Roadster vs. Cabriolet

[daepp]

What is the difference between a 356 Roadster and Cabriolet. I know all about the stripped down Speedsters, but I never new there was a difference between these two. The most recent issue of Excellence seems to make a distinction.

[Paul_Heery]

A cabriolet has a back seat

[pwd72s]

A 1960 roadster...

[911K]

A roadster has a removable windshield and a cabriolet's is fixed.

[GH85Carrera]

Well why is a 914 called a Roadster? No back seat and fixed windshield.

[herr_oberst]

I was always of the impression that a roadster had side curtains, a convertible had roll-ups?
And a cabriolet is ?


I would love to hear a definitive answer on this one.

[daepp]

A removable windshield - what the heck?????

The side curtains were on the Speedster. It had a short windshield and bare bones seats. I thought it was replaced by the Roadster, which was also called cabriolet. The latest edition of Excellence talks of Speedsters, Roadsters and Cabs.

[epbrown]

The terms are pretty much meaningless now. Originally a roadster had a removable top and windows, a cabriolet had removable top but fixed windows, and a convertible had a fixed top that was lowered, as most cars do currently. Now companies use whichever Marketing thinks sounds better.

Most people now think of roadsters as two seaters and cabs/convertible as 4 seaters, but in these days of 4-door coupes, who's to say?

[daepp]

FYI I had a conversation with an experienced Porsche restorer yesterday, and his answer is as follows:

Speedster - Convertible, side curtains, no back seat
Roadster - An updated or later speedster with roll up windows and taller windshield
Cabriolet - A very different car with a better top, rear seats, roll up windows, a later more luxurious car.

[herr_oberst]

When I was a kid, I had a '64 TR4 - Removable top, roll ups. Roadster?

Then I had a '68 TR250. Folding top, roll up windows. Convertible?

How about the early TR3. Removable top, side curtains. Roadster?

Yeah, it's a Porsche forum but these terms aren't limited to Porsche (or german) cars and I have always wondered if there was any true consensus. I guess not:-)

[PeteT]

I will submit this pic as a roadster. 1958 TR3A, removable windscreen, side curtains and soft top. I never knew there was actually a definition of a roadster but the DMV title says rdstr. The picture is of my 3 year old getting ready for a short trip. When I was her age and my parents drove me around in this car all they had to do was throw me in the back. There is a tiny shelf that one can sit on. If I tried that today I would most likely be thrown in jail in five minutes.

[teenerted1]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Well why is a 914 called a Roadster? No back seat and fixed windshield.

dont know how the engine is in the middle
most ROADSTERS traditionally have the engine in the FRONT
A.J. won his second Indy 500 in 1964. He was the last man to win Indy in a front engine roadster
so who ever called a 356 one is wrong too.

[RPKESQ]

The British use these terms:

Fixed Head Coupe (FHC) - a two door with a fixed non removable (or foldable) top.

Drop Head Coupe (DHC) - a two door with a foldable top and side windows (these could roll up/down or be removeable)

Roadster - a two door with a minimal folding or removeable top and side curtains (not glass) windows.

[Soterik]

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

FYI I had a conversation with an experienced Porsche restorer yesterday, and his answer is as follows:

Speedster - Convertible, side curtains, no back seat
Roadster - An updated or later speedster with roll up windows and taller windshield
Cabriolet - A very different car with a better top, rear seats, roll up windows, a later more luxurious car.

Speedsters were essentially 1954 to 1958 (a few 59's do exist). Unlined top.
Convertible D was an updated Speedster with a taller windshield, and was 1959 only, unlined top, roll up windows.
Roadsters were 1960 to 1962 (1962 twin grilles are very rare), and were built on the B body style. Rear seats do exist....
Cabs as indicated above.

Convertible D had the removeable chrome windshield.

As indicated in my signature, I've got a 59 cabriolet but it has a bench seat (uber rare).

Cheers,
Eric

[mossguy]

Originally Posted by epbrown

The terms are pretty much meaningless now. Originally a roadster had a removable top and windows, a cabriolet had removable top but fixed windows, and a convertible had a fixed top that was lowered, as most cars do currently. Now companies use whichever Marketing thinks sounds better.

epbrown is correct!

Best,
Tom