The Sky’s The Limit

American car manufacturers were out of the convertible business by 1977, and America was to blame.

Some may point a finger at Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 216, also known as Roof Crush Resistance, which had been discussed since the mid-’60s but not enacted until the first half of the ’70s. Rollovers were an issue in the days of 4,000-pound curb weights and spindly roof pillars, and naturally, convertibles offered the least protection to occupants in such incidents. Porsche’s 911 and 912 Targa and the C3 Corvette coupe’s removable top sections were both hedges against the seeming inevitability of the standard—both designs were intended to preserve a measure of open-air motoring while offering more overhead structure. That said, as it was written the standard did not apply to convertibles. So, while FMVSS216 gets pointed at frequently, it’s not actually the reason convertibles went away.

It’s fair to look toward improved climate-control systems too—namely, the explosion of cars receiving air conditioning as the ’60s and ’70s wore on. A feature on only the most luxurious models of the mid-1950s, the option was soon democratized and came tumbling