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) up. The Nagasaki Harbour Incident plays a role in the novel "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" by David Mitchell. However this depiction is highly fictionalised; the ship in the novel is "HMS Phoebus", the incident occurs in 1800 and finding no Dutch ships the "Phoebus" of the novel bombards Dejima. The Nagasaki Harbour Incident plays a role in the novel "Blood of Tyrants" by Naomi Novik. This depiction is historical fantasy; the Japanese sink HMS "Phaeton" with dragons stationed at Nagasaki at the time. Notes Citations References HMS Phaeton (1782) HMS "Phaeton" was a 38-gun, "Minerva"-class fifth rate