Phaeton (carriage) Phaeton (carriage) A phaeton (also phaéton) was a form of sporty open carriage popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Drawn by one or two horses, a phaeton typically featured a minimal very lightly sprung body atop four extravagantly large wheels. With open seating, it was both fast and dangerous, giving rise to its name, drawn from the mythical Phaëton, son of Helios, who nearly set the earth on fire while attempting to drive the chariot of the sun. With the advent of the automobile, the term was adapted to open touring cars, also known as phaetons. The
HMS Phaeton (1782) June - "Poisson Volante", of ten guns, and "Général Washington". On 27 November "Phaeton" and were among the six vessels of a squadron that captured the 28-gun "Blonde" off Ushant. In February 1794 "Phaeton" was paid off, but the next month Captain William Bentinck recommissioned her. During the battle of the Glorious First of June, "Phaeton" came to the aid of the dismasted . While doing so, "Phaeton" exchanged broadsides with the French ship-of-the-line "Impetueux. "Phaeton" suffered three men killed and five wounded. She was the only one of the support vessels there to suffer casualties. In 1847 the Admiralty