Phaeton vs Touring

[R Walling]

"tomatoes, tomotoes, lets call the whole thing off."

[West Peterson]

I think many laypeople, myself included, go with Henry Ford, calling pre-28 four door open cars tourings. Post 1927 became phaetons in most ads and such. Oddly that seems to increase their value over a touring.

It would be odd if there wasn't any physical difference between a touring and a phaeton, but there is a difference.

[Restorer32]

At least with Packards if it has 4 doors, no windows and jump seats it's a Touring, if no jump seats it's a Phaeton. If it has a second windshield it's a Sport Phaeton. Different bodies and different top assemblies entirely, touring vs phaeton.

[Guest myold88]

Our family had a new '56 Mercury Pheaton. Mercury used the name on their first 4 door pillarless hardtop. Monterey and Montclair Pheaton.

[28 Chrysler]

OK guys.

Fold down windshield, soft folding top, no roll up windows, seats 4.

What do you call my CJ ?

[West Peterson]

A jeep.

[Guest]

I have resisted as long as I can....

My Model A is a Phaeton because Henry Ford said it was...

If it were a Model T, it would have been a Touring Car... also because Henry Ford said so...

<img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't need any other reason... Henry said it and that is good enough for me! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

same holds true for Cadillac;

[R W Burgess]

A jeep.

I wonder who holds the "strings" on our editor when he is into publication mode? :confused:

I never see that kind of humor in our AA Magazine?:cool:

[Phillip Robinson]

I have a 1929 chevrolet and it is called a Phaeton and that is in their own literature for that year. Phil

[Guest prs519]

It would be odd if there wasn't any physical difference between a touring and a phaeton, but there is a difference.

West,

I do not doubt that you are correct with the half of car sales (this fact begs my memory for the years

1927 or 1928), which were non-Ford, but I challenge anyone to say there is a structural difference

between a 1927 T touring, and a 1928 A phaeton. These two cars, (accounting for styling differences),

have very nearly the same proportions. I believe the floorpan ratios would be close, too, although the T was a narrower car. I must also concede that you would most certainly find differences in the cases

where the manufacturer offered the two distinct types (else why do it?) Perry

[37_Roadmaster_C]

I agree that this is a confusing topic, however my 37 Buick Roadmaster is a phaeton because Buick said it was. I like that and I am sticking to it .

Robin

PS: a CJ is a Jeep.........

[cahartley]

I've always thought of a phaeton as a large touring car.

To me calling Model T or Model A Touring cars phaetons is like calling woodsheds mansions.

[Paul Dobbin]

After the 2015 S.E. AACA Divisional Tour we spent another week in Tennessee enjoying the scenery.   This involved moving from campground to campground in our motor home, called a "Land Yacht" while seeing the sights in our 66 VW, called a "Bug" or "Beetle".

In the campgrounds, (If you can still call a "RV Resort" a campground) there were always a few 40+ foot RV's sporting the name "Phaeton", which hardly meets the definitions provided in this thread, except for "Whatever the manufacturer's ad men want to call it.

These wheeled palaces sure didn't have any resemblance to my old 1934 Ford Deluxe Phaeton.

[JRA]

My 1928 Chevrolet, longer body and wooden wheels, is a touring, but the 1928 Ford, wire wheels, is a phaeton.

My 1929 Marmon, a larger 8cyl car for 6 passengers with folding windshield, is a Touring Speedster.

For sure it was a manufacturer decision how the body was called, hard to find a logic.

Edited April 19, 2022 by JRA (see edit history)

[hidden_hunter]

1 hour ago, JRA said:

For sure it was a manufacturer decision how the body was called, hard to find a logic.

Hey JRA, if you take a look at my post from the Dykes book on the SAE standard they actually comment specifically on why Touring was a bit of a meaningless term

 

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/377725-sae-defined-body-styles/

[JRA]

21 minutes ago, hidden_hunter said:

Hey JRA, if you take a look at my post from the Dykes book on the SAE standard they actually comment specifically on why Touring was a bit of a meaningless term

 

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/377725-sae-defined-body-styles/

Hi HiddenHunter, you right. After reading your post, I found this old one. I should have posted my comment in yours, quoting this old thread I ressurrected! Tks

[1937hd45]

Toy Tonneau is my favorite.