Correction!!! Sport/Bus. coupe, very minor diff.!!

Posted by David Dewey on August 30, 1998 at 01:46:28

In Reply to: Postitive ID, Sport Coupe or Business Coupe??
posted by Gary MacRunnel on August 29, 1998 at 23:39:38

Gary,
BOTH Sport and Business Coupes had the same basic construction top, wood bows with metal braces, cardboard side 'pads' and cloth covering. Business coupes with side windows have a rear bow that fastens to an 'arched' metal brace from near the top of the door down to the belt rail, about where the Landau Iron would be on a Sport coupe. sport coupe rear bows just continue straight downt to the belt rail & rear door opening upright, with a triangle metal brace at that point. The sport coupe rear bow has a nearly straight metal brace from the door to the top side of the bow. The Landau iron top bolt mounts through this brace.
I don't know how late the arched brace was used on the business coupes. It's purpose was to provide a clear opening for the oval side windows (otherwise the top bow runs through the window area).
Yes, all sport coupes left the factory w/rumble seats, that doesn't preclude a special order, or the dealer making a conversion. However, I would suspect you have a business coupe. Externally, once the Landau irons are added (which only required the arms and the lower bracket, which mounted on top of the belt wood) the only visible difference would be the top material. There is documentation that the irons were available as a 'dress-up' option. (Uh, oh, WHERE,, hmm, I read it once, a few decades ago, does that count??)
David Dewey