Editing Convertible (section)

== Roof types ==
=== Textile ===
[[File:BMW Z8 Heck.JPG|thumb|[[BMW Z8]] with a fabric roof in up position]]

A "soft top" is made from a flexible textile material:
* Early convertibles used cotton [[canvas]] woven so tightly that it was waterproof. Automakers had problems in securing raw materials to fulfill orders after World War II, including canvas in various shades for convertible tops, therefore limiting their manufacture.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9EVWAAAAMAAJ&q=automakers+were+found+hustling+secure+raw+materials+to+fulfill+orders+Securing+canvas+in+various+shades+convertible+top+manufacture+was |page=42 |title=The Last Roadster |magazine=Cars and Parts |volume=43 |year=2000 |access-date=26 December 2022 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
* A cloth-based material has become more common in recent years.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IjoS3stx2s0C&q=Haartz+cloth+is+found+mostly+on+newer,+more+expensive+convertibles.+It+actually+holds+up&pg=PA120 |page=120 |title=Muscle Car Interior Restoration Guide |first=Daniel |last=Stroll |publisher=CarTech |year=2009 |isbn=9781932494983 |access-date=26 December 2022 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

Other materials are also used in the convertible top. By 1955, the most popular materials were [[latex]] and [[butyl rubber]] fabrics that each accounted for around 35% of the convertible top's weight, with others included [[vinyl (fabric)|vinyl]] (12%), [[jute]] (8%), along with [[rayon]] and [[acrylic fiber]]s (Orlon), amounting to about 1% each in the compositions.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rNA8AAAAYAAJ&q=Automobile+Convertible+materials |pages=8, 40–41 |title=Fabrics and Fibers for Passenger Cars: Automobile Manufacturers' Views, 1955 Compared with 1950, Issue 152 of Marketing research report |first=Milton |last=Jacobs |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Marketing Research Division |year=1957 |access-date=26 December 2022 |via=Google Books}}</ref> [[Polyvinyl chloride]] (PVC) material was used for many convertible tops. The material consists of two layers: a top layer made of PVC, which has a specific structure depending on the vehicle model, and a lower layer made of fabric (usually cotton).

The collapsible textile roof section over an articulated folding frame may include linings such as a sound-deadening layer and/or an interior cosmetic lining, to hide the frame.

The folded convertible mechanism with the top is called the stack.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=James C. |title=Convertible vehicle top stack mechanism |url= https://www.freepatentsonline.com/7032951.html |website=freepatentsonline.com |date=25 April 2006 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> Designs that fold down to a lower stack height offer a smoother silhouette for the car with the top down while concealed side rails allow room for three passengers in the back seat such as on the [[Rambler Rebel#1967|1967 Rambler Rebel]] convertible.<ref>{{cite web |title=1967 AMC Data Book - Rambler Rebel convertible |page=34 |url= http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/AMC/1967_AMC/1967_AMC_Data_Book/slides/1967_AMC_Data_Book-034.html |website=oldcarbrochures.org |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref>

=== Detachable hardtop ===
Rigid removable hardtops, many of which can be stored in a car's trunk/boot, have been available at least since the 1950s.<ref name="HartopHistory"/><ref>{{cite web|title=356 Porsche Removable Hardtops |url= http://derwhites356literature.com/356PorscheRemovableHardtops.html |website=derwhites356literature.com |access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> These usually provide greater weatherproofing, soundproofing, and durability compared to fabric-based tops; some are available with integrated rear-window defrosters and windscreens. Examples include the [[Ford Thunderbird]] (1st-generation and 11th-generation), [[Mercedes-Benz SL-Class|Mercedes SL]] (2nd-generation and 3rd-generation), [[Porsche Boxster]], [[Jeep Wrangler]], [[Ford Mustang Cobra]] (1995 Only), and [[Mazda MX-5]].

During the 1950s and 1960s, detachable hard-material roofs were offered for various [[convertible (car)|convertible]] [[sports car]]s and [[Roadster (automobile)|roadsters]], including the 1955–1957 [[Ford Thunderbird]] and [[Chevrolet Corvette]], as well as the 1963–1971 [[Mercedes-Benz W113]] series of two-seaters. Because the convertible top mechanism is itself expensive, the hard roof was customarily offered as an additional, extra-cost option. On early Thunderbirds (and Corvettes through 1967), buyers could choose between a detachable hardtop and a folding canvas top at no additional cost, but paid extra for both.

The metal-framed "[[Carson top]]" was a popular addition for the 1930s Ford convertibles or roadsters because it turned these models into an almost instant hardtop.<ref name="HartopHistory">{{cite magazine |last=Howley |first=Tim |title=A History of Hardtops |magazine=Hemmings Classic Car |publisher=Hemmings Motor News |date=April 2006 |url= https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/a-history-of-hardtops |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> The design mimicked a convertible top, but lacking the bulky folding mechanisms enabled the removable hardtop to have a much lower and more rakish profile.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/pisano-ogden-buick-custom-car.htm |author=<!-- staff --> |title=Pisano/Ogden Buick: Profile of a Custom Car |date=19 September 2007 |website=howstuffworks.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129112135/http://auto.howstuffworks.com/pisano-ogden-buick-custom-car.htm |archive-date=29 November 2020 |access-date=10 March 2022}}</ref>

Improvements in canvas tops have rendered the detachable hard roof less common in part because the top cannot be stored inside the vehicle when not in use, requiring a garage or other storage facility. Some open cars continue to offer it as an option. For example, the [[Mazda MX-5]] has an accessory hardtop, which is compulsory for some auto racing series.

=== Retractable hardtop ===
[[File:VOLVO C70(in transforming).JPG|thumb|A [[Volvo C70]] retractable hard roof with folding segments]]
{{main|Retractable hardtop}}

A '''retractable hardtop''' — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing [[hardtop]] (as opposed to the textile-based roof used by traditional convertibles).

The benefits of improved climate control and security are traded off against increased mechanical complexity, cost, weight, and often reduced luggage capacity.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}