Editing Coupe (section)

== Definition ==
[[File:1955 Cadillac Coupe Deville.jpg|thumb|right|1955 [[Cadillac de Ville series|Cadillac Coupe de Ville]] ]]

A coupé is a fixed-roof car with a sloping rear roofline and one or two rows of seats. However, there is some debate surrounding whether a coupe must have two doors for passenger egress<ref>{{cite web|title=For the Last Time, a Coupe Is a Car With Two Doors|url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/for-the-last-time-a-coupe-is-a-car-with-two-doors-271257 |website=autotrader.com |access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref><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=16 April 2018|last1= Stewart |first1=Jack }}</ref> or whether cars with four doors can also be considered coupés.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sedan vs. Coupe Cars: Meaning, Definition & Differences|url= http://www.automoblog.net/2009/02/12/coupe-vs-sedan-whats-the-difference/ |website=automoblog.net |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210304054011/http://www.automoblog.net/2009/02/12/coupe-vs-sedan-whats-the-difference/ |archive-date=4 March 2021 |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref> This debate has arisen since the early 2000s, when four-door cars such as the [[Mazda RX-8]] and [[Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class]] have been marketed as "four-door coupés" or "quad coupés", although the [[Rover P5]] was a much earlier example, with a variant introduced in 1962 having a lower, sleeker roofline marketed as the Rover P5 Coupé.

In the 1940s and 1950s, coupés were distinguished from [[Sedan (automobile)|sedans]] by their shorter roof area and sportier profile.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OtKWmLLiuTgC&q=%22perceived+as+the+more-stremlined%2C+sportier+models%22&pg=PA55 |page=55 |title=The ultimate hot rod dictionary: a-bombs to zoomies |first=Jeff |last=Breitenstein |publisher=Motorbooks International |year=2004 |isbn=9780760318232 |access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref> Similarly, in more recent times, when a model is sold in both coupé and sedan body styles, generally the coupe is sportier and more compact.<ref name="Adolphus"/><ref name=Autotropolis/><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.thefreedictionary.com/coupé |title=Coupé |publisher=Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary |year=2010 |access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref> There have been a number of two-door sedans built as well, a bodystyle the French call a ''coach''.

The 1977 version of [[International Organization for Standardization|International Standard]] ISO{{spaces}}3833—''Road vehicles - Types - Terms and definitions''—defines a coupe as having two doors (along with a fixed roof, usually with limited rear volume, at least two seats in at least one row and at least two side windows).<ref>{{Citation| author=((Technical Committee ISO/TC22, Road vehicles))| publication-date =1977-12-01| title=ISO 3833-1977: Road vehicles &ndash; Types &ndash; Terms and definitions |type=ISO International Standard |edition=Second |publisher=International Organization for Standardization| place=Geneva, Switzerland | at =Clause 3.1.1.5 |url= https://www.iso.org/standard/9389.html}}</ref> On the other hand, the United States [[Society of Automotive Engineers]] publication J1100<ref>{{cite web |title=J1100: Motor Vehicle Dimensions - SAE International |url= https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j1100_197309/ |website=sae.org |access-date=20 April 2019}}</ref>{{when|date=April 2019|reason= Which version is this stated in? It doesn't appear in the 1984 or 2001 version.}} does not specify the number of doors, instead defining a coupé as having a rear interior volume of less than {{convert|33|cuft|L|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Adolphus">{{cite journal|first=David Traver |last=Adolphus |title=Club Coupes - If you think you know what a Club Coupe is, think again |url= https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2007/03/Club-Coupes/1423429.html |date=March 2007 |journal=Hemmings Classic Car |access-date=14 July 2018}}</ref><ref name="Autotropolis">{{cite web |title=Coupe – Coupe Body Style – Two Door Coupe |website=autobytel.com |url= http://www.autobytel.com/coupes/car-buying-guides/coupe-coupe-body-style-two-door-coupe-104289/ |access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref>

The definition of coupé started to blur when manufacturers began to produce cars with a [[2+2 (car body style)|2+2 body style]] (which have a sleek, sloping roofline, two doors, and two functional seats up front, plus two small seats in the back).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jack |date=2022-12-28 |title=What is a Coupe Car |url=https://usacoupe.com/what-is-a-coupe-car/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=USACoupe |language=en-US |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229173125/https://usacoupe.com/what-is-a-coupe-car/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Weber |first=Bob |title=What is the difference between coupe and sedan? |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/2017/08/26/what-is-the-difference-between-coupe-and-sedan/ |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=1 June 2019 |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref>

Some manufacturers also blur the definition of a coupé by applying this description to models featuring a [[hatchback]] or a rear cargo area access door that opens upwards.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.thefreedictionary.com/hatchback |title=hatchback - definition |website=thefreedictionary.com |date=2014 |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hatchback |title=Hatchback - definition |website=merriam-webster.com |access-date=19 February 2020}}</ref> Most often also featuring a fold-down back seat, the hatchback or liftback layout of these cars improves their practicality and cargo room.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Dan |title=Best Hatchbacks |url= https://www.carbibles.com/best-hatchbacks/ |website=Carbibles |date=4 February 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200923180751/https://www.carbibles.com/best-hatchbacks/ |archive-date=23 September 2020 |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref>