Art of the Classic Car

Section III

Coupes

’ll just come out and say it: two-door cars

rarely make sense. Unless a vehicle is so short

that it will only accommodate one door on

each side, a car is almost always more practical,

more useful—in short, better at being a car—

with four doors.

Truth number two is that two-door cars

are usually better-looking than four-door cars,

and this is the reason two-door cars have always

been built. A two-door is just a much better

way to make a statement of style, elegance, and

power with an automobile. Look at the 1936

Delahaye 135M and try to imagine making such a

stunning car as a four-door; it just can’t be done.

Take the massive 1933 Cadillac Aerodynamic

Coupe—such an audaciously large car with only

two doors simply screams that its driver is well

beyond having to worry about practical matters

when selecting his automobile.

The two-door cars in this section showcase

the practice of coachbuilding prevalent in the

early 20th century, when a customer would

choose a manufacturer’s chassis, then have it

equipped to his or her exact specifications, some-

times by that company or by another outside

firm. Cars built by a carrosserie, or coachbuilder,

are among the most spectacular and unique

automobiles ever built, and we’re lucky to be

able to show you some of these cars in gorgeous

detail in the pages to follow.

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