassis were bodied by independents, who created some of their most attractive designs on the Type 135. Most of the [[Delahaye]]s were bodied by [[Chapron]], [[Labourdette]], [[Franay]], [[Saoutchik]], Figoni & Falaschi, [[Pennock]] and many more.

The advent of [[unibody]] construction, where the car body is unified with, and structurally integral to the chassis, made custom coachbuilding (in the traditional sense of putting a bespoke body on a factory supplied separate chassis) practically impossible. Many coachbuilders closed down, were bought by manufacturers or changed their core business to other activities:
* transforming into dedicated design / styling houses, subcontracting to automotive brands (e.g. [[Zagato]], [[Frua]], [[Gruppo Bertone|Bertone]], [[Pininfarina]]).
* and/or transforming into general coachwork series manufacturer, subcontracting to automotive brands (e.g. [[Karmann]], [[Gruppo Bertone|Bertone]], [[Vignale]], [[Pininfarina]]).
* manufacturing of special coachworks for trucks, delivery vans, touringcars, ambulances, ‘voitures des pompiers’ (fire brigade), public transport vehicles, etc (e.g. [[Pennock]], [[Veth & Zoon]], [[Akkermans]], [[Heuliez]]).
* becoming technical partner for development of e.g. roof constructions (e.g. [[Karmann]], [[Heuliez]]) or producer of various (aftermarket) automotive parts (e.g. [[Giannini Automobili|Giannini]]).

Coachbuilding survived for a time among low-production companies such as [[Rolls-Royce (car)|Rolls-Royce]], [[Ferrari]], [[Bentley]] and glassfiber reinforced plastic [[Corvette]] because of its low cost for a short run.<ref>"Steel Bodies: In an Eggshell", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. ''World of Automobiles'' (London: Orbis Publishing, 1974), p. 2178.</ref> Producing body [[die (manufacturing)|die]]s is extremely expensive (a single door can run to [[U.S. dollar|US$]]40,000), which is only practical when large numbers are involved.

==Other languages==
Coachbuilders are: ''carrossiers'' in [[French language|French]], ''carrozzeria'' in [[Italian language|Italian]], ''karosserie'' in [[German language|German]] and ''carroceros'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]].

== Terminology ==
In reference to a [[recreational vehicle]] or motorhome, ''coach-built'' means a vehicle which has been purpose-built, using only a [[chassis]] as a base vehicle, as opposed to a ''conversion'' which is built inside an existing vehicle body, such as a std 'panel van' or a coach (bus).

==See also==
* [[Coachwork]]
* [[Bus manufacturing]]
* [[Coach Convertible]]

==References / sources==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Coachbuilders|position=left}}
{{commons category|Coachbuilder badges|position=left}}
* [http://www.coachbuild.com Webmagazine about Coachbuilders from past to present.]
* [http://www.coachbuilt.com Encyclopedia of American Coachbuilders.]
* [http://www.luxury-insider.com/Regulars/Reviews_and_Commentary/Coachbuilding/index.aspx Goldarths: The Fine Art of Coachbuilding.]

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