One thing it seems many companies are choosing hard top convertibles now. Only company I knew for a while with one was Lexus, with the SC430. Not sure if anyone before Lexus did it. One thing I truly like hard top convertibles I feel much safer in them, than the rag tops. I have a feeling with more people doing hard top convertibles, probably end up seeing full glass ones.

Sorry for powerposting.

 

Benz SLK was not the first ever, but first of recent memory. The SC 430 followed next, then the Benz SL and I am very happy to see many others useit.
In Europe some brands have 15k hardtops!

The Honda Del Sol in Japan of the early 90s had a hardtop automatic removal option. The del Sol was not a complete convert, but it took off the T-top and put it in the trunk.

THe Ferrari 575 SuperAmerica has a flip roof, the roof just swivels into the trunk. The cool thing too is the roof is glass and you can tint the roof to your liking!!

The Volvo C70 and VW EOS and Pontiac G6 also have hardtops.

 

Remeber 3000GT have hardtop convertiles too?

 

And what about the late 1950's Ford versions.

 

They had a program on the discovery channel a while back about converibles. or maybe it was the history channel.

 

Down here, Peugeot sells some hard top convertibles in the 206 and 307 models. Very nice designs (but engineering )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_206
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_307

 

Peugot was the first back in the 30's then ford in the 50's. Mitsu brought it back in the 90's followed by benz and then Lexus. Now everyone is doing it.

 

Also, a lot of my friends with ragtops have had their cars broken into by someone tearing the canvas top.

Not only do they lose whatever was valuable in the car (including their personal information and identities), but they had to get the canvas replaced, which for most cars run around $2000 with installation!!!

 

Yep, Ford was first(at least for America). My uncle had one of these http://vintagecars.about.com/od/hist...kyliner_bg.htm

 

Had that happen to me twice with my 90 325i conv., cost me about $700 USD each time.

 

Some history on retractable hardtop convertibles on THIS SITE

 

Honda had a targa top delsol, same roof as a supra, not a convertible. A t-top is the roof found on f-body camaros, trans am, etc. Then Honda brought back the hardtop in 99 or 2000 with the S2000 which was before Lexus did it i believe. I know that its illegal for shops to tint your sunroof or glass roofs found on vettes because the tint shatters under so much direct sunlight, sure your windows have direct sunlight but its not the same i guess.

 

The new Pontiac has one too.

 

Right, targa top is different from t-top.

Honda made the S2000 with a hardtop? Really? I thought it was always soft.

Sick, don't forget about the XLR...

 

It's an optional attached fiber glass top like the advertised 3-series. Saw plenty of s2k with fiber glass top, but never seen any 3-series with it.