The Victoria is a four-wheeled carriage with a coachman's seat in front and a folding hood over the passengers. Developed in France, it was imported to Britain where it was named Victoria in honor of Queen Victoria. [1] Drawn by one or two horses, it became a fashionable carriage for ladies riding in the park. [2]
The Victoria has a low curving body with open sides and a forward-facing seat for two passengers under a folding hood (retractable top). It has a raised driver's seat on an iron frame in front of a large curved dash. It is entered by a low step on the side, and there are large curved fenders to protect passengers from mud and splashes. [3] [4] [5] [2]
In the panel-boot Victoria, the large leather dash and ironworks coachman seat are transformed and combined into the wooden body of the carriage. It has an upright leather dash. [2] [4] : 127
A Grand Victoria is a large version with a small fold-down rearward-facing seat behind the driver which can accommodate children, and a rear rumble seat for footmen. [4] : 168
A Peabody Victoria is a light, low Victoria popular in America. [4] : 128
A 'double Victoria was also called a sociable. [6] [5] : 109 Another double Victoria was called a Siamese Victoria. [5] : 288
A Victoria sleigh is a Victoria body on sleigh runners. [4] : 180
A Victoria-Hansom or Victoria cab is two-wheeled; a variant of the hansom cab with a folding hood. [5] : 146, 289 [4] : 168
The Victoria has its origins from the four-wheeled cabriolet and owner-driven phaeton carriages that were exported to continental Europe where they were known as Milords. New carriage designs elevated it to a royal carriage by removing the driver's seat to guide it instead with postilion riders, and adding a large curved dash in front and occasionally a rear rumble seat for grooms. When the carriage became more common, an ironwork-supported coachman's seat was installed in front of the dash (called a skeleton boot). In 1869, the carriages were imported into England where they became popular with the aristocracy and was named Victoria after Queen Victoria. The original Victoria has a skeleton boot seat. Later, the seat and dash were built into the bodywork and the carriage called a panel-boot Victoria. [3] [4] [5]
The elegant Victoria is still manufactured today for pleasure, tourist rides, the wedding industry, and historical reenactment. In the USA, the vis-à-vis is more popular for commercial rides, having seating for four. [7] [8]
