If you've ever considered buying a classic American car from the late 1960s through the 1990s, you're likely familiar with the term T-tops. These removable roof panels became an extremely popular option that (literally and figuratively) bridged the gap between a fixed-roof coupe and a convertible. With T-tops, drivers could choose to enjoy the open-air driving experience of a convertible, the comfort and enclosed feel of a fixed roof, and — for models that used transparent T-tops — the ambience of a moonroof. In this article, we'll review the invention of T-tops, how they rose to prominence, and how they faded into obscurity again.
Vehicle photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions
The Origin of T-Tops
Photo courtesy of Hagerty / Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
Most of us recall T-tops being introduced in the late '60s, but their origin actually dates back much further than that. In the late 1940s, an automotive designer named Gordon Buehrig was working on an exotic prototype vehicle called the 1948 TASCO (short for The American Sportscar Company). Buehrig had become famous for his designs for Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg, but this particular design was more extreme and polarizing. Acknowledging this, Buehrig even called it "my Edsel."
Patent drawing courtesy of Hagerty / Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
However, there was one particular feature that stood out on the 1948 TASCO prototype: its split removable roof panels, which were made of curved plexiglass. Buehrig was reportedly inspired by airplane cockpits. A few years later in 1951, he would be granted a patent on this design, which he called "roof with movable panels." You can see the full patent online here.
1948 TASCO at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum courtesy of Mac's Motor City Garage
No one could deny that the T-top was innovative, but it still seemed that the world wasn't ready for this feature just yet. For the next 20 years, the feature would remain dormant.
GM Debuts T-Tops on the 1968 Corvette
Nearly two decades after the creation of the TASCO prototype, Chevrolet introduced a new roof style for the 1968 Corvette. This would be the first U.S. production car to feature T-tops, but at the time they were only referred to as "removable roof panels." Buyers loved it, and T-top-equipped Corvettes soon outsold the convertible. By 1976, the convertible Corvette was eliminated from the C3 lineup entirely.
GM advertisements touted the slogan "10 seconds to lift off" to indicate how easy the panels were to remove, and called the '68 Corvette "the 'convertible' coupe."
Buehrig, however, wasn't pleased that GM had infringed on his patent. He sued them, and while the results were not disclosed, it's believed he received a settlement.
Spreading Like Wildfire
Once GM realized the popularity of T-tops on the Corvette, it began offering them on other vehicles. In 1975, Hurst retrofitted "Hurst Hatches" onto a Cutlass Supreme coupe to create the '75 Hurst/Olds. Pontiac also partnered with Hurst to add T-tops to the 10th Anniversary Special Edition Trans Am in 1976, and added them as a regular production option (RPO) in 1977.
Above: The Macho Trans Am was available with T-tops as well as some substantial performance upgrades over the factory Trans Am.
Many of the early T-tops were fitted to new hardtop cars by Hurst, but GM eventually transitioned to its partially-owned manufacturing partner Fisher to handle T-top production.
Chevrolet added T-tops to the Camaro in 1978. Buick, another GM brand, also adopted T-tops on the Regal, Grand National, and legendary GNX.
The rest of the Big Three picked up on the T-top craze as well. Chrysler added them to the Cordoba and the Dodge Magnum, and Ford offered them on the seventh-gen Thunderbird as well as the Mustang II and Foxbody.
Even the Japanese automakers jumped on board, with the Datsun 280ZX, Subaru Brat, and Toyota MR2 all offering T-tops.
The End of the T-Top
Although T-tops were undeniably cool and enjoyed widespread popularity, they also had some downsides. Leaks and rattling noises were common complaints, and they reduced the stiffness of the unibody which could sometimes lead to poor handling. Crash safety was also a growing concern, and T-tops weren't as structurally sound as a solid roof. By the mid-1990s, the popularity of T-tops was fading fast.
It all came full circle when GM eliminated T-tops from the car that started it all, the Corvette. With the start of the C4 generation in 1983, the Corvette used a single-piece removable roof panel, often called a Targa top (after the Porsche 911 Targa that introduced that roof style).
GM continued to offer T-tops on its F-body cars — the Camaro and Firebird/Trans Am — through the end of the fourth generation in 2002. That year essentially served as the end for T-top production, but they live on today through all the enthusiasts who own and restore classic cars from the T-top era.
Looking for T-Top Parts?
Classic Industries is your source for classic car restoration parts, including parts for your favorite T-top equipped vehicles. We offer T-top seals, hardware, repair panels, trim panels, pads, storage bags, and much more. Click the button below to browse our selection of restoration parts for your car:
