A recent post had some speculation on the 'proper' use of the monikers applied to
some variants of our beloved steeds-objects of adulation. Following is another variant.
The term 'convertible' refers to sofas, cars, your portfolio and any number of objects
that can be 'converted' from one form to another, in Porsche world, Convertible Drauz.
Cabriolet is a French term used to describe a 2 seat, 2 wheeled horse drawn cart with
a collapsible top, not necessarily padded. It's application to autos is likely a matter of
sales department 'engineering', and is no more than a continental version of 'convertible'.
Roadster is more interesting in that it originally referred to a horse or horse and carriage
that was deemed acceptable on public roads, nothing to do with a soft top and again likely
applied by the sales department because it sounds better than it's origins implied.
Speedster has been used to describe many vehicles including watercraft.
Ford, Auburn and others used it long before Porsche's sales department
(or Max Hoffman, who was an ipso-facto member of that department) applied it to a certain variant of our tubs. None of these terms is mutually exclusive to Porsche,
Cabriolet - Convertible Potato - Potaato
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Philip R Trenholme
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:19 pm
In the unsophisticated world of the 50's, my best friend was a car expert (at least compared to me). He claimed that early (1932 to 36) Ford 3-window coupes, roadsters, and Victorias were designed by different designers than 5-window coupes and convertibles.
He also pointed out that a convertible had roll-up windows whereas a roadster had side curtains; this also being the difference between a four-door convertible and a phaeton.
I used to think of my Speedster as a roadster but this was before Porsche started making roadsters with roll-up windows. In my 50's crowd, a Ford roadster or phaeton was much cooler/hipper (and rarer) than a 2 or 4 door convertible. We all thought Speedsters were cool because, not only were they roadsters, but also because with the top up they seemed "chopped" like a cool 32 Ford 3-window coupe hot-rod.
The roadster and phaeton, costing less than a 2 or 4 door convertible new, then becoming more valuable than convertibles with age was possibly a precursor to the Speedster situation.
Quick quiz: What was the last American phaeton produced ?
Phil
He also pointed out that a convertible had roll-up windows whereas a roadster had side curtains; this also being the difference between a four-door convertible and a phaeton.
I used to think of my Speedster as a roadster but this was before Porsche started making roadsters with roll-up windows. In my 50's crowd, a Ford roadster or phaeton was much cooler/hipper (and rarer) than a 2 or 4 door convertible. We all thought Speedsters were cool because, not only were they roadsters, but also because with the top up they seemed "chopped" like a cool 32 Ford 3-window coupe hot-rod.
The roadster and phaeton, costing less than a 2 or 4 door convertible new, then becoming more valuable than convertibles with age was possibly a precursor to the Speedster situation.
Quick quiz: What was the last American phaeton produced ?
Phil