General Motors "A" body cars in those days was used on the Chevrolet and
Pontiac, while the Oldsmobile and Buick Special/Century used the "B"body.
The Buick Super/Roadmaster and all Cadillacs except the 75 used the "C"
body. Both the "A" and the "C" got the 4-door hardtop in 1956, and only
the "B" body got the 4-door hardtop in mid-year 1955. Thus the only 4-door
hardtops built in 1955 were the Oldsmobile (88, Super 88 and 98) and Buick
(Special and Century).
The GM "A", "B", and "C" body labelling dates back to 1940 and it was not
until 1959 that the Chevrolet and Pontiac would share the "B" body with the
Oldsmobile and Buick (LeSabre, Invicta and Electra). The 1959 "C" body
was used by Buick (Electra 225) and all Cadillacs except the Brougham and
75. The "A" body would not reappear until 1964 when it was used on the
new intermediate-size Chevelle/ Beaumont/ Tempest/ F-85 / Special car lines.
The first post-war 4-door "hardtop convertible" was built by Kaiser in 1949.
They took the 4-door sedan, removed the roof and made a 4-door convertible.
The doors had stationary chrome upper door fames and there was a stationary
metal-framed glass pillar between the door glass.
To that body, Kaiser put a roof back on and called it the "Virginian". The
Virginian used a three-piece wrap-around rear window and had the
convertble's side window configuration. The Kaiser DeLuxe Virginian was
sold in 1949 and 1950, and for 1951 the body style appeared in the Frazer
Manhatten series.
Chrysler's first 2-door hardtop, by the way, was built in 1946 on the
1946-first series 1949 body. Seven of them were built, and some do still
exist. The first brochure and folder announcing the second-series 1949
line was printed in March, 1949, and it illustrated a 2-door Newport hardtop
convertible. It was supposed to be available in the Windsor, New Yorker
and Town & Country series. Only one 1949 Chrysler Town & Country 2-door
hardtop was built. It was built off a production convertible and is
included in the 1949 lists of body style production.
Although General Motors gets the credit for the 2-door hardtop, I believe
Chrysler should get the nod for the idea. After all, they did announce the
body style in March, 1949, months before General Motors introduced their
Holiday, Riviera and Coupe de Ville models.
Bill
Vancouver, BC
> [The first 4-door hardtop style bodies were made by GM
> in 1955 in the "B" bodied cars (Buick Special/Century,
> Olds 88/98 and Chevrolet/Pontiac. The "A" bodied cars
> (Buick Super/Roadmaster & Cadillac) did not get 4-door
> hardtop style until 1956]
>
> --- Nicholas Essinger <crowncoupe@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > "TL" & "4 Toes"
> > Some how I copied your addresses down wrong, so must
> > send this way.
> >
> > The original concept of the "hardtop" dates back
> > over 75 years. However, as
> > we are familiar with the term, it was applied to the
> > cars of the late 1940s
> > - a result of the owner of a convertible who did not
> > want to lower the top.
> > The first real hardtops (in the 2 door version)
> > appeared in 1949 model year,
> > by GM. Chrysler had a prototype two door hardtop in
> > 1949 also; it was on
> > the "Second Series" body of the 1949 models, but was
> > not introduced until
> > the 1950 model year. I realize that I am in deep
> > dudu here, but still feel
> > that the first four door hardtops were not
> > introduced until 1956 - by any
> > company. [Check me on this - OK?]
> >
> > The visual difference between a 2 door and 4 door
> > sedan versus the 2 and 4
> > door hardtops is quite glaring, really. As you view
> > the vehicle from the
> > side, there is open feeling (visual and actual) in
> > that there is no
> > "obstruction" between the windshield and the
> > backglass on a hardtop.
> > Structurally, on sedans, there are three primary
> > differences: first, there
> > is a metal frame surrounding the glass which is a
> > structural part of the
> > door; second, there is a hard, steel "post" going
> > from the floor pan to the
> > roof rail; and third, the rear door hinges/mounts to
> > this "post,"(excluding
> > the 'suicide' rear door of the 1961-1969 Lincoln
> > Continental).
> > On a "true" hardtop, structurally, there is no
> > "complete B post" from the
> > floor pan to the roof rail, nor is there any metal
> > frame around the
> > window(s). [Today, or in past 25 years, "Detroit' &
> > the advertising media
> > have used the term hardtop when they were actually
> > referring to the two door
> > sedan coupe, on either of 2 models: the front door
> > is that of the old
> > hardtop style, but there is a full/solid "B post"
> > (really, a hardtop sedan
> > coupe---say a 1975/6 NYB coupe; or the actual front
> > door of a sedan (metal
> > window frame) on an actual sedan with the full "B
> > post"---say a 1978 GM Olds
> > Delta 88 Royale Coupe...or any 77-85 or so GM
> > vehicle.] On a 2 door
> > hardtop, the body/side behind the door and infront
> > of the rear wheel well
> > forms the "B post." On the 4 door hardtop, the "B
> > Post" only rises to the
> > point just below the level of the windows; it still
> > must be there to mount
> > the rear door to the car.
> > As much as I 'think' about it, and try to find info
> > to the contrary, I feel
> > that the first 4 door hardtops were available as
> > 1956 models. I do know
> > that in 1949, the ill-fated Kaiser 'Virginian' was
> > available as a 'four door
> > hardtop,' and the Frazer 'Manhattan' was available
> > as a four door
> > convertible sedan, both for about 15-18 months.
> >
> > Any one out there who has additional information, or
> > that is able to correct
> > (or modify) the information: please chime in.
> > Thanks for listening to one
> > who now owns a two door hardtop (1964 Imperial Crown
> > Coupe) and a 2 door
> > coupe (or sedan? - 1978 Olds Delta 88 Royale Coupe)
> > [and formerly a 78 Ford
> > LTD four door pillared hardtop sedan as well as a
> > 1971 Chrysler Newport
> > Custom four door hardtop]. Later, ne
> >
> >
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