Earliest Production Vinyl tops?

[BJM]

Did Cadillac put vinyl tops on production cars as an option in the early 60's?  I think I have seen them on Fleetwoods in 1963-64.

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

Walter Mc Call's 70 Years of Cadillac La Salle states that they were first available on the '63 Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood Sixty Special.

[Gergely Szentmartony 25603]

Walter Mc Call's 70 Years of Cadillac La Salle states that they were first available on the '63 Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood Sixty Special.

Here is the relevant quotation of the original '63 Sales Brochure.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

I guess it depends how far back you want to go.

The material Vicodec (an early vinyl covering) was standard equipment on the 1956
Eldorado Seville hardtop. This was the first year for it.

It came in a variety of colors to compliment the painted lower body.

Mike

[Davidinhartford]

Mike is right.  The 56 Eldorado Seville hardtop is the first with a standard production vinyl top.    The next Cad to get one was the 1960 Fleetwood sixty special sedan.   

I think alot of people who see contrasting top colors in the 50s think they were vinyl tops when infact they were painted a contrasting color.   Of ourse once the factory offered vinyl tops, aftermarket ones became available thru customizers and eventually dealers.

[Doug 22747]

I  had a 60 Fleetwood and that vinyl roof was the best feature of the car.  It was about 15 years old at the time, and that material was much smoother than the contemporary vinyl roof. 

[BJM]

Thanks all.

The reason I ask is that I am looking at a 63 Imperial with vinyl roof. I had never heard of an Imperial with vinyl roof until later in the 60's. The seller insists it's original and the car is pretty well trimmed out. Imperial had at the time a "special shop" for outfitting cars based on requests.

I suspected that Imperial would do whatever Cadillac did. I just did not know when Cadillac started 'regular production' vinyl top applications.

[RobW]

I'm sure there must be a Chrysler Imperial Club or at least a Yahoo Group that could give some definate answers. Things like what colors were offered, when they were offered and what grain was used should be able to verify if its original or not.

[Doug 22747]

interesting info on that car via this link:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1960-1963-imperial1.htm

and more on optional vinyl top 1960 and on...

http://www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Body/vinyl.htm

gotta love google!

[BJM]

I've bookmarked the Imperial On-Line Club but sifting through it's information gets a bit hard. I have not found a definitive page that says "optional Vinyl roof covering" The 63 I am looking at has the vinyl roof and I bleive the owner to say it is original.

I would not hold it past Chrysler to bring out a mid year option just because Cadillac had it, hence I wanted to know when Cadillac started offering it.

As for that 2st set of Imperial articles, I found that reading very interesting but again could not pin-point the sentence referring to the vinyl roof.

I am not a fan of the 61-63 stand alone headlights and the tailights in 61-62 that were affixed to the rear fenders of the Imperials. But the cars themselves were impressive.

[mgrab]

FYI all.....
Think this may have been the first production car  (1951 Lincoln Lido) with a vinyl roof.  Remember hearing a story about someone having one at Hershey and was denied a first junior by judges because they didn't believe it to be original...

http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/pages01/linc5101.htm

Mike

[BJM]

Now that you mention it, I am looking at a 1949 Kasier Virginian four door hardtop (for sale) that has a fabric covered roof - probably not vinyl but it was a purposely added roof fabric to simulate the convertible they put out that year.

Plus as mentioned Sevilles had it in the 50's.

[mgrab]

Don't forget Packard.....
Not sure about '55 but definitely offered on the '56 Caribbean 2dr. hardtop.....a very rare car to come across.
If I remember correctly Lincoln offered the top to compete with GM's pillarless design since they knew the old girl needed an update....didn't work...
Mike

[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

In 1950, each of the GM brands offered one or more "hardtop convertibles" (two-door hardtops), setting the trend for a popular new automotive style.  Neither Ford nor Chrysler were prepared to offer this popular new style.  In an effort to compete, Ford introduced a series of specially trimmed two-door sedans to appeal to style conscious buyers.  These consisted of the Ford Crestliner, the Mercury Monterey, the Lincoln Lido and the Lincoln Capri.  (The Lido was the smaller series Lincoln, sometimes called the "baby Lincoln"; the Capri was the larger Cosmopolitan series Lincoln.)  Each of those four cars had a vinyl roof standard.  The same models were again offered in 1951, even though by then Ford introduced the Victoria 2-door hardtop.  By 1952, all of the Ford brands had two-door hardtops, and these vinyl-roofed sedans were discontinued.

In the 1950s, a vinyl roof was highly unusual, and gave a car an exclusive custom appearance.  It evoked the appearance of custom coach-built cars, such as those produced by the Derham Co. of Rosemont, PA, which was well known for fitting cars with leather-covered tops or padded fabric-covered tops.

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

Thanks all.

The reason I ask is that I am looking at a 63 Imperial with vinyl roof. I had never heard of an Imperial with vinyl roof until later in the 60's. The seller insists it's original and the car is pretty well trimmed out. Imperial had at the time a "special shop" for outfitting cars based on requests.

I suspected that Imperial would do whatever Cadillac did. I just did not know when Cadillac started 'regular production' vinyl top applications.

BJ. Call Lowell Howe @ 209-581-6221 calif whom is listed in the Imperial club recommended salvage yards. He has 200 Imperials several miles from me. Tell him I sent you and listen to him howl but he knows his cars LOL ~:<)