Phaeton body almost any vehicle with two axles and a row or rows of seats across the body could be called a phaeton. Convertibles and pillarless hardtops were marketed as "phaetons" after actual phaetons were phased out. The term "phaeton" had historically described a light, open four-wheeled carriage. When automobiles arrived it was applied to a light two-seater with minimal coachwork. The term was interchangeable with "spyder", derived from a light form of phaeton carriage known as a "spider". Originally meant to denote a faster and lighter vehicle than a touring car, the two terms eventually became interchangeable. A detachable folding or
HMS Phaeton (1782) men. She was one day out of Bordeaux and had captured nothing. A week later, "Anson" and "Phaeton" captured the 32-gun privateer "Flore" after a 24-hour-long chase. Stopford, in his letter, described "Flore" as a frigate of 36 guns and 255 men. She was eight days out of Boulogne on a cruise. "Flore" had also served the Royal Navy in the American Revolutionary War. Then on 8 October "Phaeton" took the 16-gun privateer "Lévrier". Together with "Ambuscade" and "Stag", on 20 November she took the "Hirondelle". On 24 November 1798, "Phaeton" captured the French privateer brig "Resolue" (or "Resolu"). "Resolue"