None of the Two Door Imperials from '55 (maybe even '53) on were actually
called Coupes until the Crown Coupe appeared in 1964.
Paul
In a message dated 7/13/2004 1:07:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, "Hugh & Therese"
<hugtrees@xxxxxxxx> writes:
>
>Joseph asked:
>
>OK. I cannot get this straight in my head (and my father-in-law who was in
>the body shop business tried to explain this to me several times), how can
>one tell the difference between a hardtop and a sedan?
>
>My reply:
>
>Well, lets start with what we know a sedan is. It has four doors. It has
>three pillars holding up the roof on each side. One at the windshield, one
>at the rear window, and one in the middle, between the doors. The doors are
>fully framed, which is to say the glass moves within the frame and their is
>a seal all around it when the window is closed.
>
>A four door hardtop does not have the middle pillar. With the windows open
>there is no obstruction between the windshield and rear window. The doors
>are not fully framed. When closed the windows seal against the roof of the
>car, the front and rear pillars and with each other in the middle.
>
>The name hardtop is confusing. It is an abbreviation of the phrase 'hardtop
>convertible, which is almost an oxymoron, or 'fixed hardtop convertible,'
>which definitely is. The idea is to give the impression that the car is a
>convertible without actually having a roof that opens and closes. In some
>sports cars, they do indeed have a canvas roof for the summer and a hardtop
>roof for the winter. The hardtop obviously cannot be folded away but can be
>removed. No Imperial had a removable hardtop. Also, many Imperial coupes
>are really two door hardtops and not coupes at all.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
>Hugh
>58 4 door hardtop.
>
>
>
>
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