Classification of convertible car roofs and basics of their operation

This paper deals with cabrio type cars. The most interesting currently used solutions and groundbreaking designs from the last decades are presented. This paper contains collected knowledge on kinds of convertible roofs found in mass produced cabriolets. With the development of the automotive technology such constructions have evolved from simple mechanisms operated using the force of human muscles to highly complex mechatronic systems. The author introduces his own classification of car roofs with regard to their mechanical structure and the medium used to change the body status from closed to open and vice versa. In the second part of this publication the basics of the operation of car roof mechanisms are provided.