Very often, cars are classified by the number of doors they have. Usually it’s two or four. This taxonomy is useful, in a general sense, but not very specific. I’ve noticed that two-door cars especially have a dizzying number of names and styles, so I figured why not make a chart? I mean, what could it hurt, right? Right?
I’m not counting that ‘3-door’ or ‘5-door’ crap where they include the rear hatch as a door, because I count a door as something for people to get in and out of, not some smug groceries, okay?
With that in mind, I think I’ve got all the major classes of two-door car body styles on this chart, at least those you’re likely to encounter. And, to be safe, I added an ‘oddballs’ section at the bottom with ones you’re not likely to encounter.
So, as always, I hope you find this useful, and I suggest printing an accordian-folded pocket-sized one you can whip out next time one of your friends gives you that slack-jawed look when you mention a ‘Berlinetta’ or a ‘shooting brake.’
Enjoy. (big version available here, too.)
Contact the author at jason@jalopnik.com.