Brougham (automotive design)

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Brougham by Rauch & Lang (USA, ca. 1890); the Brougham carriage developed around 1840 was the starting point for the body of the same name.

The name Brougham was adopted from the carriage building in the automobile age. Originally this was the name given to a one-horse, four-wheeled, closed carriage that was very popular between 1840 and 1900. It was therefore obvious that early automobile manufacturers and above all bodywork companies (who usually lived mainly from wheelwrighting ) came back to it because they knew this structure very well and could assume that known designs would also be more easily accepted by customers. While the carriage was invented in the United Kingdom by Great Britain and Ireland , the designation as a body shape was only fairly common in Europe until around 1900. In the USA it lasted longer and in surprising diversity.

Brougham as inner handlebar

Argo Electric (Extension Front) Fore-Door Brougham (1912)
Detroit Electric Model 61 Rear-Drive Brougham (1915)
Packard Twin Six 7-passenger Brougham (1918)

Over time, the term brougham has been used to refer to various structures. In the 1890s, a version with 2 or 4 seats each for chauffeur operation and one for self-drive were developed. Both are heavily based on the carriage design. The difference is that the chauffeur variant has the driver's seat in front of the cabin outdoors. "Driver's seat" can be taken literally; there are versions with a single central seat and others with a bench.

The internally steered Brougham is a forerunner of the coupé . This design lasted the longest in electric cars, where it was found until the end of the 1920s, for example in Detroit Electric until 1928.

A two-door "Brougham" variant was introduced by the upper middle class brand Cadillac in 1916 with the Type 53. At US $ 2950 it was one of the more expensive of nine available designs. Seats from 5 to 7 were stated

From around 1915 onwards, there was hardly any difference to the "ordinary" 7-seater Sedan and Pullmann sedans from the outside. A unique selling point of the Brougham seem to be the front and middle individual seats. Four-door cars usually had a front bench seat in the backrest of which any emergency seats could be stowed. Old recordings show that the interior including the seat covers was made of fabric, but the driver's seat was covered with black leather. This may have taken into account the greater wear and tear on the driver's seat.

Extension-front Brougham

This name also goes back to the Brougham carriage. It was common in the US for versions known in the UK as the Brougham Coupe and Clarence . The body was extended in the front part so that either a child seat (Brougham Coupé) or a bench (Clarence) could be accommodated with the back facing the direction of travel. It appears that the latter was also known as the Double Brougham .

Fore Drive, Rear Drive, Dual Drive

The seating arrangement described under Extension-front Brougham resulted in another special feature. Analogous to the Vis-à-vis , one of the earliest forms of automobile ever, these vehicles were steered from the back seat. The driver looked over the shoulder of the passengers. The reason is probably to be found in the late Victorian politeness: You didn't turn your back, especially not to a lady. This arrangement was often called the rear drive and, for obvious reasons, did not last long. It was only found in the comparatively slow electric cars of this time until around 1928. The driver's position commonly used today was then called the Fore Drive to distinguish it . There were also versions with a removable steering column that could be hung in two different places and were called Dual Drive . At Woods , one of the larger manufacturers in this branch, the corresponding versions were called front , rear or dual control .

Salon Brougham

The term salon refers to the arrangement of the seats. In principle, it corresponds to the arrangement known from today's minivans . Two more seats are attached behind the front individual seats so that there is a gap between them. It appears that later jump seats were used that could be folded up and sunk into the ground. These seats are normally accessible via the rear door (neither sliding door nor tailgate as in the minivan). The gap between the seats is the passage to a bench in the stern. The salon layout is not limited to broughams; it is also the touring car , the sedan and the sedan known and luxury manufacturers such as Packard and Pierce-Arrow widespread.

Sport Brougham

The Sport Brougham largely corresponds to the Sport Sedan . As with this (and other) terms, an exact definition can not be found because the bodybuilders based their names more on marketing principles than technical ones. An indication is the presence of leather-covered roofs, storm bars and a round or oval window in the rear roof pillars; Attributes that we don't associate with "sportiness" today.

A Sport Brougham was still on offer at Packard in 1941: LeBaron built it on the chassis of the top model Custom Eight One-Eighty (model 1907) as a 5-person Sport Brougham , design no. 1452.

Although not so named, the Sport Sedan resp. Convertible Sedan meets the criteria for a Sport Brougham or All Weather Brougham as described below.

Touring Brougham

At the beginning of the 1930s, the trunk integrated into the body began to establish itself. So far, either a spare wheel, a luggage rack or both have been carried at the rear; in the version with a trunk, the spare wheel was often in a compartment under the trunk itself. When a term was sought to differentiate between these two variants, the prefixed term "touring" prevailed with many manufacturers, for example with Cadillac , Chrysler , Packard or bodyworkers such as Dietrich or Hooper . The term was used in the same way for correspondingly built coupes, sedans, sedans and convertibles.

Town Brougham and Variants

The addition "Town" in the body designation usually implies a vehicle with an open front body and chauffeur operation; see. also Town Car and Town Landaulet . The Town Brougham (more rarely: Brougham de Ville) differs from the Brougham in that it has an open driver's compartment and a closed passenger compartment. This externally steered variant of the Brougham has been around since 1895. The market for these very expensive vehicles has always been limited. For this reason, such bodies were still manufactured by hand as individual pieces or in very small batches when industrial body construction had become common. Town Brougham eventually developed into a hybrid form of closed car and convertible , in which the chauffeur sits in an actual convertible part of the vehicle and the passengers in the closed part. Most recently, sedans from series production were adapted accordingly, which not only lowered production costs, but also made the chauffeur much more comfortable.

Precisely because these bodies were made individually, there is also a certain range of detailed solutions. The differentiating features of the variants listed below can therefore become blurred. In addition, both the bodybuilders and the marketing departments of the chassis suppliers were quite creative when they came up with the name. Over time, inner and outer control arms converged. Ultimately, the terms Brougham and Sport Brougham (described below) were little more than a more sonorous name for Sport Sedan , Club Sedan or Close-coupled Sedan , usually with a shorter passenger compartment and an externally accessible luggage compartment. A very elegant custom brougham with a sun visor on the outside, with a leather-covered roof and landau irons was created in 1924 near Brunn in Buffalo (New York) on the chassis of the Packard Single Eight. External differences to a Club Sedan are no longer noticeable.

Panel Brougham

Panel Broughams have sharply drawn, rather angular lines, especially in the rear roof area.

An early example of a Panel Brougham was built by Brewster in New York in 1911 on the chassis of a French Delaunay-Belleville . The body was put on a Packard One-Twenty chassis in 1936, with somewhat dubious success . The car still exists in this form today.

A particularly spectacular example of a Town Brougham was created as a "recreation" (replica of the body on an original chassis) on the chassis of a Cadillac V16 (series 453B) from 1931. The replica Fleetwood body (design no. 4264B) was in the official Cadillac Sales catalog has been offered. Only three were actually built, none of which appear to exist anymore. One of the exclusive features was wickerwork that was attached to the rear part of the body.

The economic crisis contributed significantly to the fact that there was less and less demand for town cars . Even those who could afford up to US $ 10,000 for such a car thought twice about wanting to be seen in it at such times. Packard reacted by ordering small series from Rollston in New York City from their Panel Broughams from 1937 onwards. Although the body could also be adapted to the larger chassis, most of them were based on the small eight-cylinder One-Twenty resp. Eight built.

Rollston also developed a new roof mechanism for the chauffeur compartment. A longitudinal strut carried along was inserted between the windshield and the roof above the front doors. On the inside there were guide rails in which the metal roof was guided. This was supplied on its own rails between the roof skin and the headlining of the passenger compartment and could be pulled out forwards like a sliding roof. It was guided in the spars and secured to the windshield. The system works similarly to the Citroën C3 Pluriel .

The renowned coachbuilder advertised with comparatively low prices and an elegant but extremely conservative appearance despite the dimensions of a medium-sized car. The angular body contrasted in an idiosyncratic way with the round lines of the fenders of the production car.

"Compact" luxury cars of this type were soon also produced by other coachbuilders, such as Brewster . where even a version for the Ford V8 was built. Derham went one step further on behalf of a nostalgic customer. This version also got a "retro look" fenders. The result, however, takes some getting used to and aesthetically does not come close to other creations of the traditional company from Rosemont (Pennsylvania) . At least one Brougham panel was created on the One Twenty chassis that came very close to the Rollston design. The client was allegedly the opera singer Lily Pons . Derham also built this body type on larger models on request, also as a Panel Brougham or Glass Panel Brougham with a pane in the rear roof pillar or used a standard sedan as the basis for a relatively inexpensive conversion.

Brougham landaulet

Like the landaulet , the Brougham landaulet also has a folding top over the rear of the body. In Europe, the names Landaulet de Ville or Sedanca de Ville are more common.

gallery

Broughams

Brougham landaulets

  • Cannstatt-Daimler Brougham-Landaulet (1898)

  • Hedag Electric Brougham Landaulet (1905)

  • Renault Type 40 CV Landaulet de Ville by Kellner (1922)

  • Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca Cabriolet (Brougham-Landaulet) (1929)

Other uses of the term

Cadillac Eldorado Brougham (1957)

Cadillac (series)

Chrysler (alternative body name)

In the 1930s, Chrysler used the designation 2 Door Touring Brougham for a two-door sedan. The addition "Touring" was a common description for a version with an integrated trunk; often both variants were offered and therefore had to be distinguished. There is no reference to the touring car .

Hudson (alternative body name)

Hudson Commodore Eight Brougham Convertible (1947)

The Hudson Motor Car Co. was a traditional manufacturer of mid-range cars. He used the name 2 Door Brougham from 1936 onwards in a rather confusing way; Initially only for a 2 Door Sedan (elsewhere such vehicles were called 2 Door Sedan , Club Sedan or simply Coach .), later also as part of the model name for the Cabriolet: Convertible Brougham .

Mercury (series)

Only in 1967 there was the Mercury Brougham as the brand's top model.

Brougham as an equipment variant

Based on this exclusive body variant, an upscale equipment variant for various, almost exclusively US-American car brands was created around 1970, especially in the USA. Brougham was often a part of the model name. It is hardly a coincidence that it was precisely at this time that the trend arose in the USA to take up topics from the "classic" period of automobile construction between 1930 and 1940. In addition, vinyl roofs in various designs - over the entire roof or as landau - resp. Opera Roof only in the rear area, with false storm bars ( Landau Bars ) on the C-pillar and heavily padded from around 1975 - belonged to a top model as well as color-coordinated trim strips, coach lamps (position lights on the B-pillar ), Opera windows (Small windows in the C-pillar that cannot be opened, often with engraved decorations in the glass), spoke wheel caps and matching logos, emblems and ornaments. Inside there were ultra-soft split benches into which you sank deep, applications with imitation wood (and rarely real wood) in all imaginable places and entire batteries of lights and lamps.

AMC Ambassador

AMC Ambassador Brougham Sedan (1974)

American Motors (AMC) used the designation "Brougham" exclusively for the most expensive of the three equipment levels of their largest model, the AMC Ambassador . Until 1969 these were Ambassador, Ambassador DPL and Ambassador SST. In connection with a facelift , the "Brougham" replaced the "SST", this became the middle variant and "DPL" became the name for the basic version. Electric windows at the front were only part of the basic equipment of the "Brougham". As in the previous year, the top model had the smallest V8 engine with 4752 cm³ (290 ci) and 225 bhp (168 kW) as standard equipment; six-cylinder engines had simpler designs. Stronger versions were available on request in all equipment levels; the Brougham could also be ordered with the larger V8 with 5621 cm³ (343 ci) and 280 bhp (209 kW) or 6391 cm³ (390 ci) and 315 bhp (235 kW). The "Brougham" equipment was available for all three Ambassador bodies. It comprised vinyl roofs on the Sedan and Coupé and wood decor on the flanks of the Station Wagon.

In 1970 there was a small facelift. Among other things, the "Brougham" received individually adjustable front seats as standard. The sports steering wheel cost US $ 30 extra. Automatic transmission and air conditioning became standard for the Brougham in 1971. In 1971, some of the exclusivity compared to the other equipment levels was lost because the Ambassador was only available as a V8. In the following year the basic version "DPL" and 1973 also the "SST" were dropped, so that the Ambassador was only available as "Brougham". The 1974 models received a hood ornament and the coupé was omitted because the new Matador Coupé was now available as Personal Luxury . The series was discontinued without replacement at the end of the model year.

Cadillac

The name "Brougham" has a long tradition at Cadillac

Chevrolet

Daewoo

Oldsmobile

Pontiac

Chrysler

Chrysler New York Brougham Sedan (1977)

Dodge

ford

The top equipment of the station wagon was temporarily called Squire resp. Country Squire .

Mercury

Other no longer in use automobile designs

Minerva 28 CV Type M body as Roi des Belges from Hutton, Ireland (1907)

Other names for top equipment (USA, selection)

Chevrolet Caprice Classic Sedan (1985)

Trivia

Remarks

  1. ↑ including 2 jump seats

Individual evidence

Mercury Park Lane Brougham 4-door Hardtop (1968)
  1. ↑ a b c coachbuilt.com: Terminology
  2. ↑ a b c d e Imperialclub.com: Register of car bodies (designs)
  3. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Panhard & Levassor Brougham (1897)
  4. ↑ a b c Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1985), p. 428.
  5. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1985), p. 199.
  6. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica Online; Brougham as a carriage design
  7. ^ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1985), p. 1529.
  8. ↑ packardinfo.com: Packard Dominant Six 3-48 Two-toned Salon Brougham (1914)
  9. ↑ packardinfo.com: Packard Custom Eight One-Eighty 1907 5p Sport Brougham # 1452 (1941), black
  10. ↑ packardinfo.com: Packard Custom Eight One-Eighty 1907 5p Sport Brougham # 1452 (1941), gray, front
  11. ↑ packardinfo.com: Packard Custom Eight One-Eighty 1907 5p Sport Brougham # 1452 (1941), gray, back
  12. ^ Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 65.
  13. ↑ Kimes: Packard. P. 238.
  14. ^ Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 173.
  15. ^ Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 47.
  16. ↑ blog.hemmings.com: Cadillac V16 Fleetwood Panel Brougham (1931)
  17. ^ Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 163.
  18. ^ Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 171.
  19. ↑ packardinfo.com: Packard Eight 1601 Panel Brougham by Rollston (1938)
  20. ^ Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 59.
  21. ↑ remarkablevehicles.com: Brewster-Ford V8 Panel Brougham (1935)
  22. ^ Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 73.
  23. ↑ a b Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard (1938), p. 74.
  24. ↑ packardinfo.com: Packard Super Eight 1502 Panel Brougham by Derham (1937)
  25. ↑ oldcarbrochures.com: Chrysler brochure (1937)
  26. ↑ a b oldcarbrochures.com: Hudson brochure (1936)
  27. ↑ oldcarbrochures.com: Hudson brochure (1948)
  28. ↑ a b c d e f g h conceptcarz.com: Search results Brougham
  29. ↑ oldcarbrochures.com: AMC brochure (1969)
  30. ↑ oldcarbrochures.com: AMC brochure (1970)
  31. ^ John A. Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Motors, 1902-1987. Pp. 242-248
  32. ↑ wettringer-modellbauforum.de: Plastic model kit Jo-Han Cadillac V16 Fleetwood Panel Brougham from 1931 in the scale 1: 25

literature

  • GN Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. 2nd Edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0 .
  • Lord Montague of Beaulieu: Nice old automobiles. Gondrom-Verlag, Bayreuth 1978, ISBN 3-8112-0070-4 .
  • Ernest Schmid, Martin Wiesmann: Car veterans. Vol. 4, Gloria-Verlag, Bergdietikon (Switzerland) 1967, DNB 988869462 .
  • Arthur Logoz, Martin Wiesmann: Oldtimers. Vol. 11, Gloria-Verlag, Bergdietikon (Switzerland) 1970, DNB 1017071381 . (German)
  • David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975. Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 .
  • Hugo Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard. Dalton-Watson, London / Motorbooks International, Minneapolis 1973, ISBN 0-901564-10-9 .
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Ed.): Packard, a history of the motor car and the company. Automobile Quarterly, 1978, ISBN 0-915038-11-0 .
  • Henry Rasmussen: The Survivors. Collector's edition, Picturama Publishing, 1975, ISBN 0-918506-01-8 . (Hispano-Suiza J12 Kellner (Paris) Coupé de Ville (1934))
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (ed.): Henry Austin Clark, jr .: The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 2nd Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI, USA 1985, ISBN 0-87341-111-0 .
  • Consumer's Guide (Ed.): Encyclopedia of American Cars from 1930. Publications International, 1993, ISBN 0-7853-0175-5 .
  • The Automobile of 1904 . In: Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly. January 1904, Americana Review, Scotia NY (USA). (also covers imports)
  • Brooks T. Brierley: Auburn, Reo, Franklin and Pierce-Arrow versus Cadillac, Chrysler, Lincoln and Packard. 1st edition. Garrett & Stringer, Coconut Grove, Florida, ISBN 0-9615791-1-0 .
  • John A. Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Motors, 1902-1987. 1st edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI 1993, ISBN 0-87341-232-X .
  • Piet Olyslager: American Cars of the 1930s. The Olyslager Auto Library, 1971. (1977, ISBN 0-7232-1266-X )
  • Piet Olyslager: American Cars of the 1940s. The Olyslager Auto Library, 1972. (1973, ISBN 0-7232-1465-4 )
  • Burness, Tad: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1920-39. Motorbooks International, ISBN 0-87938-026-8 .
  • Burness, Tad: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1940-65. Motorbooks International, ISBN 0-87938-057-8 .

Web links

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