'70's Convertible Wars - Did Ralph Nadar Invent the Targa?

[Jdub]

Would we ever have seen the rollover-bar Targa design if Ralph Nadar had not made such a stink over the safety of convertibles? Would the Targa model never have been designed and built, and a direct move to the Cab. have been the natural direction?

And please no cat-calls r.e our Targas from the hallowed "sunroof-delete" crowd please!

[seamore2001]

Well, it seems pretty clear that Porsche believed that convertibles would be banned in the US, hence the design of the Targa.

Personally, I like the description of the Targa from one of the blogs I read (German Cars for Sale) that called the Targa a "man's convertible". It's the best of both worlds for me, though I want a coupe as well (maybe after the kids are done with college - i.e. in ten years or so)....

[GeorgeRud]

I'm sure safety concerns were on the designer's minds when designing the Targa. The roll-over bar is too nice an idea to not consider, and a similar design was used on the 914 models.

I've had both Targas and a Cabriolet, and prefer the Targa's large heated rear window to the Cabrio's small plastic one. Also, when it's time to freshen up the top, the Cabriolet's fabric top and installation get to be quite costly when compared to the Targa.

But, as with most things, go with whatever floats your boat and enjoy the car!

[Jrboulder]

I think porsche probably had preliminary design work done on the cab when they realized a cab wasn't the best bet for the American market. When you think about it, the very early targas are pretty reminiscent of the 356C cab body with a spot welded hoop and back glass.

[Jdub]

Thanks guys. Thinking about this as I read Rob Siegel's "Hack Mechanic" and his section on the Targa with tail ("The Frog-Faced Interloper"). Pretty rich stuff!

[tcar]

Originally Posted by Jrboulder

the very early targas are pretty reminiscent of the 356C cab body with a spot welded hoop and back glass.

No, the very early targas did not have glass in the back window... they were all softies, like a cab.

[steely]

Originally Posted by seamore2001

it's the best of both worlds for me, though i want a coupe as well....

+1

[S2GART]

I am not 100% sure it was Nader that started drumming the "they are not safe" beat for convertibles I the 1960's. Clearly the U.S., more specific, California was/is a huge market for Porsche, so they had to come up with a solution to a ban on convertibles that ultimately never happened. Look at the early Targas with the zip out soft window and there is the 911 Cab. of the future. Porsche had to do a lot of engineering to ultimately make the 911 stiff enough to have no roof altogether.

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by Jdub

Would we ever have seen the rollover-bar Targa design if Ralph Nader had not made such a stink over the safety of convertibles? Would the Targa model never have been designed and built, and a direct move to the Cab. have been the natural direction?

And please no cat-calls r.e our Targas from the hallowed "sunroof-delete" crowd please!

If Nader had anything to do with the Taga design I applaud it. The Targa is the perfect open roadster imaginable. It is inherently safe in roll-over accidents. Also with the glass rear window you get the best possible rear visibility and you don't get a lot of back wash wind from the rear when you are driving. If it gets cold outside you can roll up the windows and turn on the heater and stay cosy inside. This is not possible in a convertible. The convertible's advantage is only how the driver looks from the outside. If you are inside the Targa you get all the advantages of a convertible without the convertible's disadvantages.