Retractable hardtop

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2003 Mercedes-Benz SL 500

A Retractable Hardtop (also known as a coupe convertible and coupe cabriolet) refers to a car with a movable roof for a convertible that is made of plastic or metal. This results in a car with the flexibility of an optional roof yet the rigid roof of a coupé. In some markets such as the United Kingdom, where there is a high risk of car theft, the added security of a rigid folding roof over a soft-top is a major selling point.

[edit] History

Peugeot before World War II and the Ford Motor Company in the 1950s with the Ford Skyliner had tried to make cars with roofs made out of glass, giving the car a sunroof when the top is up. The Car also was one of the first with a fully automatic retractable roof. The car was sold for 3 years in the United States. However, unreliability and expense doomed those earlier efforts. In America, the next car to follow suit with an automatic hardtop was the Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder in 1995 and 1996. However, similar to the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner, the 3000GT didn't prove to be a high volume seller. Next in line was the 1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 (R170). This car is admittedly the first successful hardtop convertible in the United States. This car's chassis lasted until the 2005 version (R171) was released. This approach, despite its obvious mechanical costs, is considered much more convenient in day-to-day use than the more traditional removable hardtop used by some convertibles to replace the textile roof during rainy or winter months. In 2006, the first four-door coupe convertible, the Peugeot 407 Macarena concept car is presented.

In the first years of the 2000s, car makers started building articulated retractable rigid roofs allowing the automobiles using this configuration to go seamlessly from convertible to coupé and back. Usually, the roof is made of two metal parts that fold and store themselves in the trunk when in convertible position. More recently, cars have started to appear where all parts of the roof are transparent, using the original idea.