The trend is now mostly restricted to exotic sports cars, but 15 years ago everyone was doing it, and often badly
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by Chris Chilton
5 hours ago
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by Chris Chilton
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Automotive trends are constantly catching fire and burning out: think fins in the 1950s, affordable sports cars in the 1960s and non-PHEV full hybrids in the 2000s.
Another trend that consumed the automotive industry in the early part of this century was retractable hardtops. Peugeot had employed a basic version of the concept in the 1930s, and Ford kind of used it on the Fairlane and Galaxie Skyliners in the 1950s, but it was the arrival of the Mercedes SLK in 1996 that really sent the trend global. By the mid 2000s almost every automaker was ditching cloth tops for fashionable folding hardtops, but often they abandoned style in the process.
Modern exotic convertibles like the Ferrari 296 GTS are as elegant as their coupe cousins, but because they have a short roof section and fixed rear pillars, there’s not much bulk for the designers to stash. But it’s a different story when your donor is a four-seat hatchback or sedan, as was often the case in the 2000s boom.
Hiding all that folded roof often left cars with a gigantic butt, and unfortunately this was years before thick was a thing. The other problem was that designers were often forced to pull the windshield as far back over the driver as possible to shorten the roof section to make that roof easier to package. This made the styling look weird in profile, and also spoiled some of sensation of being in a convertible because you were less aware of the sky above you.
You only have to compare the handsome 1990s Peugeot 306 Cabriolet with the blobby 307 Coupe-Cabrio that replaced it see what we mean. And that top-down picture shows the 307 in its best light. Top-up, the 306 looked just as good and the 307 even more hideous, as did so many retractable hardtop cars, which was a major problem. While we imagine our convertibles are going to spend 95 percent of the time with the roof down and five with it up, in many parts of the world where dry weather can’t be guaranteed those percentages are just as likely to be reversed.
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Fortunately, most automakers, including BMW with its 4-Series, have decided to retract their support of folding hardtops, realizing that cars with traditional folding fabric tops are easier to style and package and don’t compromise trunk space. But there are still plenty of hideous reminders of this dubious trend lurking in parking lots and city streets. Who do you think did it worst? Drop your answer below and let us know who overcame the odds to get it right, while you’re at it.
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