In the eye of the roadster beholder
The roadster has given us many of the most popular classic cars, but this body style has also resulted in some of the strangest vehicles ever made.
From daring to downright odd, here are our picks of the most bizarre classic roadsters of all time, with the cars listed in chronological order.
1. 1928 Bucciali TAV 8 Roadster
The Bucciali brothers created cars that were very much ahead of their time, which made them stand out technically, never mind the low-slung coachwork many sported.
The TAV 8 had a straight-eight engine that drove the front wheels through a CVT (continuously variable transmission).
A number of roadster bodies were designed by Saoutchik, which matched the car’s unusual mechanical design with windscreens that were barely tall enough to see through.
You could also order the TAV 12 with a Voisin V12, plus there was a ‘Double Huit’ model with two straight-eight engines mounted side by side on a common crankcase.
In total, Bucciali built 151 cars of all models between 1923 and 1933.
2. 1948 Delahaye 175S Roadster
The 175 should have been a return to a place at the top table for Delahaye, but customers for such expensive cars were fewer and further between in the post-war years.
This resulted in the 4.5-litre 175 model being a slow seller, but it didn’t stop several coachbuilders using the car as a base for some astounding roadsters.
Possibly the most outlandish of these open-top Delahayes was the 175S Roadster bodied by Saoutchik in 1949.
It was bought by Sir John Gaul for actor Diana Dors. At the time, Dors didn’t even have a driving licence but was regularly photographed in the car at concours events.
3. 1949 Alvis TB14 and TB21
Looking to make some money in the same way that Jaguar had so successfully with its XK120, Alvis came up with the TB14 roadster.
The side profile was similar to the Jaguar’s, but the front end featured a sizeable grille with the headlights hidden behind it. It created an unusual look that resulted in only 100 being made.
That total was still well ahead of the subsequent TB21 roadster, which used a conventional Alvis grille.
The TB21 also had to make do with a single carburettor for its 3-litre six-cylinder engine, where the TB14 had twin carbs.
Only 31 TB21s were made before the model was axed after less than a year on sale.
4. 1950 Glasspar G2
Bill Tritt was a pioneer of glassfibre for car bodies in the US – and across the world, because Volvo sought his advice for its Sport P1900.
The G2 came about when Tritt’s friend Major Ken Brooks needed a body for his hot rod. The swoopy G2 shell was then offered to others to fit to their own cars, before production ended in 1953.
Glasspar gained more success building its Autopia glassfibre-bodied miniature cars for a Disneyland fairground ride, which were powered by a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine.
5. 1951 Bugatti Type 101C Roadster
Bugatti made just seven Type 101C chassis and four of them were finished with open bodywork.
There were also two Type 57s converted to 101C specification, but of the original seven the last was made in 1965 with bodywork by Virgil Exner at Ghia.
This car was used in an attempt to revive Bugatti as a brand at the 1965 Turin motor show, but not even the dramatic lines of this 101C roadster were enough to stir up financial backing.
To improve the lines of this car, Ghia shortened the chassis by some 18in (457mm) to give it better proportions.
6. 1954 Kaiser Darrin
Built for just one year and with only 435 produced, the Kaiser Darrin is as rare as it is bizarre to look at.
The sweeping lines begin with a striking chromed and domed grille out front, giving the Darrin a distinctive look.
The car was the brainchild of Howard Darrin and used the Kaiser Henry J as its base.
The body is made of glassfibre to follow the trend set by Corvette the previous year.
However, the Darrin made do with a much less inspiring 2.6-litre straight-six, though many were uprated with V8 engines later in their lives.
7. 1959 Aston Martin Jaguar C-type Roadster
Aston Martin built eight of its Type C Speed models between 1938 and ’39, with the first two featuring an unusual shield-shaped grille.
One of the latter six cars with the more usual grille found its body transplanted on to a 1959 Jaguar XK150 chassis in the early 1960s.
This hybrid car was owned by active members of the Aston Martin Owners’ Club and Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club, and seems to have been accepted by both communities.
Power comes from a 3.4-litre Jaguar XK engine, so performance is brisk.
8. 1961 Amphicar
As a four-seat convertible, there’s not a lot that seems unusual about the Amphicar at first glance.
However, the car’s name gives a big clue as this is an amphibious drop-top that is perhaps the only car of its type to grab the public’s imagination and sell in any real quantity.
Amphicar sold 3878 cars between 1960 and 1965, and it didn’t compromise much whether on land or water.
It could reach 65mph on the road thanks to its 1147cc Triumph Herald engine, and up to 7½ knots were possible when afloat.
9. 1963 Excalibur SS Roadster
Intended to look like a Mercedes-Benz SSK, the Excalibur SS Roadster was more pastiche than replica.
Designed by Brooks Stevens, it used Studebaker components underneath its glitzy bodywork that included chromed exhaust pipes exiting the side panels of the engine bay.
Soon after the Excalibur was first shown in 1963, there was a switch to Chevrolet engines with c300bhp, which made for quick performance in the lightweight SS Roadster – it was claimed the car could accelerate from 0-60mph in 6.4 secs and hit 134mph.
The company failed in 1986, though there were several subsequent attempts to revive it, and around 3500 SS models of all series were produced.
10. 1965 Ford GT Roadster
Ford built five GT40 Roadsters with the original intention to use them for racing at Le Mans and elsewhere in its bid to dominate endurance motorsport.
However, the only Roadster to compete failed to finish at either Le Mans or the Targa Florio, so Ford concentrated on the closed version of the GT40.
The focus on the closed car also meant three of the Roadsters were converted into closed cars, so only the original show car and the racer were left with their open bodies.
11. 1965 Mercer-Cobra Roadster
Long before the current trend for retro styling of cars, Virgil Exner applied the same thoughts to the Mercer-Cobra Runabout.
He had been asked by Esquire magazine what he thought an updated Mercer Runabout would look like and this was his reply.
An AC Cobra was chosen as the base because it was easy to work on, and AC happily lengthened the wheelbase to 108in (2743mm) to suit the car’s styling.
The car was built for the president of the Copper Development Association, George M Hartley, so it features polished copper on the grille, exhausts and wheels.
12. 1966 Jeep Jeepster Commando Roadster
As US drivers looked to off-roaders for leisure as well as utility in the 1960s, Jeep came up with the Jeepster Commando.
It took on the Ford Bronco and the Roadster model could be ordered with half- or full-length soft-tops. You could also have fabric doors in place of the usual metal items.
Power for the Jeepster Commando Roadster came from a 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine that was a direct descendent from the one used in Second World War Jeeps, or a 3.8-litre V6.
The Jeepster part of the car’s name was dropped in 1971 and the model remained in production until 1973.
13. 1968 Lamborghini Miura Roadster
As if the Lamborghini Miura was not already glamorous enough, the Italian firm showed off a Roadster model at the Brussels motor show in 1968.
Rather than just chopping out the roof panel, the Roadster’s whole roofline was lowered by 30mm and the windscreen changed to suit. There was also a new engine cover, rear lights and reshaped exhaust.
With no side windows, the Roadster was far from practical. It was then used as a promotional car to show off bespoke zinc finishes.
However, the bizarre part of this Lamborghini is that it remained a one-off when there was a clear demand for an open version of the Miura.
14. 1974 Panther De Ville
Styled with more than a nod to the Bugatti Royale but on a more manageable scale, the Panther De Ville was offered as a four-door saloon, six-door limousine, coupé and roadster.
Its flamboyance attracted a diverse bunch of customers, including Sir Elton John and Oliver Reed, and around 60 of all types were made.
Eleven of those cars had the open-top body and buyers could choose between Jaguar XK straight-six and V12 engines.
The Jaguar XJ also donated its suspension, brakes and steering, so the De Ville rode and handled much better than initial impressions might have suggested.
15. 1977 Cadillac Seville Roadster
Cadillac farmed out production of the roadster versions of its Seville that arrived in 1975.
For 1977, Hanley Motors offered its Seville Roadster through Cadillac dealers as a two- or five-seat rival to the Mercedes-Benz SL.
The Roadster was even offered with the option of a Mercedes canvas roof, alongside other extras such as a chromed grille, wire wheels, boot-mounted spare wheel and two-tone paint.
Hanley Motors chopped a substantial 18.5in (470mm) from the wheelbase of the Seville saloon to create the Roadster.
It gave the open car cartoonish proportions, but it did also shed 600lb (273kg) from the kerbweight to improve economy and performance from the 350cu in (5.7-litre) V8 engine.
However, there were few takers when the conversion work cost $12,000 and a new donor Seville was $10,000.
16. 1977 Panther 6
Bizarre barely began to cover how to describe the Panther 6 when it was unveiled at the 1977 Motorfair in London.
Its six-wheel layout was inspired by the Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler Formula One car, while a mid-mounted 8.2-litre Cadillac V8 powered the 6 with help from two turbochargers – apparently this generated 600bhp and was claimed to propel the Panther to a top speed of 200mph.
Inside, there was a television in the dash, telephones in each door and a built-in safe for the occupants’ valuables.
Despite this luxury, Panther only built two 6s, although it claimed 15 were ordered.
17. 1980 Range Rover Rapport Huntsman
James Bond has driven many roadsters over the years, from Sunbeam Alpine to BMW Z8, but few can rival the Rapport Huntsman for presence.
Based on a two-door Range Rover, British-based convertor Rapport cut the roof off and added additional strengthening to stop the body from flexing.
In the rear, twin benches were added and fitted sideways so the Huntsman could seat up to eight.
All of the work was carried out by Rapport at its Woking, Surrey, factory in the UK. The company also made convertible versions of the Austin Metro and Honda Accord.
18. 1981 Wolfrace Sonic
Conceived as a promotional vehicle for wheel manufacturer Wolfrace, the Sonic certainly grabbed plenty of headlines.
The low-to-the-ground body hugged twin front axles, which both turned with the steering on this unique six-wheeler.
Power for the Sonic came from two Rover V8 engines, which were controlled by an innovative drive-by-wire system.
Company boss Barry Tracey held on to the car, which cost him £100,000 to make, until the early 1990s, when he sold it to a collector.
19. 1989 Railton F29 Claremont
An attempt to revive the Railton name to car production came about in 1989 when designer William Towns unveiled the Railton F29 Claremont.
This bold two-seater was based on a Jaguar XJ-S V12 Convertible and there were two models in the line-up: the F28 Fairmile and F29 Claremont.
The F28 was intended as a sportier option with wider wheels and tyres, while the F29 Claremont was more of a cruiser and came with rear wing spats.
Both cars’ bodywork was made by Park Sheet Metal and the price for them in 1989 was £105,000.
20. 1999 Yes! Roadster
Seeing the success of the Lotus Elise inspired German firm Yes! to come up with a similar machine using a turbocharged Volkswagen 1.8-litre engine.
Like the Lotus, the engine was mid-mounted in an aluminium chassis with composite bodywork. However, the Yes! tipped the scales at 900kg (1984lb) compared to the original Elise’s 731kg (1612lb).
A follow-up model arrived in 2006 using the 3.2-litre V6 engine from the Audi TT. However, the Yes! was always held back by a price that was almost double that of the Lotus Elise.
21. 2002 Bristol Blenheim
This Blenheim variation was unveiled in 2002 and looked every inch a car from Bristol’s back catalogue, yet it was a new model in its own right.
It was inspired by the Bullet prototype, which had been used to test engines, and the new model resembled the 404 coupé. This included the small rear fins, but the Speedster had a fully open cockpit.
Bristol also offered this limited run of cars with a full windscreen and called it the Roadster. Both versions used the same 5.9-litre V8 from Chrysler, which meant 0-60mph in 5.2 secs and a 160mph top speed.
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