A vis-à-vis is a carriage in which the passengers sit face to face with the front passengers facing rearward and the rear passengers facing forward.[1] The term comes from the French vis-à-vis, meaning face to face.[1] [2]
These carriages are still commonly made by Amish carriage makers in the midwestern United States. Also in the Western world, the vis-a-vis is the most common type of carriage style used to cart tourists and leisure seekers in downtown urban settings.
Passengers sit back-to-back on dos-à-dos carriages.
The following types of carriage had vis-à-vis seating:
There were vis-à-vis automobiles in the early history of motoring.[2] These were driven from the forward-facing rear seat, with front passengers sitting ahead of the steering controls and facing the driver.[1] [2] [3] Passengers in the front seat would obstruct the vision of the driver in the rear seat, and the style fell out of favour before 1905.[1] [2]