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THE COACHBUILDERS ENCYCLOPEDIA

In the early motoring days, when series production did not yet exist, the process of acquiring a new vehicle was more complex, as rolling chassis provided the basis for different coachbuilding scenarios. One approached a motoring brand, who used to deliver to the customer only the rolling chassis, comprising: chassis, drivetrain (engine, gearbox, differential, axles, wheels), suspension, steering system and radiator. Subsequently the customer approached a coachbuilder, requesting a personal body design to be fitted on the rolling chassis. Sometimes a coachbuilder himself ordered or got assigned a series of chassis, on which basis he designed and manufactured the new coachwork to his own creative ideas and inspiration. Sometimes the customer delivered a complete factory car to the coachbuilder with the request to change the entire coachwork or modify certain elements.

After WW II automotive mass production soon became mainstream, ending the era of separate manufacturing of chassis and tailored coachworks. Many coachbuilders went bankrupt, were bought by manufacturers or changed their core business to other activities. Meanwhile many car manufacturers established inhouse design departments themselves, increasingly developing their own design and styling DNA (which were often developed earlier by the coachbuilders). Initially ('40-'50-early sixties) design houses/coachbuilders could still purchase separate chassis on which they could fit their own inhouse designed coachworks. Not without reason: many wealthy customers still commissioned their special one-offs based on 'current' available rolling chassis or even based on other series produced cars.

Productionwise the early days were relatively easy as chassis and coachwork were independently constructed. In the sixties however the monocoque and spaceframe constructions were introduced, which made it significantly more difficult to fit newly designed bodies on a donor chassis/car. Freedom of design became more and more limited due to the predefined shapes of given body structures. The chassis no longer acted simply as a flat undercarriage as it now also comprised the stressed roofline constructions and other stressed body panels (window pillars, rear fenders, and recently even the windows themselves). Also safety regulations became more stringent, resulting in many technical requirements prohibiting most chassis modifications. This forced design houses/coachbuilders to limit their rebody scope of work primarily to the outer panel work, necessarily leaving the basic car structure and proportions untouched.

This gallery for all Coachbuilders from past to present will always be a 'work in progress'. For more info, images and discussions about many more coachbuilders we kindly refer you to our FORUM. Your contributions are most welcome!

Abbott

UK (1929 - 1972)

Akkermans

The Netherlands (1811 - present)

Allemano

Italy (1928 - 1965)

Antem

France (1919 - 1955)

Aubertin

France ( early 1900s - ?? )

Barker

UK (1710 - 19??)

Bertone

Italy (1912 - present)

Boano & Ellena

Italy (1954 - 1957) & (1957 - 1966)

Bohman & Schwarz

USA (1932 - 1947)

Boneschi

Italy (1919 - present)

Boniolo Advanced Design

Italy (1975 - present)

Brandone

France (1923 - 1963)

Brewster & Co

USA (1810 - 1937)

Callaway

USA (1977 - present)

Carlsson

Germany (1989 - present)

Castagna

Italy (1849-1954) & (1994-present)

Chapron

France (1919 - 1985)

Corsica

UK (between WW I & WW II)

D'Ieteren

Belgium (1805 - present)

Devon Motorworks

USA (2009 - present)

Drogo Carrozzeria Sports Cars

Italy (1961 - 1973)

Dubos

France ( ?? - ?? )

Erdmann & Rossi

Germany (1906 - present)

Eurostyle

Italy (1968 - 1970)

Fantuzzi

Italy (1940 - present)

Figoni & Falaschi

France ( 1919 - 1950s )

Fioravanti

Italy (1987 - present)

Fisker Coachbuild

USA (2005 - present)

Fissore

Italy ( 1920 - 1984)

Fleetwood Metal Body Co.

USA (1909 - 1930s)

Franay

France ( ?? - 1950s )

Freestone & Webb

UK (1923 - 1958)

Frua

Italy (1944 - 1983)

Gaffoglio Metalcrafters

USA ( 1979 - present)

Gangloff

Switzerland - France (1903 - present)

Ghia

Italy (1915 - 1970)

Ghia-Aigle

Switzerland (1948 - 1988)

Graber

Switzerland (1925 - present)

Guldstrand

USA (1968 - present)

Gurney Nutting

UK (1918 - 1948)

Hamshaw

UK (1878 - 1926)

Harrington

UK (1897 - 1966)

Heuliez

France (1920 - Present)

Hooper & Co.

United Kingdom (1805 - 1959)

ItalDesign - Giugiaro

Italy (1968 - present)

Jacques Coune

Belgium (1950s - 1960s)

James Young

UK (1863 - 1967)

Jarvis & Sons

UK ( ?? - ?? )

Jonckheere

Belgium (1818 - present)

Kellner

France ( 1861 - ?? )

Köng

Switzerland (1935 - 1999)

Labourdette

France (1858 - 1952)

LeBaron

USA (1920 - 1942)

Letourneur & Marchand

France (1905 - 1959)

Manessius

France (1919 - ??)

Martin Walter

UK (1773 - present)

Maurice Schwartz

USA (1947 - 1961)

Mitsuoka

Japan (1982 - present)

Motto

Italy (1932 - 1965 )

Mulliner & Co. (H.J.)

UK (1900 - 1959)

Mulliner (Arthur)

UK (late 1800 - 1939)

Murphy

USA (1920 - 1932)

Murray

USA (1913 - 1965)

No 2 Alike

USA (2002 - present)

Oblin

Belgium ( ?? - ?? )

Ottin

France ( ?? - ?? )

Panther Westwinds

UK (1972 - 1980)

Park Ward

UK (1919 - 1961)

Paul Nee

France ( ?? - ?? )

Pennock

The Netherlands (1900 - 1953)

Pininfarina

Italy (1930 - present)

Pourtout

France (1925 - present)

Rollston

USA (1921 - 1938)

Rometsch

Germany (1924 - 2000)

Saoutchik

France (1906 - 1955)

Scaglietti

Italy (1951 - 1977)

Schebera

Germany (1911 - 1925)

Schutter & Van Bakel

The Netherlands (1829 - 1954)

Sodomka

Czech Republic (1895 - 1958)

Spadaconcept

Italy (2006 - present)

Spohn

Germany (1920 - 1957)

Stabilimenti Farina

Italy (1919 - 1953)

Thrupp & Maberly

UK (1858 - 1967)

Touring

Italy (1926-1967) & (2008-present)

Tüscher

Switzerland (1909 - present)

Van den Plas - Willy van den Plas - Vanden Plas

Belgium, France & UK

Van Leersum

The Netherlands (1919 - 1952)

Van Rijswijk

The Netherlands (1903 - 1950)

Vesters & Neirinck

Belgium (1923 - 1938)

Veth & Zoon

The Netherlands (1840 - present)

Vignale

Italy (1948 - 1969)

Worblaufen

Switzerland (1929 - 1958)

Zagato

Italy (1919 - present)

21st Century coachbuild

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