Going Topless in Style: The American Convertible

By Leslie Kendall
Curator, Petersen Automotive Museum

 

Simply put, convertibles convert. They can be transformed from snug, weather-tight closed cars such as coupes and sedans into open cars by the simple action of lowering their side windows and well-padded, folding tops. True convertibles differ from other types of open cars, such as tourers, phaetons, and roadsters, which are primarily open cars that have only incidental weather protection, usually in the form of an unlined fabric top and flimsy, snap-in side curtains. While rakish and dashing, they are strictly fair weather cars of limited practicality, especially in extreme climates.

Open, Closed Case

Early in the history of the automobile virtually all cars were open. Most engineers considered it an achievement if their cars ran at all and were not immediately concerned with the comfort of the driver and passengers. In addition, most cars built during the first decade of the 20th century had modest horsepower ratings and could not cope with the weight of closed bodies, which were a great deal larger than their touring counterparts and required much more material and time to construct. Such attributes drove up the price of closed cars and made them unobtainable to the average American.

By pioneering the moving assembly line, Henry Ford achieved an economy of scale that enabled him to lower the price of all vehicles he produced, including those with closed bodies such as sedans and coupes. As automotive engine technology advanced and the average power ratings of vehicles steadily climbed, an increasing number of manufacturers emulated Ford’s production methods. And, as the price of closed vehicles dropped, their popularity soared. Consumers appreciated the comfort and convenience offered by closed cars and manufacturers steadily improved their designs, making coupes and sedans ever more durable and easy to construct.

In 1922 Essex, a companion make to Hudson, introduced their all-steel closed body, the first ever on a low priced car. Not wishing to be outdone, other automobile manufacturers followed suit and by the mid-1920s, the demand rose to such a point that closed car production exceeded convertible and open car production. Seizing the opportunity, automakers invested a great deal in specialized equipment to produce closed cars, and the sight of an open car on an assembly line became even more of an exception. And while convertibles had always been lighter than closed cars, this was no longer the case during the 1930s with the introduction of unitized bodies that required a great deal of strengthening in the floor pan to make up for the rigidity lost by removing the fixed roof. Yet, while closed cars appeared to have taken over the highways, a small, but important segment of the buying public continued to favor convertibles.

Convertible Styles

Despite the popularity of closed cars, convertibles continued in production. Some of the most interesting vehicles of the 1930s and 1940s were drop tops. Bodies were available with a variety of door-window combinations. Ranging from basic to elaborate, the most popular convertible variants were:

• Convertible Coupes: two doors and two seats (with or without a rumble seat)
• Convertible Victorias: two doors and four seats with blind rear quarters
• Quarter Window Convertible Victorias: two doors and four seats with roll down side windows for the rear seat passengers
• Convertible sedans: four doors and four seats
• Convertible Berlines: four doors and four seats with a division window between the driver and passenger compartments
• Two-, three-, or four-position convertibles: with tops that could be lowered over just the front for a town car effect, just the back for a landaulet effect, both the front and back with the center in place, or lowered entirely as a full convertible

Even though certain types of vehicles have topsthat can be partially lowered like town cars (that open only in the front) and landaulets (that open only in the back), these cars are not considered convertibles because parts of the roof remain permanently fixed.

Chevrolet 1931 Chevrolet’s four place drop top for 1931 was a two door model with rear quarter windows, a configuration that ultimately came to define the modern American convertible.

While coachbuilders throughout the 1940s were available to construct one-of-a-kind bodies to a wide variety of designs, practicality dictated that multi-position convertibles, convertible coupes, and convertible berlines were the first to be discontinued from most manufacturers’ regular production programs. The next to go were convertible sedans and victorias. With few exceptions, the only mass-produced convertibles by the early 1950s were best described as “quarter window convertible victorias.” This single style continues to define American convertibles. When most people think of an American convertible today, they envision a four-seat, two-door car with a roll down window for everyone.

While engines, transmissions, suspensions, sound systems, and other vehicle components evolved in exciting ways that gave advertising and public relations firms a great deal to talk about, convertible innovations were less frequent. One notable exception was the power top, which was first offered by Plymouth in 1939 (only on their convertible coupe, not their convertible sedan). More practical glass rear windows that obviated the possibility of yellowing and cracking became increasingly common in the 1960s. Advertised as innovative, but actually an engineering necessity, Kaiser-Frazer, Rambler, and a small number of other manufacturers offered convertibles with fixed side window frames. Though the design enhanced structural rigidity, cars so equipped were far less sleek than traditionally engineered convertibles and held far less customer appeal. But it was the decade of the 1950s that saw one of the most talked about advancements in American top down motoring:  the retractable hardtop.

Duesenberg 1931 True convertible sedans had four doors and four windows, although a very small number of limited production models had rear quarter windows to improve visibility for back seat passengers. This ultra expensive 1931 Duesenberg wears a body by LeBaron, one of a declining number of coachbuilders active during the Great Depression.

 

Mercury1946 Convertibles such as this 1946 Mercury were often placed in dealership windows and other high profile locations in order to attract the attention of passers by. Once lured into the showroom, potential buyers would be met by a salesperson who could talk them into a more practical coupe or sedan.

Electronique Transformable

While Peugeot in France had introduced a production version of their “Electronique Transformable” retractable hardtop in 1936, it was not until 1957 that an American company, Ford, began to mass-produce the body type.  Dubbed the Skyliner, Ford’s hideaway hardtop treated onlookers to a show each time the roof was lowered or raised. For an open-air motoring experience, all that the driver had to do was hold down a switch on the dashboard and the rear-hinged trunk lid would automatically rise and a small flap would unfold from its forward edge. When the deck lid was vertical and the flap fully extended, the hardtop would be released from the windshield header and the top would lift hydraulically. Since the top was longer than the rear deck, the front of the top would fold under so the top could fit entirely in the available trunk space. The trunk lid would then lower and automatically lock in place. The tops were fairly reliable despite their complexity, but the model was expensive compared to other Fords and offered only through the 1959 model year.

Fairlane Skyliner A marvel of mid-1950s engineering, the Ford retractable hardtop made use of numerous electric motors, relays, and switches and over six hundred feet of wire. Originally planned for the expensive Continental Mark II, the top was adapted to fit the workaday Ford When sales projections of the Continental failed to show that Ford could recoup their development costs over a limited production run.

Other innovations that appeared on some convertibles during the postwar period were wraparound rear windows, color coordinated headliners, retractable rear windows, and soft tops that folded away under hinged metal panels or neatly in the trunk. While touted as important advancements, such features were not offered for long. It was enough for most buyers that the top just went down. Dealers often took advantage of the innate appeal of convertibles by placing them in showroom windows, tops down, to attract the attention of passersby. Most of these potential buyers could picture themselves having a good time behind the wheel, driving happily along uncrowded roads through mountains, deserts, forests, prairies, and, in coastal communities, the ocean. Such exciting visions lured the public into showrooms where salespeople could talk them into a more practical coupe or sedan, most of which could be equipped with air conditioning for the utmost in comfort. 

Cadillac 1953 Although the 1953 Cadillac’s power operated top could be lowered from behind the wheel, it was still necessary for the driver to get out and manually install the boot, a protective cover that kept the top clean and gave it a neater appearance.

 

Ups and Downs

During the 1950s and early 1960s convertible production soared and drop tops sold in record numbers. But the excitement of convertibles gradually wore off. As the average driving speed continued to increase and a greater share of the buying public commuted over longer distances, cars became less about fun and more about convenience and economy. Convertible tops required additional maintenance and were expensive to repair if the power operating mechanism failed. Insurance rates were also higher for convertibles because of the expense required to repair them after an accident and their susceptibility to theft and vandalism. With the first gas crisis in 1973, an increasing number of motorists came to regard their cars as necessary evils rather than a means to have a pleasurable experience. Appearing to seek solace, many withdrew into customized vans that sheltered them from the world instead of letting it in. Fewer and fewer motorists could see the point in owning a car with a folding top, and in 1976 Cadillac became the last major American manufacturer to offer a convertible as part of its regular production program, at least temporarily. 

Pontiac 1963 Postwar convertibles such as this 1963 Pontiac Tempest were almost always depicted with the top lowered in advertising and promotional literature. Such portrayals resonated with buyers seeking to project a youthful, adventurous image.

With the demise of American convertible production, a number of domestic manufacturers offered cars with features that provided some of the benefits of convertibles without the perceived drawbacks. Sliding sunroofs (made of metal and opaque) and moon roofs (made of glass and transparent) were popular because they could be retracted to let in the sun and wind even when the car was moving then securely closed on demand. T-tops also became popular during the late-1970s even though they had to be removed manually and stowed in the trunk. To give an open-air feeling while maintaining a weather-tight interior, Lincoln offered the option of a large fixed glass panel over the entire front of the roof on their late-1970s Town Cars. But these were no more successful than those on the 1954 through 1956 Ford Skyliner and 1954 and 1955 Mercury Sun Valley. Another novelty known by some manufacturers as the “carriage roof” made vehicles so equipped virtually indistinguishable from genuine convertibles.  Their canvas covered, thickly padded tops even had bulges that simulated convertible top bows. Confusingly dubbed “Phaetons,” some Cadillac two- and four-door sedans built during the late-1970s were equipped with such a roof.

Dual Ghia Vintage The body of the glamorous 1957 Dual Ghia was built in Italy. Prices were so high and production was so limited that only a fortunate few were able to secure a place on the waiting list to buy one. Entertainers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford favored the cars and they rapidly gained a reputation as Rat Pack vehicles.

 

Nash 1952 The unit construction of the 1952 Nash Rambler allowed for a rigid body structure, but prevented engineers from readily transforming the car into a convertible. The top slid up and down along the roof rails by means of metal cables.

Custom-Built

Yet while American consumers of average means had to content themselves with imitations of convertibles after 1976, a select few had the financial resources to acquire brand new, genuine American-made drop tops. Painstakingly created by hand to varying degrees of quality, custom-built convertibles were offered by dozens of manufacturers during the mid-1970s. Cadillac and Lincoln were the most popular choices among these specialized firms, many of which offered them in both two- and four-door convertible configurations. One of the best known was the Cadillac San Remo, a late-1970s Seville that was transformed from four- to two-doors and fitted with a folding roof. Always expensive, convertibles built up from closed cars were two to three times the price of the unmodified vehicles upon which they were based. But no convertible was pricier than the Stutz d’Italia, which cost a staggering $125,000 when a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible could be purchased for approximately $45,000.

It is no surprise that a significant number of coachbuilders who specialized in convertible bodies were based in Southern California. The area offered year-round good weather and numerous opportunities for scenic drives, whether along Pacific Coast Highway, the mountains, or the Sunset Strip. These qualities made the region popular among convertible aficionados who formed a ready market for the special cars. Hollywood helped to perpetuate the carefree, youthful image of Southern California by continuing to feature convertibles in movies and on television.

Lincoln 1976 Although domestic convertible production temporarily ceased after 1976, a considerable number of affluent buyers, such as the original owner of this 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V, formed a ready market for companies who transformed hardtops into convertibles. The process was labor intensive and time consuming and often tripled the price of the original vehicle.

Taking note of the American consumers’ renewed enthusiasm for convertibles, both in Los Angeles and elsewhere, Detroit manufacturers began to reconsider their decision to cease production of the body type. Chrysler boss Lee Iacocca is given a great deal of credit for resurrecting the American convertible. After experiencing overwhelming positive reaction to a custom K-Car soft top that he had specially built and drove personally in and around Detroit, Iacocca directed his product engineers to develop a convertible for public consumption. In 1982, Chrysler reintroduced the American convertible in its Le Baron and Dodge 400 lines. Ford offered a drop top version of its Mustang one year later. Since these newly introduced vehicles were converted from two-door sedans, often by outside contracted suppliers, build quality was variable. But as demand steadily climbed, convertibles were designed and engineered for production on assembly lines alongside their closed stablemates. New features such as wind deflectors mounted behind the passenger compartment made the new crop of open cars more practical to drive with the top down than previously. And retractable hardtops have become so popular that they are now almost commonplace. 

Believing that they had built the very last American production convertible in 1976, American auto manufacturers could hardly have predicted the popularity of the body type 30 years later. Sales of convertibles have risen steadily since Chrysler reintroduced the American-built drop top for the 1982 model year. Today a large number of American manufacturers produce convertible versions of their most popular models in response to the steady demand. Like their counterparts of a half-century earlier, these models have found favor with buyers who desire a different motoring experience or who wish to project the right image.

Going Topless In Style: The American Convertible will be on view March 31, 2007 through October 7, 2007.

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