41 Buick

[LGS48]

I would like to know what the Difference between the 1941 Buick 71C 4 door convertible and the 1941 Buick Phaeton

[billorn]

Phaeton is what Buick called their 4door convertibles. Most called them convertible sedans. No idea why they chose to make it confusing.

[kgreen]

I've heard experts refer to the definition of a phaeton as an open car (convertible) with side curtains and the open car with roll up windows as a convertible.  I'm leery of this definition.

 

Buick made a 51C (Super) and a 76C (Roadmaster), and have also heard both of them referred to as phaetons.

[Bloo]

Those old body definitions are tenuous at best. Many manufacturers broke the unwritten rules.

 

As I understand it a Phaeton is a 4 door open car, windows or not. So is a Touring car. If something was made in the 30s (or 40s I suppose) it is more likely to be called a Phaeton, If built in the 1920s or earlier, it is probably called a Touring. IMHO a Phaeton would be more likely to have roll up windows just due to the era the term was popular.

 

I have no idea why Cord built something with 2 doors and called it a Phaeton (but apparently they did).

 

In traditional terms, a Convertible is a 2 door car with roll-up windows, and a Roadster is a 2 door car without. There is currently a thread in these forums about an Oldsmobile Roadster that has roll-up windows and probably would have been called a Convertible by most other manufacturers.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[CarlLaFong]

...and to further muddy the waters, Volkswagen calls this a Phaeton

 

[Frank DuVal]

And my 1950 Jeepster is called a Phaeton because it has a front and rear seat with two doors without roll up windows. Go figure. 😁

 

I hope that VW has a sunroof...

[Grimy]

And the 1956 Mercury 4-door hardtop was called "Phaeton."  That caused my teeth to grind, even as a teenager....