Jalopnik
Earlier this morning we told you about the Cadillac CTS Convertible by CBI, mentioning it was a four door convertible which was "something rare for a convertible in this class." Inadvertently, we opened up a can of worms with that little phrase. Never one to let a little comment pass, Nick2ny asked us to name another four-door American convertible in this class. That involved a little work because, from the major manufacturers, we don't have much. American four-door luxury convertible? The best we can do is the 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, which retained all four doors and a soft top that slipped all the way back into the trunk (a la´Skyliner). So that's one.
If you stretch the definition you can think of a couple of modern American four-door convertibles, but it is quite the stretch. So here are the questions: Can you think of any four-door convertibles from any period and any country? Can you find anymore custom four-door chops like the CTS? Is a four-door convertible even a good idea? Would you want want/drive one? Four doors + no top. Go crazy.
[Photo: Love Fords]
Comments
I know those are swans in the background, but everytime I see a Lincoln Convertible, I can't help thinking, "Duck!"
Chrysler 300C Helios. Concept car, yes - but also available as an aftermarket job.
[www.coachbuildersltd.com] Does this count? 4 door Chrysler ragtop.
Kaiser Manhattan, baby!
[info.detnews.com]
Seems like when I was a kid I had a model car of a 1967 Galaxy 500 4 door convertible. Or was that the summer I took up drinkin?
Comment on Four Door Convertibles? Jeep Touts the 4Dr Wrangler as a 4 door convertible. I know Mercedes had a concept car as a tribute to the 1950s 300 four-door cabriolet. I have always loved the early 1960s lincoln convertibles...something about convert. top, suicide doors, and a car long enough to play volleyball on.
[www.cruisermotorsports.com] Or this pig.
Sorry. Frazer Manhattan.
In the 1930's Fisher body built any number of them on GM chassis, Caddys, Buicks and LaSalles in the main. Every once in a while one even pops up on the bay of e, for extraordinary amounts of money.
[www.car-nection.com] Boss Hogg's family car.
Sheriff Buford T Justice's Pontiac.
[www.theautochannel.com] Merc concept.
[www.carbuyersnotebook.com]
[www.dataphone.se] So wrong.
Does the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4-Door count?
I think so.
@☼ БЯд╒╒ ®: Trying to steal my glory!
That's got to handle like an accordion.
[oldcarandtruckpictures.com] Needs spinners & neons.
Dude how could you question the existence of another 4 door convertible? It is on the Entourage opening for god's sake.
I know it is not a luxury car, but a Jeep Wrangler can be had four-doored and convertiblitizinatedly.
@zacarious: If the Wrangler counts, then the ORIGINAL Hummer H1 counts too.
Another Chrysler entry: 1997 Dual Cowl concept and 1940 Newport Dual Cowl. The Newport was used in a lot of parades and such.
You're not serious, right?
Practically every car line had a four door convertible pre-war...
I could go on and on...
Cadillac designed and engineered a 4 door convertible in the mid-sixties as a response to the the Lincoln but sales of the Lincoln droped off and Ford announed the end of the line in '67 and Cadillac dropped plans to introduce their own 4 dr drop top. A retired GM engineer has the fully functional prototype Caddy and it's awesome.
I'm still waiting on a four door with T-tops.
But four door convertibles are good, if only to guarantee a useable backseat.
@Number_Six:
"There is no way- NO WAY- that you came from my loins. When we get home first thing I'm gonna do is pop yo' momma in the mouth."
The problem with four door convertibles has always been how to achieve body integrity. The Lincoln pictured above when parked on uneven surfaces experienced body flex so extreme that its doors would actually bind to the point of being impossible to open. Not a good thing.
It just looks right...
39 Ford Deluxe 4 door
I bet it feels right too!
@Isetta: I've done a lot of research into those unibody Lincolns, and I have never heard of this issue...it couldn't have been that bad, or they wouldn't have made them from '61 through '67 without a massive recall...now if there was rust involved, thats a different story.
So, my boys have handily handled the first question. As for the rest, yes, it's a good idea, and yes, I'd drive one.
@layabout: Ha... blame it on slow comment posting.
Great minds think alike though I suppose
@PAPAL POLAЯ: Nothing like a tight fitting old girl.
@☼ БЯд╒╒ ®: Haha,true. Not atall jealous that yours turned out better.
[www.autogallery.org.ru]
Cadillac:
- Per Wikireality, the Series 62 ('460'58) Caddie offered a 4-dr version in every year. [en.wikipedia.org]
Mercedes:
S600 Ocean Drive Concept: [blogs.edmunds.com]
Oldsmobile:
Buncho dem from 1911 to 1949 here: [www.oldcarandtruckpictures.com]
(check 1911, 1915, & 1940 Series 90 Phaeton)
1941 Phaeton: [www.autogallery.org.ru]
I coulda sworn that there was Olds 4-dr 'vert in the '68-'74 era but can't find a pic.
Zimmer
[www.zimmermotorcars.com]
What about the Renault Espace ragtop re-engineered by the Top Gear trio?
My grandfather had an Auburn Phaeton back in the late 30's/early 40's, which is I believe what the body style(4-door vert)used to be called. It was the exact same color and style as a local gangster(this was Chicago). The gangster's car had bulletproof windows though. He told me he would get pulled over a lot by the cops. I'm not aware of any 4-door convertibles since the 60's at least. I imagine the advent of good air conditioning killed that for the most part.
Peugeot presented the a concept four-door retractable hardtop convertible, the Peugeot 407 Macarena in 2006 -- by French coachbuilding specialist Heuliez, the Macarena's top folded in 60 seconds. The steel reinforcing beam behind the front seats had LCD screens for the rear passengers into the crossmember.
Go to Youtube and type in Peugeot Macarena, to see the top in action.
@beercheck: Yes, a simple google reveals hundreds, going up into the 60's. And Maybach and Mercedes in the offing...
Next question!
@layabout: I come prepared...
...or am I prepared to come?
Hope this isn't a double post...
Mercedes G4 4 doors, 6 wheels and 6 wheel drive!
[www.seriouswheels.com]
I can't believe nobody mentioned the Volkswagen Thing, or the Kübelwagen!
Have you all forgotten the RX-8? Its even got suicide doors!
VW Thing comes to my mind first, and Russian UAZ jeeps. Plenty of pre-war dictatormobiles would also qualify.
[upload.wikimedia.org]
@P161911:
that is one sexy beast.
@maxforrest32: I just know I've read of those flexing issues from several different sources over the years and from other car buffs. But yeah I've never directly heard from a Lincoln owner. I think it would have to be an extremely uneven surface for this to even occur, a situation that the average owner would rarely experience. Could have been a nasty rumor started by Cadillac back in the day.
I can't believe no one mentioned the Adenauer Mercedes-Benzes.
We had one as a PCH candidate, after all!
In the '50s, Mercedes-Benz built the 300--also known as the "Adenauer" because the West German chancellor always rode around in them-- in a four-door "Cabriolet D" configuration. They cost three times as much as a top-of-the-line Caddy, and your obscene amount of money bought you an obscene amount of awesomeness. The 300 had the same running gear as the 300SL Gullwing, which gave impressive performance by '50s standards even in the big, heavy sedan. Incidentally, Mercedes solved the problem of structural rigidity in their typical style: They just made the frame really, really strong.
[www.conceptcarz.com]
@FreeMan: have you forgotten the RX-8 is not a convertible?
Anything without glass/roll-up windows doesn't count (sorry VW Thing, and arguably Jeep).