Car body style
There are many types of car body styles. They vary depending on intended use, market position, location, and the era they were made.
Current styles
Buggy">Buggy (automobile)">Buggy
Lightweight off-road vehicle with sparse bodywork. Originally two- or four-wheeled carriages in the 19th and early 20th centuries pulled by one horse, the motorized buggies were developed in the 1960s and grew in popularity and diversity.[Convertible] / cabriolet
Has a retractable or removable roof. A convertible allows an open-air driving experience, with the ability to provide a roof when required. Most convertible roofs are either a folding textile soft-top or a retractable metal roof. Convertibles with a metal roof are sometimes called 'retractable hardtop', 'coupé convertible', or 'coupé cabriolet'.[Coupé]
Two-door car, seating up to four persons. Some two-door cars have only two seats, thus two-seaters.[Fastback]
Car with a roofline that slopes continuously down at the back. The design features a single unbroken convex curve from the roof to the rear.[Flower car]
Used in the U.S. in the funeral industry to carry flowers for burial services. Typically a coupé-style, forward-passenger compartment with an open well in the rear.[Hatchback] / Liftback
Car with a hatch-type rear door that is hinged at the roof and opens upwards. The term "hatchback" can also refer to that type of rear door, which is also used on several sports cars, SUVs, and large luxury cars.[Hearse] / funeral coach
The modification of a passenger car to provide a long cargo area for carrying a coffin or casket. Hearses often have large glass panels for viewing the coffin.[Limousine]
A luxury-type vehicle that is typically driven by a chauffeur with a partition between the driver's compartment and the passenger's compartment. Limousines may also be stretched to provide more room in the rear passenger compartment. In some European usage, the word describes a regular four-door sedan body style.[Microvan]
The smallest size of minivan/MPV.[Minivan] / multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) / people carrier / people mover
Vehicle designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. Typically has a combined passenger and cargo area, a high roof, a flat floor, a sliding door for rear passengers, and high H-point seating. In Europe, some small minivans have been marketed as 'leisure activity vehicles'.[Panel van] / car-derived van / sedan delivery
A cargo vehicle based upon passenger car chassis and typically has one row of seats with no side windows at the rear. A panel van is smaller than a panel truck or cargo van and is often built on a car platform.[Panel truck]
A panel truck is a larger version of the panel van and is often built on a heavier platform.[Pickup truck] / pickup
A light-duty, open-bed truck. In South Africa, a pickup truck is called a "bakkie".Roadster">Roadster (automobile)">Roadster
An open two-seat car with emphasis on sporting appearance or character. Initially, an American term for a two-seat car with no weather protection, usage has spread internationally and has evolved to include two-seat convertibles.Sedan">Sedan (automobile)">Sedan / saloon
A fixed-roof car in a three-box design. These form separate compartments for engine, passenger, and cargo. Sedans can have two or four doors. A sedan is called a "berlina" in Spanish and Italian, or a "berline" in French.[Shooting-brake]
Initially, a horse-drawn vehicle used to carry shooting parties with their equipment and game; subsequently synonymous with station wagon / estate car; and in contemporary usage a three- or five-door wagon combining features of a station wagon and a coupé.[Station wagon] / estate car
Has a two-box design, a large cargo area, and a rear tailgate that is hinged to open for access to the cargo area. The body style is similar to a hatchback car; however, station wagons are longer and are more likely to have the roofline extended to the rear of the car to maximize the cargo space. In French, a station wagon is called a "break".[Targa top]
A semi-convertible style used on some sports cars, featuring a fully removable soft or hard roof panel that leaves the A and B pillars in place on the car body.Ute">Ute (vehicle)">Ute / [coupe utility]
Based on a passenger sedan chassis and has a cargo tray in the rear integrated with the passenger body. In Australia, the term "ute" was originally used solely for coupé utility cars; however, in recent years, it has also been used for pickup trucks.Historic styles
;Baquet;Barchetta
;Berlinetta
;Cabrio coach
;Coupé de ville / Sedanca de ville / town car
;Hardtop
;Landaulet
;Personal luxury car
;Phaeton
;Roadster utility
;Runabout
;Torpedo
;Touring