Convertable

A convertable is a passenger car that has a retractable roof. Much in demand for their versatility, convertable cars have roofs that may be made of flexible materials such as plastic and vinyl or rigid sheets of aluminium and steel. During pleasant weather, the car occupants have the option to roll back the roof offering the driver and the passengers that characteristic ‘wind on your face’ feeling. On excessively sunny days or during rains, the roof can be instantly raised to provide an overhead shield. While most convertibles, also called cabriolets, are 2-door cars, some models have 4 doors.

In the early years of automotive development at the turn of the twentieth century, most cars were convertibles until Cadillac launched the first full-bodied car in 1910. Most famous car manufacturers across the globe nowadays have convertable car models in their line-up. While some convertible roofs are manually operated, others have an electrical retracting system that is usually controlled by the driver. Sometimes a hard top is preferred to a soft top due to security reasons as soft tops can be torn by robbers. Additionally, soft tops may not provide adequate protection to the occupants in the case of an accident.

Some noted convertables include the Alfa Romeo Spider, Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Audi TT, Bentley Azure, BMW Z3 and Z4, Cadillac Eldorado, Chevrolet Corvette, Chrysler LeBaron, Dodge 400, Ford Mustang GT Convertible, Honda S2000, Jaguar XK series, Lincoln Continental, Lotus Elan, Mazda MX-5/Miata, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Nissan 350Z Roadster, Opel GT/Saturn Sky/Daewoo G2X, Peugeot 307 CC, Porsche 356, Renault Mégane CC, Toyota Camry Solara, Volvo C70 and Volkswagen Beetle.