Raise the roof
What’s better than owning a sports car? Owning a sports car that you can take the roof off, of course.
But not just any old drop-top. Sometimes, you don’t want to be fussed with all that folding malarkey. And if the roof is automatic, well, it adds countless pies to the car’s overall weight, plus it is another thing to go wrong…
If only there were a convenient halfway house. Ah, but there is – a targa-style roof.
In essence, this is simply a removable roof panel, or two roof panels, but it has a few benefits over a full-on drop-top. For a start, it quickly allows you access to the surround-sound, immersive, open-air driving experience. Secondly, because there’s an integral roll hoop behind the occupants (and sometimes a central bar running lengthways), there’s less need for all the heavy chassis strengthening demanded by a full convertible.
Here are 16 classic cars with removable targa-type roofs.
1. Porsche 911 targa (1965-present)
The Porsche 911 targa may not have been the first car fitted with a removable roof panel, but it’s the one that everyone associates with it.
Okay, that’s at least partly because Porsche has trademarked the term ‘targa’, but it’s also because the 911 targa has been around since 1965.
The car was developed in response to fears that the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was about to, in effect, ban convertibles by introducing much stricter rollover protection rules.
So, Porsche developed an open-top with an integral rollover hoop behind the occupants.
Porsche 911 targa (cont.)
The early 911 (called targa after the Sicilian Targa Florio road race) had a removable roof panel and a plastic rear window that could also be taken out for ultimate almost-convertible motoring.
In the end the NHTSA didn’t bring about the demise of convertibles, but the 911 targa was here to stay.
2. Fiat X1/9 (1972-’89)
It was one of the big battles of the 1970s – Fiat X1/9 or Triumph TR7.
Both were seemingly styled using a ruler and a chisel, but the Fiat had the advantage (in both handling and inherent cool factor) of having a mid-engined layout.
Back in the day, if you were able to say you owned a mid-engined Italian sports car, it was akin to adding a few more inches to the diameter of your bell bottoms.
Fiat X1/9 (cont.)
Early cars had a 1.3-litre engine that developed 74bhp, while later cars had a 1.5 that produced a prodigious 85bhp, but it didn’t matter because the X1/9 was small, light and nimble.
And of course, it came with a targa-style roof that could be lifted off in seconds for the full-on breezy sports car experience, and unhindered access to the zingy exhaust note.
3. Ferrari 308GTS (1975-’85)
There’s no question – Pininfarina definitely deserved a pat on the back and a few days off after coming up with the shape of the 308.
In 1975, it was a proper showstopper, with swoopy, curvy front wings, purposeful scoops along the sides, and those signature quad rear lights.
But something was missing. Or in fact something was immovably present – the roof. How could anyone soak up the Italian sunshine in a car with a closed roof?
Ferrari 308GTS (cont.)
Ferrari responded, and in 1977 the 308GTS appeared, allowing unfettered access to both vast quantities of vitamin D from the sunshine and the wail of the V8 behind the cabin.
And then, of course, that moustached icon of 1980s coolness, Thomas Magnum PI, drove one. Although it was just as well Ferrari had offered an open-top version, because 6ft 4in Tom Selleck wouldn’t have been able to fit in the car otherwise.
4. Toyota MR2 T-bar (1986-’89)
In the early 1980s, Toyota spotted a gap in the market – an affordable-mid-engined-sports-car-shaped gap. After all, the only real alternative was the Fiat X1/9, and that had been around since Noah went to boat-building school.
So the Toyota MR2 was born, with two seats, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine (shortly to become a 1.6) and one of the sweetest gearchanges in motoring history.
Toyota MR2 T-bar (cont.)
People went mad for it, particularly the sharp-suited yuppie types who suddenly had a less conventional option to the VW Golf GTI.
There was only one way in which the car could be improved – with the addition of some fresh air.
And so the MR2 T-bar came into existence. It wasn’t a strict targa, because instead of one removable roof panel it had two, separated by a longitudinal bracing bar, but it certainly did the same job.
5. Vauxhall VX220 (2000-’05)
Talk about a marriage of convenience – albeit a happy one.
At the turn of the century, Lotus needed to replace its exceptionally popular Elise due to forthcoming changes in crash test legislation. However, as was ever the case in Norfolk, affording it was a bit tricky.
However, GM needed an ‘oooooh’ car, so offered to help fund the new car, as long as an Opel/Vauxhall version was also developed. Winner-winner.
Vauxhall VX220 (cont.)
The Vauxhall VX220 had a 143bhp 2.2-litre Vauxhall engine mounted just behind the occupants, which was enough to be going on with, but people wanted more power, so a 200bhp 2.0-litre turbo version appeared shortly after.
The VX220 (or Opel Speedster in Europe, which sounds so much cooler) was developed with a fabric roof panel, which unclipped and folded away in seconds, and took up much less space than a traditional hard roof panel.
6. Chevrolet Corvette C3 (1968-’82)
All those astronauts simply can’t be wrong.
Okay, technically, they all got into Corvette Stingrays because they were offered them on somewhat favourable terms of just $1 per year. One dollar. Talk about a marketing coup. But they all wanted a ’Vette, and not because it was cheap.
And no wonder they wanted it – just look at it.
It was all curves, pop-up headlights and pointy bits (pedestrian safety wasn’t really a thing back then), with a huge bonnet to house a V8 of up to 7.0 litres, and an exhaust note to make the ground tremble.
Chevrolet Corvette C3 (cont.)
Open-air motoring was well and truly on the menu, too, because there were two versions offered.
There was a full-on convertible with a folding fabric roof, while the coupe had two removable roof panels, which could be stored in the boot.
With the C3, the Corvette changes from being a sports car to more of a grand tourer, which seems fitting for people who travelled millions of miles in space.
7. Dodge Viper (1991-2002)
In the late 1980s, Dodge was known for producing automotive magnolia – cars that you immediately forgot about when you got out of them. It’s a wonder anyone ever remembered where they’d parked.
Staff morale was low, so a halo car was needed. A new Cobra was what the brand sought.
And so, on a shoestring budget of just $70 million, the Dodge Viper was developed.
Dodge Viper (cont.)
The company commissioned Lamborghini to build a V10 version of Dodge’s V8 motor, while the stylists got their funk on and came up with a car that looked nothing like anything ever seen.
It was a simple machine, with no exterior door handles, no air-conditioning and vinyl windows that you unzipped to open.
The targa-style cabin was covered by a simple canvas roof, but most owners never bothered. Better to leave it off and avoid going out in the rain.
8. Porsche 914 (1969-’76)
The Porsche 914 was actually the result of another tie-up between car makers.
Back in the 1960s, most of VW’s development engineering was done by Porsche in a long-standing contract.
However, VW needed to get Porsche to do one more car for that contract to be fulfilled. At that time, both were in need of a smaller, cheaper sports car, Porsche to replace the 912 and VW to replace the Karmann Ghia.
Porsche 914 (cont.)
So, the little mid-engined two-seater was begun, initially intended to be sold with a flat-four engine in the VW version, and a flat-six in the Porsche.
However, after much wrangling (and much expense for Porsche), a deal was made to sell both versions as Porsches.
The six-cylinder car proved unpopular, and was quietly dropped in 1972, but the four-cylinder version was Porsche’s top-selling model for much of its life.
9. Smart Roadster (2003-’05)
The Smart City-Coupé may have been a quirky two-seater, but it was no sports car.
However, Smart bigwigs believed its powertrain would work well in a more sporting machine.
After all, the turbocharged 0.7-litre engine endowed the City-Coupé with reasonable zing, and the paddle-shift gearbox was just like they used in Formula One. Sort of.
Smart Roadster (cont.)
And a sure-fire way to make any car feel a bit quicker is to take the roof off it, so the Smart Roadster and Roadster-Coupé were available with either a retractable canvas roof panel or a removable glass targa-style roof panel.
Unfortunately, both roof designs leaked, and the repairs cost Smart parent company Mercedes-Benz a fortune, which slightly abbreviated the car’s life.
10. Lancia Montecarlo Spider (1975-’81)
As gorgeous as it was, the Fiat 124 was decidedly long in the tooth, and something new and funky was required.
After a couple of dead ends, and a shift from Fiat to Lancia, which wanted a classier alternative to the Fiat X1/9, the Pininfarina-penned Montecarlo was born.
It had a 118bhp 2.0-litre engine that was accessed through an unusual side-hinged engine cover, and was available as a coupé or a Spider, which had a removable canvas roof panel.
Lancia Montecarlo Spider (cont.)
The production of the car was farmed out to Pininfarina.
So far, so humdrum, but great things lay ahead.
For a start, the Montecarlo had a starring role in the movie Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, and then, the cabin section of the car was used as the basis for the stunning Lancia 037 rally car, which won the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 1983.
11. Honda CR-X del Sol (1992-2000)
The original Honda CR-X was a pretty hard act to follow, but as the world entered the 1990s, the angular CR-X was looking a bit passé.
Enter the softer, more rounded CR-X del Sol, which had an extra party trick in the shape of a roof panel that you could remove and put in the boot.
Honda CR-X del Sol (cont.)
Indeed, one option was called the TransTop, which was an electric mechanism that removed the roof and deposited it in the boot. Very cool, if a bit long winded at 38 secs.
The rest of the CR-X formula was present and correct, so the car had a revvy 1.6-litre engine, a light and snickety gearchange, and the nimbleness of a fleeing rabbit.
12. Triumph TR4 (1961-’65)
The Michelotti-designed Triumph TR4 may have been based on underpinnings already seen in the TR2 and TR3, but it had an appearance that was bang up to date.
And not only did the body look modern, but it was also practical, with more boot space than sports cars usually had.
Triumph TR4 (cont.)
The TR4 also had the option of an early version of the targa roof, well before the Porsche 911 made it famous, although Triumph chose to call it the slightly less glamorous Hard Top Kit.
As well as the chassis, the TR4 had the same engine as its predecessors – an engine that had originally been designed for use in a tractor.
Still, it went well, and had notable successes on the track in the United States, such as a class win in the 1961 12 Hours of Sebring.
13. Datsun 280ZX (1978-’83)
It would be tempting to view the Nissan Z-car range in the same way as you would your coolest aunt or uncle: they’re suave, stylish and people want to be with them. That was the 240Z.
However, by the time the 280ZX came along a decade later, it had put on the middle-aged spread, and was bigger and seemingly a bit more ponderous.
And it still had looks reminiscent of the young 240Z, just with a bit more of a sensible side.
Datsun 280ZX (cont.)
Under the bonnet was a 2.8-litre straight-six engine that produced 140bhp, although acceleration times were slower than the car’s predecessors could manage. Still, it was also easier to live with, and its grand-tourer character was great on a long journey.
And in 1981 Datsun launched the version with the T-bar roof, so you could feel just how cold it is in the UK on any given journey.
It sold well, particularly in the US.
14. TVR Tuscan (1999-2006)
Maranello, Sant’Agata, Bologna, Zuffenhausen… Blackpool. Yup, the north-west of England is perhaps not a place where you might expect a producer of some of the world’s lairiest cars to be based, but that’s precisely where TVR used to call home.
There must be something in the water though, because throughout its life TVR built some incredible machines, with one of the last being the Tuscan.
TVR Tuscan (cont.)
Up front lay a straight-six engine that started as a 4.0-litre unit, then ended up as a 3.6 with the same power.
TVR was also known for its open-top machinery, and the Tuscan was no exception, so although it looked like a coupé, you could remove the roof panel and store it in the boot, treating yourself to that rip-snorting soundtrack in the process.
If you could ever find the button to open the boot in the wild and wacky interior.
15. Ferrari Superamerica (2005-’06)
Ferrari is well known for its sports cars, but it doesn’t half do grand tourers well, too. Think 250GTO, 365GTB/4, 456, 599GTB Fiorano. And the 575M Maranello sits well in that bloodline.
It’s a two-seat front-engined, rear-wheel drive car that can go from London to Zürich and back again without breaking sweat.
Up front lies a 5.7-litre V12 that produces more than 500bhp, and which can get the Maranello from 0-62mph in a fraction more than 4 secs. But it’s a coupé. No good if you like a sun tan.
Ferrari Superamerica (cont.)
Which is why Ferrari came up with the Superamerica, which had an electrochromic glass roof that could be opened at the touch of a button, to swivel around its rear edge and to lie flat on the car’s rear deck.
Cool, although the process took a rather yawn-inducing 60 secs.
Still, Ferrari also upgraded its V12 to produce 533bhp, so you could make up any time lost waiting for the roof to do its thing.
16. Lamborghini Jalpa (1981-’88)
As far as ‘entry-level’ models go, the Lamborghini Jalpa is pretty special.
After all, the Jalpa was a whole lot cheaper than the Countach of the era, but it still had a screaming 3.5-litre V8 behind the driver and passenger.
The Jalpa was actually an evolution of the Lamborghini Silhouette, and shared much of that car’s styling, plus many of its oily bits. And its targa-style roof section.
Lamborghini Jalpa (cont.)
Removing the ceiling really lets you hear the engine in full-on Pavarotti mode, even if it isn’t quite as quick these days as it once seemed.
Yes, the driving position is awkward and offset, and yes, the controls require quite a bit of effort, especially at low speeds, but as a driving experience there are few to touch it, as we reported back in 2010.
The affordable Lamborghini? Not so much. A desirable Lamborghini? Without question.
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