Wordless Outtake: The Least Obvious Canvas-Topped Lincoln Ever?
– Posted on May 25, 2018
-
-
-
American Brands: GM 
American Brands: Ford 
American Brands: Chrysler 
American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others 
Automotive Histories and Misc. 
Asian Brands 
UK Brands 
Australian Brands 
European Brands 
Cars Of A Lifetime & Auto-Biography 
Buses 
Trucks, Pickups and Vans 
Design 
Trains, Planes & Ships 
Motorcycles, Trikes, Bicycles 
Engines, Transmissions and other Tech 
Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment 
RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers
The elusive Lincoln MK-Why?
I am amazed that this carriage roof thing simply will not die.
I’m waiting for someone to put a fake carriage roof on an actual hardtop convertible for maximum bafflement.
“I am amazed that this carriage roof thing simply will not die.”
According to one internet site, these tops put $1,500 to $2,000 in the dealers pocket, which explains their existence.
The amazing thing is that people still pay a premium to buy them…
“I am amazed that this carriage roof thing simply will not die.”
Never underestimate the power of bad taste.
My thoughts exactly, ugliest I’ve seen is a 2000s Toyota camry.
I actually like that the fitters made the chrome trim extend from the top of the window sills. This isn’t the sloppiest application I’ve ever seen. Great find!
Did the badge say “Presidential Edition”?
Yes, if I recall
The medallion on the C-pillar looks a bit like Cadillac’s “Wreath and Crest”–rather ironic on a Lincoln. Maybe there was some conFusion on the part of the installer….
I see what you did there… well played. ?
Well, I believe those badges are because it’s a Presidential Edition, meaning it would be perfect for the first lady “Milan”-ia 🙂
I assumed this was spotted in Florida, but the background suggests not. Perhaps it was on its annual migration north from its winter habitat?
It had Massachusetts plates and was senior driven. There was actually a very elderly lady in the passenger seat you can just barely make out.
No doubt a consultant has been canvassing the public to determine market desire.
These are just one small part of the fabric of our society.
I’m still not cottoning to the whole fake-convertible idea.
There’s only one fake convertible I’ll accept….
Looks to be in North Carolina as Florida has almost no Rite-Aid drug stores.
Yet, for some reason there seems to be a preponderance of cars here in Florida sporting vinyl roofs.
As bad as some folks think this looks, I would rather drive this than one of the many Camrys and Corollas I see here in North Florida.
Maybe someone can explain what’s with dealer-added vinyl roofs and Florida. I’m guessing it’s just some sort of dealer gouge that they’re able to get away with the geezers.
Speaking of which, seems like the Kia Soul is something of a geezer-mobile these days, supplanting the old PT Cruiser and Chevy HHR.. Has anyone seen any of them with a vinyl roof? Now ‘that’ would be a good CC.
I suspect the codgers (the key for the last letter of the alphabet is non-functional on my computer) think the roof adds a touch of class and willingly ante up when the salesman brings it up. After all, peak brougham-tasm was back in the mid-70s, when said codgers likely were buying their first new cars, and they’ve had covered roofs ever since.
By the way, I suppose I qualify for codger-dom by age if not necessarily by attitude.
Haha, took this in my backyard in Massachusetts. Rite-Aids are far an few between here, and for whatever reason every one I’ve ever visited is completely dead inside – no customers and hard to even find a cashier present at the check out.
I think not many people would argue that the best application of the “carriage roof” would have to be the 1979 Mark V Bill Blass Edition.
The 2nd generation Cordoba with the cabriolet roof did the look pretty successfully as well. But then it was kind of a mini-Mark V.
Chrysler somewhat botched the 2nd gen Cordoba/Mirada styling. I would have liked to seen the vinyl top Cordoba’s roofline, minus the vinyl, with the Mirada’s front end. That would have been a really good-looking, clean car.
The 1980 Mustang top was pretty convincing as well
-1
The first fake carriage roof I remember seeing was on a first year Fox Mustang the same color as this one. (Except base model with 2.3L four cylinder.)
Upon seeing it, then, I thought the Addams family Lurch sound.
Upon seeing it again today, I thought the same sound. 😉
The 1979 version is actually unique from the 80 one. The 80 is pretty convincing looking unless you look at it real close, the rear glass covered by the fabric to be smaller and flatter like real tops, the quarter window louvers are covered, the door frames are painted matte black and the windshield is “framed” in bright trim.
The 79s were more along the lines of late 60s vinyl top treatments, covering the A pillars and wrapped only around the steel roof, without fillers and stuff to alter the window shapes. In fact one novel feature is the louver inserts were wrapped or painted with a vinyl like texture to match. The 80 treatment is better looking IMO
I thought of this car when JPC said this carriage roof thing won’t die. I’m pretty sure that the Mark V Bill Blass was the original faux convertible, and I can’t believe it was 40 years ago!
I think the Mark V BB edition still looks good.
We may never know who started the faux convertible look first, but don’t forget that Cadillac beat Lincoln to the game with their 1978 DeVille Phaeton series. Only they didn’t call it a “DeVille Phaeton” just a “Cadillac Phaeton”. I believe it lasted only two years.
As much as we associate a faux convertible top with Lincoln, I’m guessing it was probably started with some mom and pop modification company. I can’t believe Cadillac in the seventies was much of a tend-setter. They were more of a follower by this time.
Anyway, IMHO, the Cadillac attempt didn’t work out so well.
Actually, the Cadillac isn’t all that different from what Ford was doing in 1963.
Pontiac, too. In fact, I think both Pontiac and Ford added a convertible-like crease in the roof stamping above the rear window to simulate a headliner bow on their early sixties’ hardtops. It was an interesting styling gimmick that didn’t last long.
Chevy Impalas had that crease too. Depending on how far you want to go with firsts, technically the first hardtop was the first faux convertible top, just sans the vinyl/fabric treatment.
The aftermarket embraced and ran with it but they didn’t invent it IMO
Sorry Michael, I should’ve scrolled down before I posted…..
… sometimes there just aren’t words
Perfect timing. Yesterday on the People’s Court, the crazy defendant in the case was accused of smashing some flower planters and busting a deck railing. The defendant swore up and down he “only broke one planter”, and goaded the plaintiff to prove otherwise. Said plaintif then provided photos of this moron doing exactly what he claimed, and in one of the shots of him destroying his property, you can see his ruby CTS with a nasty beige top with gold trim parked In his yard. It takes a special kind of moron, it seems…
As far as the vinyl roof on a modern aerodynamic car goes this is far from the worst application I’ve seen. Not saying I’d buy one like it. I do think the matching color does help in this case and would not work as well in black, tan or white.
Bad, but it could be much worse.
and…. Cadillac for the win!
I didn’t think that CTS coupe could get uglier or more ill-proportioned. Jesus!
Making ugly uglier takes talent…
The best fake convertible tops cover the top of the door frames and have a sunroof smack dab in the middle. They look so sophisticated!
Who, exactly, do these idiots think they’re fooling? Other 80 year olds?
I generally hate these. But this one doesn’t appear to have the bows in it. If it lost the snaps and crest and was a regular vinyl top I probably wouldn’t mind it at all.
Alright, stay with me here… How about forgetting any sort of fabric, Imagine that as an exercise in two-tone paint. Include the window frames of the doors in the darker color. and no snaps on the associated border trim as it is fairly well integrated. Not a bad look. I would even consider the option, my self.. But as a “carriage” roof, Pass.
What’s ironic is the presence of the fake snaps on a modern car. Modern convertibles such as my Mustang have a plastic lip on the boot, which slides into a groove under the belt molding.
Speaking of which, I wonder what was the last production convertible to have a boot that required snaps?
Good question. I’m going to guess the last, 1st gen Lebaron convertible (1986).
is this an ‘Only in America’ thing, or do Canadians do this too?
I hope they don’t. And I wish Americans didn’t.
The English could do silly things to their cars. This thing was created by the respected firm of Radford.
That one looks like a recreation of a 60’s car – when you might say that sometimes creativity had a bit of chemical assistance!