Charlotte AutoFair Produced by Hornet’s Nest Region, AACA is one of the largest vintage auto shows in the Southeast, featuring a collection of over 15,000 classic cars sprawling over 150 acres. Collectors, car enthusiasts, and families visit this semi-annual event every year to glimpse the rarest and originally restored cars from across the country.

Many beginners new to the vintage car world may be overwhelmed by the array of body styles available on early car models. Early twentieth century coach builders had a wide variety of body styles, so many in fact, that in 1916 the Nomenclature Division of the Society of Automotive Engineers published an articling to define the different body types into several categories.

Here are just a few still used today:

• The Roadster: The roadster was an open type body with one fixed cross-seat for two passengers and a space or compartment at the rear for luggage. The conventional roadster had two doors and a folding top with removable side curtains.

• Sedan: Classic sedan has an enclosed single compartment body, with two fixed seats to fit five passengers. Sometimes the front seat was divided by an aisle. The conventional sedan has four doors and had three moveable windows on each side.
• Coupe: Early coupes had an enclosed single compartment body with one fixed cross-seat. This seat could come in different configurations and could shift to fit up to three people. The commercial coupe had two doors and two movable glass windows on each side.

Keep these facts in mind next time you head to The Hornet’s Nest’s Charlotte Autofair. Showcase your car facts as you admire the vintage and classic cars from all over the world. Whether you are looking for a new addition to your car collection or hoping to begin restoring a vintage car of your own, visit the Charlotte Autofair next spring.