Design Details: Convertible Roofs Edition

"Amoore100" (amoore100) 06/23/2016 at 21:45 • Filed to: Design Details, Peugeot, Mustang, Convertible

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Convertibles have long exuded an image of glamour and extravagance; however, with every roof that goes down, there’s always the more practical issue of how to stow it away. Today, we take a look at the most interesting (or dreary) means of getting rid of that slab of metal (or cloth) above your head to let the wind get into your hair!

The Pug 402 was one of the first hardtop convertibles ever, and look at the awesomeness of that mechanism!

The classic pony car is just iconic when its roof is out of the way

So what do you think Oppo?

What are the best/worst/most distinctive convertible roofs in the automotive world?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 21:54

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Back in the 50's Ford made a massive folding hardtop out of the Fairlane.

Not many people are aware that it exists but Mitsubishi did a US market only hardtop 3000GT

RT > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 22:07

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The 911 Targa always worked for me.

Then you have your Brit sports cars.

Also shoutout to Pininfarina convertibles which tend to redesign a lot, but look nice in the end.

With a sunroof this big, I’d say even the amazing Avantime has its own convertible style.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 22:13

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The Baur E21 3 Series has always been interesting

Probenja > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 22:17

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I always liked the XLR roof

Spridget > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 22:19

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not for canada - australian in disguise > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 22:29

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Urambo Tauro > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/23/2016 at 22:34

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Cool as that Fairlane is, that feature has got to be the biggest waste of space ever. Looks like you might be able to fit ONE small cooler in the center.

gmctavish needs more space > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 22:46

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I was beaten to the Bauer E21, so here’s the one-off E34 M5 convertible. Not really that unusual, mechanically, but interesting since it’s the only E34 with just two doors.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Urambo Tauro 06/23/2016 at 22:57

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I think creating Mercedes-style roof origami might have been a bit beyond 1950's tech.

Amoore100 > not for canada - australian in disguise 06/23/2016 at 23:44

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Tuuuuuuurrrrrrrrgggggaaaaaa

Amoore100 > Spridget 06/23/2016 at 23:45

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I hadn’t considered that one! I always thought it more a sunroof than a convertible, but I won’t disallow it!

Amoore100 > Probenja 06/23/2016 at 23:46

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Amoore100 > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 06/23/2016 at 23:46

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Definitely! Rare, too IIRC.

Amoore100 > Urambo Tauro 06/23/2016 at 23:51

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I think the Peugeot was even worse.

Amoore100 > RT 06/23/2016 at 23:53

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The British cars are so classically simple, I love their thin (and probably leaky) manual roofs. I also have always admired Pininfarina’s ability to take the roof off of just about anything and have it still look good. And for the Espace coupe, well...I’ll allow it ;)

Urambo Tauro > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 23:55

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That’s pretty bad, but at least it took advantage of the space to store the spare tire! Looks kinda awkward to retrieve it, though...

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 23:56

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It’s sorta the way that they’ve kept the door and window frames as well as the B pillar.

Spridget > Amoore100 06/23/2016 at 23:57

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It really is a sunroof, but I wanted to post 2cv’s.

Amoore100 > Urambo Tauro 06/24/2016 at 00:58

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The top would definitely have to be up to get the tire, but it’s not the Frenchies’ worst spare placement...

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/24/2016 at 11:57

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My dad had that Fairlane and loved to go fishing. We would wrap the tub in the trunk with plastic, fill it with lake water, and keep our catch in there as we caught trout and catfish and croupe. They were all swimming around in the trunk till we got home to clean and eat them.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Probenja 06/24/2016 at 12:03

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My XLR is always a kid pleaser when the top starts moving. I just wish the process was faster. I seem to always have the urge to go topless when in traffic and it takes longer than a red light.

IanZ - limited-slip indifferential > Amoore100 06/24/2016 at 16:00

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Mazda MX-5 RF and Porsche 911 Targa 4S, both for having needlessly complicated roof mechanisms.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Amoore100 06/24/2016 at 16:28

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One of my favorites, the Solstice Coupe. Beautiful and a targa.... that you couldn’t store in the car cause it was too big for the boot. So it either stays on or you leave it at home....

Amoore100 > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 06/24/2016 at 16:51

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Automated targas are so beautifully convoluted.

Amoore100 > CaptDale - is secretly British 06/24/2016 at 16:55

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The targa was awesome but I prefer the soft top Sky myself...

CaptDale - is secretly British > Amoore100 06/24/2016 at 17:19

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11/10 I would but the Sky Redline in the soft top and the Solstice GXP in coupe.

Nauraushaun > CaptDale - is secretly British 06/24/2016 at 21:40

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That’s awful. The weather where I live is so temperamental. I tried leaving my 300ZX’s roof at home once, had to go back and get it almost immediately.

This car would suit some people in some areas. But definitely a minority.

Nauraushaun > Amoore100 06/24/2016 at 23:03

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What about the CRX Del Sol trans top? A much earlier automatic targa, and relatively uncomplicated to boot. This thing risese from the back, grabs the roof, stashes it.

Nauraushaun > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/24/2016 at 23:04

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The 300ZX also got a gross folding soft-top. Too many cars get them really.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Nauraushaun 06/24/2016 at 23:13

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I feel like most soft tops are of the folding variety.

Nauraushaun > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/24/2016 at 23:56

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Yes. I could have left the word folding out.

Amoore100 > Nauraushaun 06/25/2016 at 03:50

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I had forgotten about that! IIRC, that was a pretty rare option, I’m not even sure if it was available in the states, but it’s one of those ‘90s Japanese gadgets that were so convoluted that they worked in a somewhat impractical manner but were awesome anyways.

Nauraushaun > Amoore100 06/25/2016 at 09:46

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Amazing :D I’m not sure if the ones we have in Australia are trans tops, or if some of them are or what. You never see them in action, I’m not even sure you can tell until it’s actually doing its thing.

I’m interested to hear why you think it’s convoluted. I think the way it works, with the mechanism moving at right-angles and a little bit of manual intervention from the driver, is relatively simple and neat and easy. Compare that with an average folding hard-top or the new Porsche Targa or MX5 RF: they’ve got a million moving parts, and should any of them fail or be damaged/bent, you’ve got a useless roof and perhaps even the whole top-half of the car being out of alignment.

I can imagine that if the trans-top broke you could still fix/remove the roof manually - and that’s pretty sweet.

While we’re on the topic, here’s another one I love, and probably a car I would buy if I had the money (because RWD manual V12): the 575 Superamerica.

Again I think the solution they’ve found is relatively simple and uncomplicated. It also takes up zero storage room in the body (the Del Sol’s roof probably takes a little bit) and the glass can be auto-tinted at the touch of a button.

I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I’ve owned 6 cars in my life and 5 of those have had t-tops. Roofs are my thing :P

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nauraushaun 06/25/2016 at 11:03

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Yeah, I think someone makes a folding soft targa top to help that problem.

Nauraushaun > CaptDale - is secretly British 06/25/2016 at 11:57

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Cool :D

Amoore100 > Nauraushaun 06/25/2016 at 12:02

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Yeah, the Superamerica has always had the most interesting roof! The Del Sol isn’t necessarily more convoluted than the Miata and 911 but it did do it about twenty years earlier; I also like the way that it’s more of a roof elevator than a closing mechanism. Such an odd design!

Nauraushaun > CaptDale - is secretly British 06/25/2016 at 12:03

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Found it:

Not perfect. But it works. I’d keep it stored in the car in case I ever got rained on badly with the roof off.

But I do think the car should’ve been designed around this.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nauraushaun 06/25/2016 at 12:05

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Lol, yeah was an option with the car originally, I had pictures of it, but apparently 4 of my pictures in the post turned into empty squares.

Nauraushaun > Amoore100 06/25/2016 at 13:03

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I agree! But an elevator is all you really need to get the roof in storage without having to get out of the car :D

Good on them for thinking outside the box. In typical German fashion, Porsche just threw more engineers and more robotics at the problem.