The first production hardtop was the 1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera, followed
later that year by the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Oldsmobile 98
Holiday. Chrysler introduced their hardtops, the Newport, in 1950. The
Imperial Newport, I believe, didn't bow until 1953. Chrysler Corporation has
the distinction of producing the last of the four-door hardtops, the 1978
Newports and New Yorker Broughams.
Ross Klein
'Life's too short to drive 'ordinary' cars"
----- Original Message -----
From: <gimpineer@xxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: IML: The term "hardtop"
> Being just older than dirt, I was around when "Hardtops" were introduced.
> D^2 is correct. This was a new concept, at last for the major car
> makers.
> Previously only convertibles had an unobstructed window opening from
> front to rear.
> If I remember correctly, Willys Aero had the first one in 1952. Willys
> was the company
> famous for making Jeeps. They made a very nice small sedan in the 1950's
> with an "F"-
> head six engine. (Anyone out there, under 65, know what an F-head is?)
> The same
> company was sold/merged, etc. and later purchased by Chrysler.
>
> Reminiscing, 4 - Toes
>
> On Tue, 05 Mar 2002 10:00:56 -0600 "D. Dardalis" <dardal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> writes:
> > At 12:13 AM 3/5/2002 -0600, you wrote:
> > >PS Why is it called a hardtop anyway? I know what a soft top is.
> >
> > Hugh,
> > I am not sure if this is right, but the original term was "hardtop
> > convertible". Without a B-pillar it is as if the car is a
> > convertible, but
> > it actually has a hardtop rather than a soft top (so, its really not
> > a
> > convertible, but it kind'o looks like one). Eventually, the term
> > got
> > simplified and the second word got damped and forgotten. I had read
> > this
> > on the British "Classic Cars" Magazine when they made a presentation
> > of an
> > early 50's Bu*ck Roadmaster 2 door hardtop, I think 53.
> > D^2
> >
> >
> >
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