Vis-à-vis (carriage)

A vis-à-vis is a carriage in which the passengers sit face to face with the front passengers facing rearward and the rear passengers facing forward.^[1] The term comes from the French vis-à-vis, meaning face to face.^[1][2]: 28

Historical vis-à-vis carriage

These carriages are still commonly made by Amish carriage makers in the midwestern United States.^{[citation needed]} Also in the Western world, the vis-a-vis is the most common type of carriage style used to cart tourists and leisure seekers in downtown urban settings.

Passengers sit back-to-back on dos-à-dos carriages.

Examples

The following types of carriage had vis-à-vis seating:

• Barouche
• Berline
• Landau

Automobiles

1902 Test & Moret Vis-à-vis

There were vis-à-vis automobiles in the early history of motoring.^[2]: 28 These were driven from the forward-facing rear seat, with front passengers sitting ahead of the steering controls and facing the driver.^{[1][2]: 28 [3]} Passengers in the front seat would obstruct the vision of the driver in the rear seat, and the style fell out of favour before 1905.^{[1][2]: 27-28}

See also

• Horse-drawn vehicle
• Car body styles