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Re: Roadster vs Convertible terminology

To: "Swift Justice" <samesq@pacbell.net>, "Spridget mail list" <spridgets@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: Roadster vs Convertible terminology
From: "Steve Byers" <byers@cconnect.net>
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1999 17:11:42 -0500
Reply-to: "Steve Byers" <byers@cconnect.net>
Sender: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
All that may be true.  But why, then, does my BMC Workshop Manual show a
picture of a Healey 3000, with the caption "Austin-Healey '3000' Mk. II and
III Sports Convertible..."   The 3000 was never designed or built with a
fixed roof.
This manual also covers the previous versions of the car, which had a
stowable soft top, but the pictures don't call them "convertibles" (or
"roadsters, either, in case somebody wants to know).

Steve Byers
Havelock, NC USA
'73 Midget GAN5UD126009G  "OO NINE"
'66 BJ8  HBJ8L/36666  "TARHEELY"
'63 BJ7 HBJ7L/20111 "HEALEYUM"
"It is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool
than to speak, and remove all doubt"  -- Mark Twain


----------
> From: Swift Justice <samesq@pacbell.net>
> To: Spridget mail list <spridgets@Autox.Team.Net>
> Subject: Roadster vs Convertible terminology
> Date: Saturday, January 09, 1999 12:30 AM
> 
> Hi Gang,
>     In recent posts I have seen some listers give a definition of what
> is a roadster  vs. a convertible.  I think that the definitions were
> flawed somewhat and would like to set forth what I believe the correct
> answer is.  I do this not for criticism but for
> information's sake.  As qualifications for pontificating on this
> subject, I worked for Subaru of America's Test & Design center
> for three and half years as a test car driver and worked elbow to elbow
> with all the automotive engineering and design types.  I
> also am an attorney, and make my living confusing people with language,
> so that qualifies me also.
> 
> 1.    Roadster: An open, two seat car.  A roadster is a car that was
> designed from the beginning as an open car.  The car has
> two doors, two seats, and may have an attached folding hood, an
> erectable stowable hood, a removable hardtop, or no form of covering at
> all.  Regardless of the type of weather protection, the car was designed
> from the outset to not have a fixed roof. Cars of this type include our
> beloved Spridgets, MGB's, Mercedes Benz SLK's, Porsche Boxster, Plymouth
> Prowler and Viper, Mazda Miata, etc.  This month's Road and Track
> specifically refers to the MB and the Porsche, both of which have a
> folding hoods, as "roadsters".
> 
> A roadster can be made into a coupe by the design of the factory of a
> fixed roof on the same body.  An example of this would
> be the MGA coupe, Jaguar E-type Coupe, Dodge Viper coupe.  Some are
> designed as coupes from the beginning (Subaru XT
> coupe) The coupe, by ASE definition, has only a specified amount of
> cubic feet of space behind the front two seats.   Many
> two doors are coupes, but not all two doors are considered coupes
> because they do not meet the definition space-wise behind
> the front seats.
> 
> 2.  Convertible:  A car originally designed as a fixed roof car that has
> been modified with a folding, retractable, or stowable
> hood. Convertibles are basically closed cars that somebody "hacked the
> roof off of".  Examples would be Cadillacs,
> Mustangs,  VW bugs,  Nissan 300zx,  in short, anything that had its
> fixed roof sawed off , and some sort of folding or
> removable roof installed, is a convertible.
> 
>     Referring to any Spridget as a "convertible" (which, incidentally,
> are how my California titles read) is not correct.  They are
> all "roadsters" as they were all designed to be open cars, no matter if
> the hood is rolled up and thrown in the boot or if it is
> folded with the frame.
> 
> Some of you may ask why bother,  a Spridget by any other name would
> still drive as sweet.  I agree, but at least let's make
> sure that we refer to our roses as roses, and not as a dandelions.
> 
>     Just my 2p worth, and once I became a lawyer I took to wearing Nomex
> long ago so flame away if you desire.
> 
> Steve.
> '79 Midget
> '67 Sprite
> '66 Sprite
> All roadsters,
> '63 Fury with convertible envy
> 
> --
> _________________
> |   Steve McGee,
> |   Atty. at large
> |   samesq@pacbell.net
> |   http://home.pacbell.net/samesq/
> |________________
> 
>     "Only if you are unafraid of the truth will you ever find it."
> 

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