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.
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1930s Borgward 2300 Cabriolet |
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1930s Adler Trumpf Cabriolet |
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1930s BMW 319 Cabriolet |
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1930s BMW 320 Cabriolet |
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1930s BMW 327/28 Cabriolet |
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1930s Fiat 518 Ardita Torpedo |
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1930s Fiat Balilla Cabriolet |
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1930s Ford V8 Cabriolet |
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1930s Opel 1,8 Liter Cabriolet |
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1930s Opel 6 Cabriolet |
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1930s Wanderer W 23 Cabriolet |
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1931 Plymouth convertible |
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1932-33 Ford Rheinland Cabriolet |
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1934 LaSalle Series 50 Convertible |
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1935 Ford convertible |
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1935 Pontiac Convertible |
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1935 Steyr 120 Super convertible |
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1935-38 Wanderer W 250 Cabriolet |
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1936 Opel 1,3 Liter Cabriolet |
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1936 Simca-Fiat 11 CV Cabriolet |
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1936-37 Peugeot 302 Cabriolet |
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1938 BMW 327/28 Cabriolet |
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1939 Cadillac Series 61 Convertible |
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1939 Mercury 8 convertible |
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1941 Ford convertible |
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1946-48 Ford Super De Luxe |
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1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Cabriolet |
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1948 Pontiac Torpedo Deluxe Convertible |
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1949 Pontiac Chieftan Eight Convertible |
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1950 Buick convertible |
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1950-54 DKW F89 Cabriolet |
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1950s Chevrolet Bel Air convertible |
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1950s Fiat 1400 Cabriolet |
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1950s Ford Sunliner convertible |
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1950s Ford Taunus 15 M Cabriolet |
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1952-55 Porsche 356 ‘Pre-A’ Cabriolet |
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1954 Ford Vedette Décapotable |
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1955 Chevrolet convertible |
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1956 Buick Special Convertible |
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1957 Cadillac Biarritz convertible |
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1957 Ford convertible |
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1957 Mercury Convertible |
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1957 Plymouth Belvedere convertible |
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1957-59 Fiat 1200 Spyder |
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1959 VMA 660 Ford Zephyr Mark 1 2-door Convertible |
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1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible |
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1960s Chevy II Nova convertible |
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1964 Chevy Impala convertible |
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1965 Mustang Blue Convertible |
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1967 Cadillac |