No smutty answers...or perhaps a few. It has been a long day!

Apparently it is a 1930's coachbuilding term. Also asked coachbuild.com.

Regards



SB

Hi Stuart,

To be honoust... I have no idea!
Great! Let's figure it out!

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Ettore: "Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive."

Can you tell a bit more about the context?
Where did you hear/read about it?

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Ettore: "Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive."

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

It was in the context of describing the features of a 1931 Rolls-Royce in the vehicles brochure (which I have not seen with my own eyes).

I would love to find out what they are.

Regards



SB

Hi,

Just found this caption that goes with the picture below.

Do you think a companion is what I have circled? If so how would you describe it?

Another Barker interior from around the same period, but with cloth upholstery. Note the cigarette lighter above the companion in the rear quarter. Also, note the handle in the lower centre of the rear seat, which might mean that it converted into a bed, or moved the seat squab to suit the passengers.

I think you may be right!

Twin companion: your own reflection in the mirror... Sounds great!

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Ettore: "Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive."

Isn't a companion seat a folding seat in front of the regular bench, in the rear of a limousine or big car? These were usually mounted on the division, but sometimes also directly on the floor.

Twin companions just meaning that there are two of these seats?

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Yes, you are right.

However, this particular car is "sporting" and would not have the space for that kind of seat.

Regards


SB

I do not believe that twin companions is the formal description, but rather an abbreviation of the term travelling companion. Usually there would be two, one for the gentleman (smoking, writing accessories etc,) and one for the lady (mirror, make-up etc.). This terminology developed and by the time the Rolls - Royce Silver Shadow was introduced, twin companions would have referred to the matching mirror sets in the c-pillars.

Coach building terminology is infuriatingly confusing; a berline is, strictly speaking, a 4-door saloon with a disappearing glass division between front and rear seats. Freestone and Webb called any 4-door saloon a berline, although there are exceptions. Hooper seemed to call all non-division 4-doors, sport-saloons and what should be called a berline, they call a sports-limousine.

A sedanca de ville is a town car (closed passenger compartment, driver out in the open) but it is also used to describe a 2-door coupe with a solid roof over the rear passengers and a convertible section over the driver and front passenger. Some refer to this as a sedance coupe! And these are just 2 examples used in the English language. A grand-routier is not the same as a gran-turisimo or a grand-tourer.

Fascinating subject, thanks for bringing it up, and I apologise for not being able to come up with any smutty innuendos.

Regards
Johan

Perhaps a good idea to introduce a list of terms used in coachbuilding, and other fields of car construction, into the WIKI. Should make things more clear.

I reamember having seen a poster or a larger digital file, with many shapes of cars, together with their supposedly proper names. If I can trace it, I will post it.

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Vive la Marque !!

Hi,

1) Good idea Herman.

2) Just had a look through some prewar "The Motor" and found the below:



Happy with what it is and do not need any more info.

Thanks everyone for your help.

SB

Mystery solved by excellent research. I see something else that is dead as a dodo - the visiting card case. Pico

Hi,

How true.

Just remembered that if you folded down the corner of your calling card in some particular way, it meant the person you were handing it to was welcome back.

Presumably if you sneezed on it, pretended to hand it over but then through it out the window, that would be a clear indication that the person in front of you was not welcome back.

Regards


SB

I still have a business card holder...

Funny thing about business cards, it is a whole world in itself:

In Brasil, it is normal practice to cut of a corner or the business card, when handing it over. This prevents misuse of the card. If the person giving the card does not tear the corner while you are watching, it might mean he uses someone elses card...

In Scandinavia, it is relatively common to have your photo on the card. Solves above problem, and great for those who cannot remember faces. (like me...)

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Vive la Marque !!