A convertible, cabriolet or spyder/spider is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary between models.
A convertible allows an open-air driving experience, with the ability to provide a roof when required. Potential drawbacks of convertibles are reduced structural rigidity (requiring significant engineering and modification to counteract the effects of removing a car's roof) and cargo space.
The majority of convertible roofs are a folding construction made from cloth. Other types of convertible roofs include retractable hardtops (often constructed from metal or plastic) and detachable hardtops (where a metal or plastic roof is manually removed and often stored in the trunk).
These fascinating photos captured people posing with their convertibles from between the 1930s and 1960s.
1930s Borgward 2300 Cabriolet |
1930s Adler Trumpf Cabriolet |
1930s BMW 319 Cabriolet |
1930s BMW 320 Cabriolet |
1930s BMW 327/28 Cabriolet |
1930s Fiat 518 Ardita Torpedo |
1930s Fiat Balilla Cabriolet |
1930s Ford V8 Cabriolet |
1930s Opel 1,8 Liter Cabriolet |
1930s Opel 6 Cabriolet |
1930s Wanderer W 23 Cabriolet |
1931 Plymouth convertible |
1932-33 Ford Rheinland Cabriolet |
1934 LaSalle Series 50 Convertible |
1935 Ford convertible |
1935 Pontiac Convertible |
1935 Steyr 120 Super convertible |
1935-38 Wanderer W 250 Cabriolet |
1936 Opel 1,3 Liter Cabriolet |
1936 Simca-Fiat 11 CV Cabriolet |
1936-37 Peugeot 302 Cabriolet |
1938 BMW 327/28 Cabriolet |
1939 Cadillac Series 61 Convertible |
1939 Mercury 8 convertible |
1941 Ford convertible |
1946-48 Ford Super De Luxe |
1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Cabriolet |
1948 Pontiac Torpedo Deluxe Convertible |
1949 Pontiac Chieftan Eight Convertible |
1950 Buick convertible |
1950-54 DKW F89 Cabriolet |
1950s Chevrolet Bel Air convertible |
1950s Fiat 1400 Cabriolet |
1950s Ford Sunliner convertible |
1950s Ford Taunus 15 M Cabriolet |
1952-55 Porsche 356 ‘Pre-A’ Cabriolet |
1954 Ford Vedette Décapotable |
1955 Chevrolet convertible |
1956 Buick Special Convertible |
1957 Cadillac Biarritz convertible |
1957 Ford convertible |
1957 Mercury Convertible |
1957 Plymouth Belvedere convertible |
1957-59 Fiat 1200 Spyder |
1959 VMA 660 Ford Zephyr Mark 1 2-door Convertible |
1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible |
1960s Chevy II Nova convertible |
1964 Chevy Impala convertible |
1965 Mustang Blue Convertible |
1967 Cadillac |