Carriage

A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light, smart and fast or heavy, large and comfortable. Carriages normally have suspension using leaf springs, elliptical springs (in the 19th century) or leather strapping. A public passenger vehicle would not usually be called a carriage – terms for such include stagecoach, charabanc and omnibus. Working vehicles such as the four-wheeled wagon and two-wheeled cart share important parts of the history of the carriage, as does the fast two-wheeled chariot.

Notes & Trivia

 * Also referred to as a coach or litter. Coach also refers to the manager of an athletics team.


 * Those who drive carriages are referred to as coachmen or coach drivers.