But doesn't anyone make an aftermarket???
that's the question

 

Yes they do make them. I saw it at the bellevue mustang roundup. It was in the saleen area. A red sn95 with white fiberglass hardtop. I got a picture of the information. But don't have the pics downloaded to my computer yet. It appeared to be a company that was just getting into business. I do not remember a website name being on the piece of paper with all the info. Just a phone number abd price. Which was something like $2500.

 

 

Those few 1995 Cobra convertible hardtops were a disaster. I wouldn't expect to ever see that again from Ford.

 

Hardtops are are just too clumsy. Retractable hardtops are the future, closed = coupe, open = convertible. They don't need to be too expensive either, in the US you only see them on premium cars like Lexus and Merc, but over here we have various RHT's already starting as low as $8000 and they are big hits.

Here's my current daily driver from Renault:



(more at my site: www.meganecc.com)

The only problem I see for this concept in a Mustang is that the design requires a relatively large trunk (to store the roof), which would seriously compromise the Mustang's basic shape. I guess that's the main reason Ford wouldn't even begin to consider it. It wouldn't look like a Mustang anymore.

 

I don't know if it's the same now, but with the 1979-1993 Stangs, they were all coupes to begin with, then shipped off to ASC (American Sunroof Company, also made the MacLaren's) to have the strengthening and tops cut off to make them convertibles, and have the soft tops installed. They were not verts' straight from the factory!

 

Retractable hardtops are nice, but notice that modern retractables are all two seaters. The engineering issues of doing a 4 seat retractable hardtop are huge (although I hear Hyundai is trying it on the upcoming Tiburon). Ford would lose a bundle trying to make it work on a mass produced car.

Bolt on hardtops are also mostly two seaters, though BMW offers a 3 series hardtop for about $3500. Figure that much for a high quality Mustang hardtop. For that much money, I’ll keep it in the garage in nasty weather.

 

Nope, my Renault Mégane is a 4 seater:



the new Peugeot 307 CC RHT is a 4-seater:



Volkswagen will come out with a 4 seater Golf RHT in 2006,




Opel (Euro GM) will do a RHT of their new Astra, the successor of the Volvo C70 will have a RHT and even Ford is rumoured to be working on a RHT Focus, although that is unconfirmed.

Hyundai had a RHT prototype built of their current Tiburon by Karmann (the German company that also developed the roof for the Renault and builds the current Chrysler Crossfire and before that the old Merc SLK).



They will however not introduce this technology it on their current Tiburon but on the next one. And that will be a 4 seater as well btw.

RHT's are gonna be big, but there will always be ragtops as well. Maybe a far future Mustang will have one too one day, but personally I doubt it.

 

The only way I could see a RHT on a Mustang anytime in the future is if they developed it for another 4-seater or had an existing one within the Ford family that they could adapt to the Mustang.

 

Wow, Europe is ahead of the curve on RHT. The VW especially looks interesting. I agree, Mustang is not a short-term candidate, but by 2009, who knows. And don't forget the car that started it all

 

This outfit made them for the previous mustang model.

http://www.smoothline.com/


BB

Semper Fi

 

I guess the Ford Skyliners were too far ahead of their time (1957):

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that Ford was considering a retractable hardtop for a future Mustang but that it would have to give up the backseat.

See: http://www.newtechspy.com/articles06/2009mustang.html

 

Ford had a retractable hardtop concept for 1967

http://bradbarnett.net/mustangs/concept/retractable/

I have heard some rumor talk abour one for the 5th gen Mustang but I would not count on it.

 

I think CDC make have a retractable hardtop in the works for sema.

 

Somebody said it before, and these pictures prove it. The trunk would have to be too big and it would ruin the classic Mustang shape.

As much as I'd love a retractable hardtop... i just don't think it will work in the Mustang.