Benefits of Coach Building

Here’s a little something that the custom car builder knows that the average person doesn’t: coach building is mostly a thing of the past on the modern assembly line. You might hear your car body referred to as a chassis or coach, etc; but it is almost certainly of unibody construction in the present day.

Before the mid 1930s, cars were built in parts - with coach building being a recognized and hallowed art. There were actually designated body builders because the construction of the chassis was so important. Contract body builders like Briggs, Fisher, Chrysler, and De Soto were in high demand in the years that preceded the turn to unibody construction. Of course, private outfits existed that performed custom coach building, too - particularly for the wealthier patrons.

Why the Change?

The first attribute of custom coach building is hinted at by the clientele. Since it was primarily reserved for luxury vehicle owners, you can see that workmanship and outstanding designs were at a premium. The bodies were much better built than those available on the market . Not just in terms of the design, but also the functionality. This isn’t to say that the factory models were subpar; just that special attention was given - at a cost, no doubt - to the custom variants. Usually, there were several levels of coach that manufacturers offered in the pre-unibody era:

• full custom bodies - you would want to reserve this option for a real beauty in your collection.
• semi-custom body version
• production body - often designed

There were variations on the above. Many times you could order an unpainted and untrimmed chassis from a manufacturer to serve as the starting “clay for the artist to mold,” and have it shipped to a custom coach builder of your choosing. The benefits of this are clear for those who are mindful of the fine details that are necessary to truly render a classic: custom paint schemes and custom interior are essential to rendering a unique vision.

So dazzling were some of the works that it gave birth to automobile salons in the largest American cities and became something of a national pastime to have them at least once a year because of the large crowds they would draw. Or, at least, the actual automobile shows would draw the average car owner. The salons, themselves, were more given to attracting auto executives.

Coach Building in a New Era

The time of the full and semi custom bodies as a standard has passed us by, for the most part. But you can find individual proprietors who specialize in coach building for treasured classics. This rings true whether you want to restore an old beauty left in your garage by your grandparents or you want to have one built from scratch. The custom builders at CHRA are experts at either and have a litany of previous work proudly displayed on the website. Some of which have won awards at classic car shows. Today, custom coach building is far from a dying breed - especially to those that want the best and can appreciate a classic. Contact Customs and Hot Rods of Andice to learn more.