A cabriolet is a type of lightweight, two wheeled carriage which can be drawn by one or multiple horses, depending on the design. The term was also adopted to describe a make of twentieth century automobile which was also designed to be lightweight and easy to drive. A true horse drawn cabriolet is not a terribly uncommon sight in areas with large horse populations, as the carriage handles well, looks elegant, and is suitable for a wide range of weather conditions. Some carriage operators use restored Victorian cabriolets for a touch of authenticity.

The term comes from the French cabrioler, “to prance or caper,” a reference to the way the carriage would lightly fly or skim the ground. The ultimate root can be found in the Latin capreolus, the word used to describe a wild goat. The basic groundwork for the cabriolet was laid in the late 1700s, when lightweight carriages for hire in urban areas became a growing necessity, as fewer people had horses.

The classic cabriolet design includes one forward facing seat set on two wheels. In most cases, a box or side step is provided for the driver, although in some cases a cabriolet can be driven by someone seated in the carriage. The design is intended to accommodate two comfortably, and can be pulled by a single horse, although a pair might be used to make a cabriolet look more showy. A collapsible hood completes the design, allowing passengers to enjoy nice weather and shelter themselves from rain and chills.

The design was perfected in France in the early 1800s, to address the need for a lightweight carriage which could easily navigate crowded streets. Many livery stables took up the design since people renting a horse and carriage could easily handle a cabriolet, and cabriolets were also used as hired vehicles like taxis. In fact, the term “cab” for a rented vehicle and driver is a shortening of “cabriolet,” which shows how ubiquitous the cabriolet was as a for-hire vehicle.

The basic design of the two-wheeled carriage also included a sound suspension which could handle reasonably rough use and roads. Most builders created lightweight, very basic cabriolets which were not terribly fancy or formal, although the design could be made more fancy for upper class drivers. Many people learned to drive a horse using a cabriolet, since the carriages handled very well and were often pulled by steady, patient horses accustomed to a wide range of drivers.