Surrey (carriage)

A 1909 Studebaker surrey on display at the Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Center and Museum in August 2015

A surrey is a doorless, four-wheeled carriage popular in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Usually two-seated and able to hold four passengers, surreys had a variety of tops that included a rigid, fringed canopy, parasol, and extension.[1] The seats were traditional, spindle-backed (often upholstered), bench seats. Before the advent of automobiles, these were horse-drawn carriages.

The name is short for "Surrey cart", named after Surrey in England, where they were first made.[2]

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The American surrey was famously celebrated in the song "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" from the musical Oklahoma!.

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Surrey", Encyclopædia Britannica. (Retrieved 2014-02-03.)
  2. ^ "surrey | Etymology, origin and meaning of the name surrey by etymonline". www.etymonline.com.