A Brief Overview Of Convertible Classic Cars

Picture Of Convertible Classic Cars

In the vintage car era, the Convertible Classic Cars was the default body style. It was not until 1910 that Cadillac introduced the first closed-body car. A combination of weak engines and public expectation that a car was analogous to a wagon meant that steel roofs were not in demand until then. Later, Convertible Classic Cars were made less often, possibly due in part to an unfulfilled threat made in the mid-1970s by the United States government to increase rollover safety requirements that may have made auto manufacturers hesitant to manufacture cars that would be unsellable under those new restrictions. By the 1970s they had almost disappeared and in 1976 the Cadillac Eldorado was advertised as "The last convertible in America". During this period of very low convertible production, T-tops became a popular alternative to convertibles, especially in muscle cars.

Picture Of Convertible Classic Cars

It was not until the 1980s and cars like the Chrysler LeBaron and Saab 900 convertibles that the body style made a comeback. Also in the 1980s, hot hatches such as the Ford Escort XR3i and Volkswagen Golf GTI were selling a high amount of cabriolets, and in the 1990s, the Mazda MX5 again cemented the convertible as the sports car body style of choice. Today, there are scores of convertible cars offered by nearly every manufacturer.

A Brief Overview Of Convertible Classic Cars