A convertible or cabriolet () is a
passenger car that can be driven with or without a
roof
A roof ( : roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of te ...
in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving experience, with the ability to provide a roof when required. A potential drawback of convertibles is their reduced
structural rigidity
In discrete geometry and mechanics, structural rigidity is a combinatorial theory for predicting the flexibility of ensembles formed by rigid bodies connected by flexible linkages or hinges.
Definitions
Rigidity is the property of a struct ...
(requiring significant engineering and modification to counteract the effects of removing a car's roof).
The majority of convertible roofs are of a folding construction framework with the actual top made from cloth or other fabric. Other types of convertible roofs include
retractable hardtop
A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing hardtop, as opposed to the folding textile-based roof used by traditional convertible cars.
The benefits ...
s (often constructed from metal or plastic) and
detachable hardtops (where a metal or plastic roof is manually removed and often stored in the
trunk).
Terminology
Other terms for convertibles include cabriolet, cabrio, drop top, drophead coupé, open two-seater, open top, rag top, soft top, spider, and spyder. Consistency is rare about the current use of cabriolet in preference to convertible. The term cabriolet originated from a
carriage cabriolet: "a light, two-wheeled, one-horse carriage with a folding top, capable of seating two persons"; however, the term is also used to describe other convertibles.
In the United Kingdom, the historical term for a two-door convertible is drophead coupé, and a four-door convertible was called an
all-weather tourer.
History
![HelenGeorgia1929Ford1975Gas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/HelenGeorgia1929Ford1975Gas.jpg)
Most of the early automobiles were open-air vehicles without any roof or sides. As car engines became more powerful by the end of the 19th century, folding textile or leather roofs (as had been used on
victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
or
landau
Landau ( pfl, Landach), officially Landau in der Pfalz, is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990) ...
carriages) began to appear on cars.
Examples of early cars with roofs include the
phaeton (a two-seat car with a temporary roof), the
brougham
Brougham may refer to:
Transport
* Brougham (carriage), a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage
* Brougham (car body), an automobile with a similar style
Automobile models
* Cadillac Brougham, 1987–1992
* Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, c. 1 ...
or a
coupé de ville, having an enclosed passenger compartment at the rear, while the driver sat in front either in the open, or the
landaulet, where the driver has a fixed roof and the passenger compartment has a folding roof. Less expensive cars, such as the
runabouts, sporting
roadsters
__NOTOC__
Roadster may refer to:
Transportation
* Roadster (automobile), an open, two-seat, often sporty car
** Roadster utility, an automobile with an open-topped roadster body and a rear cargo bed
* Roadster (bicycle), a utilitarian bicycle, t ...
, or sturdy
touring car
Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof).
"Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s.
Th ...
s, remained either completely open air or were fitted with a rudimentary folding top and detachable clear side curtains.
In the 1920s, when steel bodies began to be mass-produced, closed cars became available to the average buyer, and fully open cars began to disappear from the mainstream market.
By the mid 1930s, the remaining small number of convertibles sold were high-priced luxury models.
In 1939,
Plymouth introduced the first mechanically operated convertible roof.
Demand for convertibles increased as a result of American soldiers in France and the United Kingdom during World War 2 experiencing the small
roadster cars which were not available in the United States at the time.
These roadsters included the
MG Midget
The MG Midget is a small two-seater sports car produced by MG from 1961 to 1979. It revived a name that had been used on earlier models such as the MG M-type, MG D-type, MG J-type and MG T-type.
MG Midget MkI (1961–64)
The first version, ...
and
Triumph Roadster
The Triumph Roadster is a roadster produced by Britain's Standard Motor Company from 1946 until 1949. It was first available as the Triumph 1800 Roadster (18TR) from 1946 to 1948 and then as the Triumph 2000 Roadster (TRA) from 1948 to 1949.
Tr ...
. United States automakers manufactured a broad range of models during the 1950s and 1960s – from economical compact-sized models such as the
Rambler American
The Rambler American is a compact car that was manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) between 1958 and 1969. The American was the second incarnation of AMC forerunner Nash Motors' compact Rambler that was introduced in 1950 a ...
and the
Studebaker Lark, to the more expensive models, such as the
Packard Caribbean
The Packard Caribbean is a full-sized luxury car that was made by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, during model years 1953 through 1956. Some of the Caribbean's styling was derived from the Pan American Packard show car of the ...
,
Oldsmobile 98
The Oldsmobile 98 (spelled Ninety-Eight from 1952 to 1991, and Ninety Eight from 1992 to 1996) is the full-size flagship model of Oldsmobile that was produced from 1940 until 1942, and then from 1946 to 1996. The name – reflecting a "Serie ...
, and
Imperial by Chrysler. Automakers often included a convertible body style as an available body style in a model range.
During the 1970s, the popularity of convertibles was severely reduced by the increased travel speeds on roads (resulting in more wind and noise for occupants) and proposed vehicle crash safety standards in the United States.
Automobile air conditioning
Automobile air conditioning systems use air conditioning to cool the air in a vehicle.
History
A company in New York City in the United States first offered installation of air conditioning for cars in 1933. Most of their customers operated l ...
systems,
T-top
A T-top (UK: T-bar) is an automobile roof with a removable panel on each side of a rigid bar running from the center of one structural bar between pillars to the center of the next structural bar. The panels of a traditional T-top are usually ...
roofs, and
sunroof
A sunroof is a movable panel that opens to uncover a window in an automobile roof, allowing light and fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs can be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and styl ...
s were also becoming popular, reducing the demand for convertibles. After the last
Cadillac Eldorado
The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1952 until 2002 over twelve generations.
The Eldorado was at or near the top of the Cadillac line. The original 1953 Eldorado convertible and the Eldorado Brougham ...
convertible was made in 1976, the only convertibles sold in the United States were imported, until
Chrysler Corporation introduced 1982 models based on the
K-Car. For Chrysler, this was the
LeBaron, and for
Dodge, the
400
__NOTOC__
Year 400 ( CD) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus (or, less frequently, year ...
. Ford reintroduced a convertible
Mustang
The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once- domesticated animals, the ...
for 1983 while
American Motors Corporation (AMC) added a convertible version of the
Renault Alliance
The Renault Alliance is a front-wheel drive, front-engine subcompact automobile manufactured and marketed in North America by American Motors Corporation (AMC) for model years 1983–1987. The Alliance and its subsequent hatchback variant, the ...
in 1984.
In 1989, Mazda released the first generation
Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United St ...
(called "Miata" in North America), which has become the best-selling convertible with over 1 million cars sold. Also in 1989, Toyota released the
Toyota Soarer
The is a Personal luxury car, personal luxury Grand tourer, GT coupé produced from 1981 to 2005 by Toyota and sold in Japan. It was available at both Japanese Toyota dealerships called ''Toyota Store'' and ''Toyopet Store'', and it debuted with ...
Aerocabin, which uses an electrically operated
retractable hardtop
A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing hardtop, as opposed to the folding textile-based roof used by traditional convertible cars.
The benefits ...
roof. A total of 500 were produced. Models dedicated to the convertible body style include the
Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United St ...
,
Porsche Boxster
The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater roadster (Boxster) and a three-door, two-seater fastba ...
and
Opel Cascada
The Opel Cascada is a four-passenger fabric-roof convertible, manufactured and marketed by Opel across a single generation for model years 2013-2019, prioritizing year-round touring comfort over sportiness.
Nearly identical badge engineered var ...
.
Roof types
Textile
![BMW Z8 Heck](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/BMW_Z8_Heck.JPG)
A "soft top" is made from a flexible textile material:
* Early convertibles used cotton
canvas woven so tightly that it is waterproof. Automakers had problems in securing raw materials to fulfil orders after World War II, including canvas in various shades for convertible tops, therefore limiting their manufacture.
* A cloth-based material has become more common in recent years.
Other materials are also used in the convertible top. By 1955, the most popular materials were
latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...
and
butyl rubber
Butyl rubber, sometimes just called "butyl", is a synthetic rubber, a copolymer of isobutylene with isoprene. The abbreviation IIR stands for isobutylene isoprene rubber. Polyisobutylene, also known as "PIB" or polyisobutene, (C4H8)n, is the ho ...
fabrics that each accounted for around 35% of the convertible top's weight, with others included
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
(12%),
jute (8%), along with
rayon and
acrylic fiber
Acrylic fibers are synthetic fibers made from a polymer (polyacrylonitrile) with an average molecular weight of ~100,000, about 1900 monomer units. For a fiber to be called "acrylic" in the US, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitri ...
s (Orlon), amounting to about 1% each in the compositions.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material was used for many convertible tops. The material consists of two layers: a top layer made of PVC, which has a specific structure depending on the vehicle model, and a lower layer made of fabric (usually cotton).
The collapsible textile roof section over an articulated folding frame may include linings such as a sound-deadening layer and/or an interior cosmetic lining, to hide the frame.
The folded convertible top is called the stack.
Detachable hardtop
Rigid removable hardtops, many of which store in a car's trunk/boot, have been around at least since the 1950s. These normally provide superior weatherproofing, soundproofing, and durability compared to fabric-based tops; some are available with integrated rear-window defrosters and windscreens. Examples include the
Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pr ...
(1st-generation and 11th-generation),
Mercedes SL (2nd-generation and 3rd-generation),
Porsche Boxster
The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater roadster (Boxster) and a three-door, two-seater fastba ...
,
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986 and is currently in its fourth generation. The Wrangler JL, the most recent generation, was revealed in late 2017 and is produ ...
,
Ford Mustang Cobra
The Ford SVT Mustang Cobra (also known as SVT Mustang Cobra, SVT Cobra, or simply as Cobra) is a muscle car/pony car model that was built in model years 1993 through 2004 by Ford Motor Company's Special Vehicle Team division (or SVT).
The SVT ...
(1995 Only), and
Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United St ...
.
![1938Peugeot402LE4Y IMG 7281](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/1938Peugeot402LE4Y_IMG_7281.jpg)
During the 1950s and 1960s, detachable hard-material roofs were offered for various
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
s and
roadsters
__NOTOC__
Roadster may refer to:
Transportation
* Roadster (automobile), an open, two-seat, often sporty car
** Roadster utility, an automobile with an open-topped roadster body and a rear cargo bed
* Roadster (bicycle), a utilitarian bicycle, t ...
, including the 1955–1957
Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pr ...
and
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctiv ...
, as well as the 1963–1971
Mercedes-Benz W113
: ''See Mercedes-Benz SL-Class for a complete overview of all SL-Class models.''
The Mercedes-Benz W 113 is a two-seat Roadster (automobile), roadster/coupé, introduced at the Geneva Motor Show#1963, 1963 Geneva Motor Show, and produced from 1 ...
series of two-seaters. Because the convertible top mechanism is itself expensive, the hard roof was customarily offered as an additional, extra-cost option. On early Thunderbirds (and Corvettes through 1967), buyers could choose between a detachable hardtop and a folding canvas top at no additional cost, but paid extra for both.
The metal-framed "
Carson top" was a popular addition for the 1930s Ford convertibles or roadsters because it turned these models into an almost instant hardtop. The design mimicked a convertible top, but lacking the bulky folding mechanisms enabled the removable hardtop to have a much lower and more rakish profile.
Improvements in canvas tops have rendered the detachable hard roof less common in part because the top cannot be stored inside the vehicle when not in use, requiring a garage or other storage facility. Some open cars continue to offer it as an option. For example,
Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United St ...
s has an accessory hardtop, which is compulsory for some auto racing series.
Retractable hardtop
![VOLVO C70(in transforming)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/VOLVO_C70%28in_transforming%29.JPG)
A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing
hardtop (as opposed to the textile-based roof used by traditional convertibles).
The benefits of improved climate control and security are traded off against increased mechanical complexity, cost, weight, and often reduced luggage capacity.
Other design features
Tonneau cover
Folding textile convertible tops often fail to completely hide their internal mechanism or can expose their vulnerable underside to sun exposure and fading. A tonneau cover provides a solution.
Rear window
Rear windows are often part of the roof assembly. Traditionally, the rear window in a soft-top was made from plastic; however, more recently some convertibles have used glass for the rear window.
Windblocker
A windblocker or wind deflector minimizes noise and rushing air reaching the occupants. According to the engineer responsible for the 2008
Chrysler Sebring
The Chrysler Sebring ( ) is a line of mid-size automobiles that was sold from 1995 through 2010 by Chrysler. Three generations of convertibles, two generations of sedans, and two generations of coupes were produced. Although the coupe shared the ...
, its windblocker reduces wind noise by approximately 11 to 12
dB.
Several convertibles are available with a heating duct to the neck area of the seat, which is often called an "Air Scarf". Examples of cars with this feature include
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is a compact executive roadster, produced by Mercedes-Benz. It was released in 1996 and was built at the Mercedes plant in Bremen, Germany, until the end of production in 2020.
The former name "SLK" was derived from ...
,
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (marketed as Mercedes-AMG SL since 2022) is a grand touring sports car manufactured by Mercedes-Benz since 1954. The designation ''SL'' derives from the German ''Sport-Leicht'' (English: Sport Light).
Initially, the ...
, and
Audi A5
The Audi A5 is a series of compact executive coupe cars produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi since June 2007. The A5 range additionally comprises the coupe, cabriolet, and "Sportback" (a five-door liftback with a fastback roofline) ...
/
S5.
Safety
Modern safety features specifically for convertibles include:
*
rollover protection structures (ROPS) with
pyrotechnically charged roll hoops hidden behind the rear seats that deploy under rollover conditions
* heated rear window (for improved visibility)
*
boron steel-reinforced
A-pillar
The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, C'' and (in larger cars such as 4-door s ...
s
* safety cage construction – a horseshoe-like structure around the passenger compartment
* door-mounted side-impact
airbag which inflates upward (instead of downward like the typical curtain airbag) to provide head protection even with an open window
Variations
Convertibles have offered numerous iterations that fall between the first mechanically simple fabric tops to complex retractable roofs made from hard materials:
Roadster: A
roadster (also called ''spider'' or ''spyder'') is an open two-seat car with emphasis on sporting appearance or character. Initially, an American term for a two-seat car with no weather protection, usage has spread internationally and has evolved to include two-seat convertibles.
Cabrio coach: A
cabrio coach
A cabrio coach or semi-convertible is a type of car that has a retractable textile roof, similar to a convertible/cabriolet. The difference is that where a convertible often has the B-pillar, C-pillar and other bodywork removed, the cabrio coach ...
(also called ''semi-convertible'') has a retractable
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
roof, similar to a traditional convertible. The difference is that a convertible often has the
B-pillar
The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door Sedan (automobile), sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or Greenhouse (automotive), greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, ...
,
C-pillar and other bodywork removed. However, the cabrio-coach retains all bodywork to the top of the door frames and just replaces the roof skin with a retractable fabric panel.
An advantage of a cabrio coach is that retaining more of the car's original structure means that
structural rigidity
In discrete geometry and mechanics, structural rigidity is a combinatorial theory for predicting the flexibility of ensembles formed by rigid bodies connected by flexible linkages or hinges.
Definitions
Rigidity is the property of a struct ...
is higher (or the vehicle weight is lower) than traditional cabriolets.
An example of the cabrio coach is the 2003-10
C3 Pluriel,
which has a roof with five possible configurations.
![Fiat 500 Cabrio, Bj](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Fiat_500_Cabrio%2C_Bj._2009_%282009-07-23%29_ret.jpg)
Fixed-profile: In contrast to convertibles where the entire bodywork above the beltline (doors, roof, side pillars, side bodywork) is replaced with a folding or retractable roof, the fixed profile convertible retains portions of fixed bodywork including the doors, side pillars, and side elements of the roof — while a center fabric portion slides back and accordions at the rear. As an example,
Citroën's 1948
Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV (french: link=no, deux chevaux(-vapeur), , lit. "two steam horse(power)s", meaning "two ''taxable'' horsepower") is an air-cooled front-engine, front-wheel-drive, economy family car, introduced at the 1948 Paris Mondial d ...
featured rigid bodysides and two doors on each side, along with a sunroof that rolled back on itself and extended to the rear bumper in place of a separate trunk lid. Other fixed-profile convertibles include the 1957
Autobianchi Bianchina Trasformabile, 1957
Vespa 400
The Vespa 400 is a rear-engined microcar, produced by ACMA in Fourchambault, France, from 1957 until 1961 to the designs of the Italian Piaggio company. Three different versions were sold, the "Luxe" , "Tourisme" and "GT".
Overview
The car ma ...
, 1950
Nash Rambler Landau Convertible Coupe, the
Nissan Figaro
The Nissan Figaro is a front-engine, front-wheel drive, two-door, 2+2, fixed-profile convertible manufactured by Nissan for model year 1991, and marketed in Japan at Nissan Cherry Stores.
A total of 20,073 Figaros were produced by Nissan in ...
(1991), the
Jaguar XJ-S
The Jaguar XJ-S (later called XJS) is a luxury grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British car manufacturer Jaguar Cars from 1975 to 1996, in coupé, fixed-profile and full convertible bodystyles. There were three distinct iterations, w ...
C (1983) as well as the 1957
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 ( it, Cinquecento, ) is a rear-engined, four-seat, small city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975 over a single generation in two-door saloon and two-door station wagon bodystyles.
Launc ...
and its 2007
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 ( it, Cinquecento, ) is a rear-engined, four-seat, small city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975 over a single generation in two-door saloon and two-door station wagon bodystyles.
Launc ...
successor. The 1984 Heuliez-designed
Citroën Visa
The Citroën Visa is a five-door, front-engine, front wheel drive supermini manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1978 to 1988 in gasoline and diesel variants. 1,254,390 examples were ultimately manufactured over a single generation, with a ...
''Décapotable'' used elements of a fixed-profile convertible.
Four-door: Most convertibles have two doors. However, four-door convertibles have been mass-produced. Examples include the 1940-41
Cadillac Series 62
The Cadillac Series 40-62 is a series of cars which was produced by Cadillac from 1940 through 1964. Originally designed to complement the entry level Series 61, it became the Cadillac Series 6200 in 1959, and remained that until it was renamed t ...
, 1931
Chrysler Imperial Dual Cowl Phaeton and 1961-67
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Ed ...
. Current production four-door convertibles include the
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986 and is currently in its fourth generation. The Wrangler JL, the most recent generation, was revealed in late 2017 and is produ ...
Unlimited and
Mini Cooper Cabriolet.
Peugeot presented a
concept
Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs.
They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by ...
four-door
retractable hardtop
A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing hardtop, as opposed to the folding textile-based roof used by traditional convertible cars.
The benefits ...
convertible, the
Peugeot 407 Macarena in 2006.
Produced by French coachbuilding specialist
Heuliez
Heuliez was a French company that worked as a production and design unit for various automakers. It specialized in producing short series for niche markets, such as convertibles or station-wagons.
The business activity ended on 31 October 2013. ...
, the Macarena's top can be folded in 60 seconds,
with a steel reinforcing beam behind the front seats incorporating LCD screens for the rear passengers into the crossmember.
Off-road: Several off-road vehicles have been produced with removable soft tops. Examples include the
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986 and is currently in its fourth generation. The Wrangler JL, the most recent generation, was revealed in late 2017 and is produ ...
,
Suzuki Vitara,
Suzuki Jimny,
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the mo ...
,
Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender (initially introduced as the Land Rover 110 / One Ten, and in 1984 joined by the Land Rover 90 / Ninety, plus the new, extra-length Land Rover 127 in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup ...
,
Mercedes-Benz G-Class as well as early models of the
Toyota Land Cruiser
The (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than ...
and
Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender (initially introduced as the Land Rover 110 / One Ten, and in 1984 joined by the Land Rover 90 / Ninety, plus the new, extra-length Land Rover 127 in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup ...
. Typically, the soft tops attach to the roll cage or to the installation points on the vehicle's body.
Landaulet: A
landaulet (also known as ''landaulette'') is where the rear passengers are covered by a
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
top.
Often the driver is separated from the rear passengers with a partition,
as per a
limousine
A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment.
A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a pr ...
.
In the second half of the 20th century, landaulets were used by public figures (such as heads of state) in formal processions. They are now rarely used, for fear of terrorist attacks.
Victoria-Cabriolet: reminiscent of the
victoria carriage style, a three-position convertible. No rear side windows and equipped with a soft top which can be raised partway, leaving the area above the front seats folded back.
This bodystyle had a short period of popularity, mainly in the 1930s. Other names include Cabriolet/Coupé Milord (or just Milord), Calash (from
Calèche), Folding Head DHC, three-position Drop-head Coupé, or ''Cabriolet toit de 3 positions''.
[ Haajanen, p. 35]
Gallery
Open car and roadster
File:Late model Ford Model T.jpg, Ford Model T ''circa'' 1925, with minimal weather protection
File:Bentley 4,5 Litre Sporting Four Seater 1929.jpg, Bentley 4½ Litre
The Bentley 4½ Litre is a British car based on a rolling chassis built by Bentley Motors. Walter Owen Bentley replaced the Bentley 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to . A racing variant was known as the Blo ...
1929 with luxury snap-on and thumbscrew sidescreens
File:Aero (2556664052).jpg, Aero
Aero is a Greek prefix relating to flight and air. In British English, it is used as an adjective related to flight (e.g., as a shortened substitute for aeroplane).
Aero, Ærø, or Aeros may refer to:
Aeronautics Airlines and companies
* Aero ...
500 from 1929
File:1934 ford model 40 750 De Luxe Phaeton.jpg, Ford Phaeton 1934 open four-door touring car
File:1937 Delahaye 135MS Roadster.jpg, 1937 Delahaye 135MS Roadster
File:1953.mg.td.arp.jpg, MG TD
The MG T-Type is a series of body-on-frame open two-seater sports cars that were produced by MG from 1936 to 1955. The series included the MG TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, and MG TF Midget models. The last of these models, the TF, was replaced by t ...
''circa'' 1953, with manual soft top and detachable sidescreens with plastic windows
File:Lancia D23 Spyder 1953.jpg, Lancia D23 Spyder 1953
File:1955 Porsche 550 Spyder interior.jpg, 1955 Porsche 550
The Porsche 550 is a racing sports car produced by Porsche from 1953 until 1956. In that time only 90 Porsche 550s were produced, and they quickly established dominance in the 1.1- and 1.5- liter classes. The Porsche 550 is a mid-engine car with ...
Spyder
Convertibles
File:1936 Packard Custom Convertible Victoria - LeBaron - fvl.jpg, 1936 Packard One-Twenty
The Packard Twelfth Series One-Twenty is an automobile produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from 1935 to 1937 and from 1939 through the 1941 model years. The One-Twenty model designation was derived from the wheelbase, ...
Convertible Victoria with the top in the semi-open (second) position
File:1950-nash-001.jpg, Fixed-profile ''circa'' 1950 Nash Rambler Convertible "Landau" Coupe
File:Heckel Advertising 3.jpg, Škoda 450 from 1957
File:Mercedes-Benz Typ 300 d Landaulet 2.jpg, Mercedes-Benz 300d
: ''See Mercedes-Benz S-Class for a complete overview of all S-Class models.''
The Mercedes-Benz W189 model 300 was a four-door luxury tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1957 and 1962. It was the company's flagship model at the time, equiv ...
landaulet in operation
File:Paris - Retromobile 2012 - Skoda Felicia - 1959 - 002.jpg, Škoda Felicia
The Škoda Felicia, (''Typ'' 791) was a C-segment car produced by the Czech carmaker Škoda Auto from 1994 to 2001. It was the last model on Škoda's own platform, but was one of the first models to benefit from Škoda Auto's takeover by the Ger ...
from 1959
File:1962 Lincoln Continental convertible (6262975751).jpg, Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Ed ...
''circa'' 1962, four-door with automatic, self-storing tonneau
File:Ma 1963 E-type.JPG, Jaguar E-type 1963, with vinyl foldable tonneau installed and snap-secured
File:1966 Mercedes-Benz 230SL convertible (10560521576).jpg, Mercedes SL 1964, available with a detachable hardtop
File:Rolls Royce Phantom V State Landaulette 1966.jpg, 1966 Rolls-Royce Phantom V
The Rolls-Royce Phantom V is a large four-door limousine produced by Rolls-Royce Limited from 1959 to 1968. Based on the Silver Cloud II, it shares a V8 engine and General Motors Hydra-Matic automatic gearbox with that model. Rolls-Royce ...
landaulet
File:1971eldofront.jpg, Cadillac Eldorado
The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1952 until 2002 over twelve generations.
The Eldorado was at or near the top of the Cadillac line. The original 1953 Eldorado convertible and the Eldorado Brougham ...
1972, with detachable, two-part, fully rigid "parade boot" tonneau cover
File:2cv pinkdylan frome.jpg, Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV (french: link=no, deux chevaux(-vapeur), , lit. "two steam horse(power)s", meaning "two ''taxable'' horsepower") is an air-cooled front-engine, front-wheel-drive, economy family car, introduced at the 1948 Paris Mondial d ...
fixed profile convertible ''circa'' 1975, with roll-back roof and rigid doors
File:May 2011 Parade - beginning.jpeg, ZIL-410441 parading on Victory Day 2011.
File:1986 RR Corniche II rear.jpg, Rolls Royce Corniche
The Rolls-Royce Corniche is a two-door, front-engine, rear wheel drive luxury car produced by Rolls-Royce Motors as a hardtop coupé (from 1971 to 1980) and as a convertible (from 1971 to 1995).
The Corniche was a development of the Mulliner ...
''circa'' 1986, with a manually installed tonneau cover
File:Allante.jpg, Cadillac Allanté ''circa'' 1993, with detachable, rigid plastic tonneau cover.
File:Volkswagen New Beetle Cabriolet Red IAA 2003.jpg, Volkswagen New Beetle
The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car, introduced by Volkswagen in 1997, drawing heavy inspiration from the exterior design of the original Beetle. Unlike the original Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front, driving the fron ...
''circa'' 2003, with raised textile top
File:Porsche Boxster hr silver.jpg, Porsche Boxster
The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater roadster (Boxster) and a three-door, two-seater fastba ...
''circa'' 2004, with detachable clear plastic windblocker and a Z-fold top
File:Citroen C3 Pluriel rear 20071104.jpg, Citroën C3 Pluriel ''circa'' 2007 with roll-back textile roof and removable rigid sidebars
File:Fiat 500C 1.2 8V Lounge – Heckansicht, 16. April 2011, Düsseldorf.jpg, A Fiat 500 (2007) fixed-profile convertible
File:Jaguar XK8 Cabriolet rear 20070520.jpg, Jaguar XK
The Jaguar XK is a two-door 2+2 grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars from 1996–2014 in hatchback coupé and convertible bodystyles, across two generations. The XK was introduced at the Ge ...
''circa'' 2008, with heatable glass rear window and fully automatic cloth top
Retractable hardtop
File:1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Skyliner convertible (7026234411).jpg, 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner :''See also Ford Crestline Skyliner for the 1954 Ford and Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner for the 1955–1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria, both with an acrylic glass roof panel.''
The Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner is a two-door full-siz ...
File:Daihatsu.copen.arp.750pix.jpg, Daihatsu Copen
The is a 2-door convertible kei car built by the Japanese car company Daihatsu. It debuted at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, as the Daihatsu Copen concept. The second generation model debuted as the Kopen (Future Included) at the 2013 Tokyo Motor S ...
''circa'' 2001 with retracted hardtop, kei
Kei may refer to:
People
* Kei (given name)
* Kei, Cantonese for Ji (surname), Ji(姫)
* Kei, Cantonese for Qi (surname), Qi(奇, 祁, 亓)
* Shō Kei (1700–1752), king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
* Kei (singer) (born 1995), stage name of South Kor ...
class
File:Chevrolet SSR.jpg, Chevrolet SSR ''circa'' 2004, a retractable hardtop convertible pickup truck
File:Paris 2006 - Ford Focus CC.JPG, Ford Focus CC ''circa'' 2006 with its roof retracted
File:Mazda MX-5 hardtop.jpg, Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United St ...
''circa'' 2007, with polycarbonate hardtop
File:Cadillac XLR 2006.jpg, Cadillac XLR
The Cadillac XLR is a front-engine, rear-drive, two passenger roadster (automobile), roadster manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 2003 to 2009 across a single generation — and noted for its power retractable hardtop, Bulgari designed ...
''circa'' 2007, with aluminum hardtop concealed by tonneau cover
File:Volkswagen Eos Front-view.JPG, Volkswagen Eos
The Volkswagen Eos was a sport compact cabriolet coupé produced by the German automaker Volkswagen from 2006 to 2015. Assembled at AutoEuropa in Portugal, it was a convertible only compact coupé introduced as the successor of the Volkswagen Gol ...
''circa'' 2007 with five-segment top and independent sunroof
See also
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Targa top
Targa top, or targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsc ...
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NASCAR Convertible Division
The NASCAR Convertible Division was a division of convertible cars early in NASCAR's history, from 1956 until 1959, although the signature race for convertibles remained a Convertible Division race until 1962. Two remnants of the Convertible Divi ...
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Vinyl roof
Vinyl roof refers to a vinyl covering for an automobile's top.
This covering was originally designed to give the appearance of a convertible to models with a fixed roof and eventually evolved into a styling statement in its own right. Vi ...
*
Sunroof
A sunroof is a movable panel that opens to uncover a window in an automobile roof, allowing light and fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs can be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and styl ...
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Convertible (Automobile)
car body style
Automotive styling features