The Barouche was one of the many carriages we find on the roads during the Regency. This particular carriage had a late start in the Georgian era, not seen until the turn of the century, when it gained traction towards the Regency era and then beyond, its true heyday later in the Victorian era.

This carriage was luxury at its finest, completely impractical to own except by those families who enjoyed flaunting their wealth. Depending on the finishes (which were the finest), it ranged from lightweight to heavy, and lacked much of the structural integrity of hardier carriages, its intent to move slowly and be seen. It could only be driven during the summer, and even then, only when the weather was at its best. So, maybe three days of the year in England? wink

The body consisted of four wheels, a driver’s box, a back seat for the tiger, and then a shallow pit fitted with two vis-à-vis benches, and finally drawn by two horses. It was a tight fit inside the carriage, and heaven help the passengers if the driver took a corner too sharply. One might consider this a convertible since it had a retractable hood that made for a nice sunshade if the sun were high but could be lowered for full exposure, but the tricky part is the hood (called a calash) only covered the back bench—poor sods in the front bench, eh?

Wealthy families would purchase this as a showing of their wealth since it was such an impractical vehicle and useful to drive one’s family around the park and back or to a nearby picnic location. One must hope it did not rain and that one’s family did not exceed four people. Likewise, a driver might hope he did not have to take out the barouche for his seat was quite literally a box (he may regret that sharp corner more than the passengers).

There are variations of this carriage that feature crossovers with others of the era, such as the barouche-landau, the barouche-sociable, and the barouchet, among others.

Despite the limited seating and convertible nature, this was not a sporty vehicle, simply pure luxury. That said, it does remind me of the old Morgan +4, possibly even the Morgan +8, but not quite the roadster. What sort of vehicle does it remind you of? Would you go as far as a Rolls-Royce with this one?