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Acurricle is a light two-wheeledcarriage drawn by two horses abreast. Usually open with a falling hood, it seats two people, plus aliveried groom on a seat or small platform between the rear springs—whose weight might be required to properly balance the carriage. Curricles are harnessed with a pole between the horses, and have an iron crossbar (the curricle bar) which rests over theharness saddle and supports the weight of the pole.[1][2][3]: 154 The lightweight "swept" body is hung from a pair of outsized swan-neck cee-springs at the rear, with a minimaldashboard and a pair of lamps in front. For park driving, such as in theBois de Boulogne or along the seafront atHonfleur, two liveried mounted grooms might follow.[4]
The curricle originated in Italy and came to England in the early 1800s by way of France.[1][2] The wordcurricle comes fromcurriculum, the name of theRoman racing chariot.[1] In Latin, the wordcurriculum means "running", "racecourse" or "chariot".[5] The French adopted the English-sounding wordcarrick for such vehicles.
Accidents with curricles were common. The ratio of draft—one lightweight carriage compared to two horses pulling—was so low that curricles were often driven faster than they should, leading to collisions or accidents when a horse slipped.[6][3]: 95 The danger, plus the development of the saferphaeton andcabriolet, replaced curricles as the fashionable carriage of the time.[7]
It was a vehicle of easy draught, and could be driven at great speed. Unfortunately it was rather dangerous if the horses shied or stumbled, and this tended to reduce the demand for it.
— Lilian Baker Carlisle[8]: 8
The mail phaeton as improved, and the cabriolet as perfected, killed the curricle. These, while nearly as expensive, were much less difficult to produce in perfection, and infinitely less dangerous.