An automobile roof or car top is the portion of an automobile that sits above the passenger compartment, protecting the vehicle occupants from sun, wind, rain, and other external elements. Because the earliest automobiles were designed in an era of
horse-drawn carriages, early automobile roofs used similar materials and designs.
Variations
In later years, many variations on the automobile roof developed. These include:
*
Convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
roofs
**
Roof modules
**
Roof modules
*
Hardtop
A hardtop is a rigid form of automobile roof, which for modern cars is typically constructed from metal. A hardtop roof can be either fixed (i.e. not removable), detachable for separate storing or retractable within the vehicle itself.
The ...
s
*
Sunroof
A sunroof is a movable panel that opens to uncover a window in an automobile roof, allowing light and fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs can be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and styl ...
s
*
T-tops
*
Targa tops
*
Vinyl roof
Vinyl roof refers to a vinyl covering for an automobile's top.
This covering was originally designed to give the appearance of a convertible to models with a fixed roof and eventually evolved into a styling statement in its own right. Vi ...
s
See also
*
Car glass
Vehicle glass includes windscreens, side and rear windows, and glass panel roofs on a vehicle. Side windows can be either fixed or raised and lowered by depressing a button ( power window) or switch or using a hand-turned crank. The power moon ...
*
Roof rack
A roof rack is a set of bars secured to the roof of a motor car. It is used to carry bulky items such as luggage, bicycles, canoes, kayaks, skis, or various carriers and containers.
They allow users of an automobile to transport objects on ...
*
Roof
A roof ( : roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of t ...
References
{{carDesign nav
Auto parts