landau

carriage

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landau, four-wheeled carriage, invented in Germany, seating four people on two facing seats with an elevated front seat for the coachman. It was distinguished by two folding hoods, one at each end, which met at the top to form a boxlike enclosure with side windows. It was a heavy vehicle, often drawn by a team of four horses, and was widely used from the 18th century in England. Usually, landaus were severely cut away beneath at each end, so that the bottom of the door was the lowest point of the carriage body.

The landaulet, or landaulette, was a landau coupé, appearing as if the front were cut away, with a forward-facing seat for two people. It had an elevated coach seat for the coachman, and a folding, or falling, top.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.