Would you prefer a convertible carriage or a closed carriage for more privacy?

With the Landau, you have the best of both worlds!

A Landau is any carriage that is four-wheeled, convertible with a folding hood, luxurious, and typically pulled by four to six horses. Depending on what type of Landau one is driving, such as a Barouche-Landau, the build and features will differ.

Features you might find with a Landau, depending on the specific model, of course, include a low and shallow body for maximum visibility (namely if the hood is lowered), a double folding hood that can be “sealed” to protect the passengers if it rains, vis-à-vis seating, a high seat for the coachman, a footman’s platform at the rear, folding steps for entry, and complete and total luxury.

This is the Rolls Royce of carriages. So remarkable, so luxurious, they were mostly exclusive to the aristocracy, and were often announced in the newspaper—Lord so and so’s new Landau was admired by all in its stroll through the park this morning, featuring deep red colouring, raised coronets in silver, embossed foliage….

One could order specific types for their needs, such as a Barouche Landau, a State Landau, etc., each which had its own unique features although the same base of the vis-à-vis setting, low body, folding hood, and so forth.

To read more about them and enjoy a variety of images, check out these two pages:

From The Carriage Foundation: https://www.thecarriagefoundation.org.uk/item/landau

From All Things Georgian: https://georgianera.wordpress.com/2018/05/12/the-georgian-landau/