Phaeton (carriage) The Keystone Cops drove phaetons, either Model Ts or Model As. In Frances Burney's novel, "Evelina" (1778), young gentlemen race their phaetons on the public highways of Clifton, near Bristol, not without incident. In Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", Mr Collins says of Lady Catherine De Bourgh's daughter, "she is perfectly amiable, and often condescends to drive by my humble abode in her little phaeton and ponies." In Anne Brontë's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" (1848), Mr. Huntingdon drives a "light phaeton" that comes "bowling merrily up the lawn" (Ch. 18). The sporty character of the carriage reflects Huntingdon's devil-may-care
HMS Phaeton (1782) "Charente" near the Cordouan lighthouse. "Phaeton" fired on "Charente", chasing her first into range of the guns of the 74-gun Third Rate , under the command of Captain Sir John Borlase Warren, with whom she exchanged broadsides. "Charente" grounded, but then so did "Canada". "Phaeton" and "Anson" had to abandon the chase to pull "Canada" free. In the meantime, "Charente" threw her guns overboard, floated free, and reached the river of Bordeaux, much the worse for wear. With "Anson", "Phaeton" took the 18-gun privateer "Mercure" on 31 August. "Mercure" was pierced for 20 guns and had a crew of 132