Ford Cabriolet Convertible Classic Cars

Picture Of 1933 Ford Cabriolet Convertible Classic Cars

Four-cylinder Fords made their final appearance in 1933, but V8 models got all the attention, and none moreso than the 1933 Ford Cabriolet.

Picture Of 1933 Ford Cabriolet Convertible Classic Cars

Ford's "flathead" V8 engine had debuted in '32, shoving aside the popular four-cylinder Model A and reaching past Chevrolet's six-cylinder cars.

Picture Of 1933 Ford Cabriolet Convertible Classic Cars

Now, stylists -- directed by Edsel Ford, Henry's only son -- tucked that V8 into a more stylish machine, with a jauntily slanted grille and windshield. Sharp corners were rounded, and the hood mated with the windshield. Wheels shrunk to 17-inch size for a lower stance. Streamlining was in vogue, and Ford determinedly followed the trend.

Picture Of 1933 Ford Cabriolet Convertible Classic Cars

Engineers redesigned the Ford's frame and injected an extra 10 horsepower into the V8, for a total of 75. Hot rodders later grew to love that flathead engine, praised for its power by none other than bank-robber John Dillinger.

Picture Of 1933 Ford Cabriolet Convertible Classic Cars

One of 16 V8 models, the Cabriolet cost $585. A total of 7852 were built, plus 24 that used the four-cylinder engine. Model-year volume rose by 100,000 cars, but Ford trailed Chevrolet in total sales.

Picture Of 1933 Ford Cabriolet Convertible Classic Cars

In its second season with V8 power, Ford offered a long list of body styles and trim levels -- none more appealing than the Cabriolet, flaunting a rakish new profile.

A Brief Overview Of Convertible Classic Cars
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Oldsmobile Convertible Classic Cars Part 2

Picture Of 1930 Oldsmobile F-30 Convertible Classic Cars

All Oldsmobiles used a six-cylinder L-head engine, displacing 197.5 cubic inches and sending 62 horsepower to a conventional three-speed manual transmission -- long floor lever, of course. "Syncro-mesh" would not arrive until 1931.

Convertible roadsters came in all three price levels: Standard Six, Special Six, and Deluxe Six. Rarest was the $1070 Special Six (shown), with only 233 produced. Oldsmobiles could be equipped with either wood or wire wheels. Dual-sidemounted spare tires and a rear-mounted trunk were fitted to upper models.

Picture Of 1930 Oldsmobile F-30 Convertible Classic Cars

Conservative styling actually helped Oldsmobile weather the Depression better than most companies, as did some daring technical moves later in the decade. After ranking ninth in the industry in 1929, sales sagged in 1930; but so did those of nearly every manufacturer.

Picture Of 1930 Oldsmobile F-30 Convertible Classic Cars

Only 233 F-30 Special Six convertible roadsters rolled off the line in 1930, enticing shoppers who did not yet feel the impact of the Depression. Dire days lay ahead, but Olds had a long history of survival.

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Oldsmobile Convertible Classic Cars Part 1

Oldsmobile Convertible Classic Cars

Picture Of 1930 Oldsmobile F-30 Convertible Classic Cars

Oldsmobile came out with the 1930 Oldsmobile F-30 as the country was feeling economic pain. Like other manufacturers, Olds Motor Works had begun by producing convertible classic cars, starting with the curved-dash runabout. Soft-topped bodies continued to dominate the market in the Teens. By the Twenties, closed bodies were taking over. "Open" models -- roadsters, phaetons, and convertibles -- turned into the fashionable leaders of each product line.

Picture Of 1930 Oldsmobile F-30 Convertible Classic Cars

At a glance, Oldsmobiles differed little from a dozen other makes. Nearly all automobiles still featured straight, upright lines. Only by looking more closely could the unique features of an Oldsmobile be discerned, as compared to its GM cousins. A new instrument panel went into 1930 models, and the windshield adopted a mild rearward slant.

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History Convertible Classic Cars in the United States

Picture Of Convertible Classic Cars

Until the 1910 introduction by Cadillac of the first closed-body cars, the convertible was the primary body style. US automakers manufactured a broad range of models during the 1950s and 1960s — from economical compact-sized models such as the Rambler American and the Studebaker Lark to the more expensive models such as the Packard Caribbean, Oldsmobile 98, and Imperial by Chrysler.

Picture Of Convertible Classic Cars

Threatened rollover safety regulations in the mid-1970s led to diminished popularity by the 1970s. In 1976 Cadillac marketed the Eldorado as "The last convertible in America". During this period of very low convertible production, T-tops became a popular alternative.

Picture Of Convertible Classic Cars

Elsewhere globally, convertible production continued throughout this era with models such as the Mercedes SL, the VW Beetle Cabriolet, the VW Golf Cabriolet, and the Jaguar E-type.

Picture Of Convertible Classic Cars

In the 1980s convertibles such as the Chrysler LeBaron and Saab 900 revived the body style in the United States — followed by models such as the Mazda Miata, Porsche Boxster, Audi TT and later retractable hardtop models.

A Brief Overview Of Convertible Classic Cars
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A Brief Overview Of Convertible Classic Cars Part 2

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

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A Brief Overview Of Convertible Classic Cars

Picture Of Convertible Classic Cars

A Convertible Classic Cars (sometimes called cabriolet in British English) is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof (aka 'soft top' or 'top' in USA, 'hood' in UK). The collapsible roof section is typically made from flexible canvas or vinyl, although plastic, aluminium and steel have occasionally been used in elaborate folding designs. When the top is made of a rigid material such as steel it is often referred to as a retractable hardtop instead of a Convertible Classic Cars; in Europe this body style is frequently called coupé cabriolet or coupé convertible cars.

Unlike a roadster, which may also have a soft folding top, a convertible cars has roll-up glass windows in the sides, and so the entire vehicle is "convertible" to an enclosed coupé.

Convertibles are usually 2 door models, only a few 4 door models exist e.g. the 1960s Lincoln Continental.

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