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Convertible facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Bmw 3 2004 cabrio
BMW 325Ci Convertible

A convertible is a car that has a roof which can be taken off or folded down. This means you can drive it with the roof up, like a regular car, or with the roof down, enjoying the open air!

Most convertibles have two doors. However, you can also find some with four doors. Famous examples include the Mazda MX-5, BMW Z4, Ferrari 458 Spyder, and Mercedes-Benz SLK Class.

Convertibles have been around for a long time. They developed from older cars called "Phaetons." These early cars also had open tops, but they often didn't have glass side windows. Instead, they might have had fabric panels to keep out rain or cold.

Some cars are called "semi-convertibles" or "cabrio coaches." They also have a roof that can be pulled back or removed. The main difference is that semi-convertibles have regular car windows with frames, while true convertibles usually have windows that roll down completely, giving you a more open feeling.

How Convertible Roofs Work

The way convertible roofs are designed has changed a lot over the years.

Types of Roofs

In the past, roofs were often completely taken off the car. Today, most roofs are designed to fold away. They might fold into a space behind the back seats or into the car's trunk.

Manual vs. Automatic Roofs

Some convertible roofs are manual. This means you have to fold them down or put them up yourself. Other roofs are automatic. They use special motors or hydraulic systems to fold or unfold with the push of a button.

Soft-tops and Hard-tops

Convertible roofs can be made from different materials:

  • Soft-tops are made from flexible materials like vinyl, canvas, or other strong fabrics.
  • Hard-tops are made from solid materials such as steel, aluminum, or plastic. These give the car a look more like a regular coupe when the roof is up.

Different Names for Convertibles

Convertibles are known by many different names around the world. Some common names include:

  • Cabriolet
  • Roadster
  • Tourer
  • Drophead coupé

You might also hear people use informal terms like "drop top" or "rag top."

Hard-top convertibles, especially those with two seats, might be called:

  • Coupé cabriolet
  • Coupé convertible
  • Retractable hardtop
  • Coupé roadster or roadster coupé

Images for kids

  • Daimler Grafton Phaeton 1897 - rear

    1897 Daimler Grafton Phaeton

  • HelenGeorgia1929Ford1975Gas

    1928 Ford Model A Roadster

  • BMW Z8 Heck

    BMW Z8 with a fabric roof in up position

  • 1938Peugeot402LE4Y IMG 7281

    1938 Peugeot 402 retracting its one-piece detachable hard roof

  • VOLVO C70(in transforming)

    A Volvo C70 retractable hard roof with folding segments

  • MG TD - Flickr - exfordy (4)

    MG TD open two-seater with tonneau cover over the passenger seat and luggage space

  • Fiat 500 Cabrio, Bj. 2009 (2009-07-23) ret

    Fiat 500 Cabrio with fabric roof folded to the rear

  • Late model Ford Model T

    Ford Model T circa 1925, with minimal weather protection

  • Bentley 4,5 Litre Sporting Four Seater 1929

    Bentley 4½ Litre 1929 with luxury snap-on and thumbscrew sidescreens

  • Aero (2556664052)

    Aero 500 from 1929

  • 1934 ford model 40 750 De Luxe Phaeton

    Ford Phaeton 1934 open four-door touring car

  • 1937 Delahaye 135MS Roadster

    1937 Delahaye 135MS Roadster

  • 1953.mg.td.arp

    MG TD circa 1953, with manual soft top and detachable sidescreens with plastic windows

  • Lancia D23 Spyder 1953

    Lancia D23 Spyder 1953

  • 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder interior

    1955 Porsche 550 Spyder

  • 1936 Packard Custom Convertible Victoria - LeBaron - fvl

    1936 Packard One-Twenty Convertible Victoria with the top in the semi-open (second) position

  • 1950-nash-001

    Fixed-profile circa 1950 Nash Rambler Convertible "Landau" Coupe

  • Heckel Advertising 3

    Škoda 450 from 1957

  • Mercedes-Benz Typ 300 d Landaulet 2

    Mercedes-Benz 300d landaulet in operation

  • Paris - Retromobile 2012 - Skoda Felicia - 1959 - 002

    Škoda Felicia from 1959

  • 1962 Lincoln Continental convertible (6262975751)

    Lincoln Continental circa 1962, four-door with automatic, self-storing tonneau

  • Ma 1963 E-type

    Jaguar E-type 1963, with vinyl foldable tonneau installed and snap-secured

  • 1966 Mercedes-Benz 230SL convertible (10560521576)

    Mercedes SL 1964, available with a detachable hardtop

  • Rolls Royce Phantom V State Landaulette 1966

    1966 Rolls-Royce Phantom V landaulet

  • 1971eldofront

    Cadillac Eldorado 1972, with detachable, two-part, fully rigid "parade boot" tonneau cover

  • 2cv pinkdylan frome

    Citroën 2CV fixed profile convertible circa 1975, with roll-back roof and rigid doors

  • May 2011 Parade - beginning

    ZIL-410441 parading on Victory Day 2011.

  • 1986 RR Corniche II rear

    Rolls Royce Corniche circa 1986, with a manually installed tonneau cover

  • Allante

    Cadillac Allanté circa 1993, with detachable, rigid plastic tonneau cover.

  • Volkswagen New Beetle Cabriolet Red IAA 2003

    Volkswagen New Beetle circa 2003, with raised textile top

  • Porsche Boxster hr silver

    Porsche Boxster circa 2004, with detachable clear plastic windblocker and a Z-fold top

  • Citroen C3 Pluriel rear 20071104

    Citroën C3 Pluriel circa 2007 with roll-back textile roof and removable rigid sidebars

  • Fiat 500C 1.2 8V Lounge – Heckansicht, 16. April 2011, Düsseldorf

    A Fiat 500 (2007) fixed-profile convertible

  • Jaguar XK8 Cabriolet rear 20070520

    Jaguar XK circa 2008, with heatable glass rear window and fully automatic cloth top

  • 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Skyliner convertible (7026234411)

    1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner

  • Daihatsu.copen.arp.750pix

    Daihatsu Copen circa 2001 with retracted hardtop, kei class

  • Chevrolet SSR

    Chevrolet SSR circa 2004, a retractable hardtop convertible pickup truck

  • Paris 2006 - Ford Focus CC

    Ford Focus CC circa 2006 with its roof retracted

  • Mazda MX-5 hardtop

    Mazda MX-5 circa 2007, with polycarbonate hardtop

  • Cadillac XLR 2006

    Cadillac XLR circa 2007, with aluminum hardtop concealed by tonneau cover

  • Volkswagen Eos Front-view

    Volkswagen Eos circa 2007 with five-segment top and independent sunroof

See also

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Convertible Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.