Targa top
Targa top, or targa for short, is a semi-
The rear window is normally fixed, but on some targa models, it is a removable plastic foldable window, making it a convertible-type vehicle. Any piece of normally fixed metal or trim which rises up from one side, over the roof and down the other side is sometimes called a targa band, targa bar, or wrapover band.
Targa tops are different from T-tops, which have a solid, non-removable bar running between the top of the windscreen and the rear roll-bar, and generally have two separate roof panels above the seats that fit between the window and central t-bar.
Origin
The word targa first came into use from the 1965 Porsche 911 Targa, though it was not the first to use the removable roof panel system. The system first appeared in 1957 on the limited-production
The targa style roof opening became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, when there were fears that the Department of Transportation (DOT) in the United States would ban convertibles, due to concerns over the safety of occupants when a car overturns. As a result, manufacturers adopted Targa tops or T-tops. As Porsche helped to popularise this body style, they took out a trademark for the Targa name and manufacturers sought for alternative names for their removable tops. Porsche got the name "Targa" from the Targa Florio, the road race in Sicily where Porsche was very successful. Targa means "plate" (or placard) in Italian.
Targa and T-top numbers have slowly declined as manufacturers discontinued them in favour of full convertibles with
-
Targa top body style (Fiat X1/9 example)
-
Triumph TR250 Surrey Top.
Glass roof
The year 1996 saw the debut of a retractable glass roof in the
Motorized roof
With the introduction and production of the latest two generations of 911, the Type
Rotating roof
Ferrari introduced a hybrid variation of the targa roof and folding metal roof with the 180 degree rotating roof featured on the 2005 Ferrari Superamerica designed by Leonardo Fioravanti, which was previewed on his Alfa Romeo Vola concept in 2000. The concept was also used in the 2010 Renault Wind.
Examples of traditional Targa tops
- Alfa Romeo Vola (2000 concept, rotating roof)
- AMC Eagle Sundancer (1980–84)
- Bentley Continental SC
- BMW 3 Series Baur Cabriolets E21 TC1 (1978-1982), E30 TC2 (1983–1991), E36 TC4 (1992–1996)
- Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport/Vitisse (2009-2015)
- Chevrolet Corvette coupé (1984–current)
- Dodge Viper
- Ferrari 308 GTS
- Ferrari 328 GTS
- Ferrari 348 ts/GTS
- Dino 246 GTS
- Ferrari F355 GTS
- Ferrari F50
- Ferrari Superamerica(rotating roof)
- Fiat X1/9
- Ford GTX-1 (1966 12 Hours of Sebring winner)
- Ford GTX-1 Roadster (2005)
- Honda CR-X del Sol
- Honda NSX-T
- Honda S660
- Jaguar XJ-SC'twin-targa' cabriolet (1984–1988)
- Koenigsegg (all models)
- Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster
- Lamborghini Miura Roadster (one-off)
- Lamborghini Aventador Roadster
- Lamborghini Silhouette
- Lamborghini Jalpa
- Lancia Beta Spider (Zagato)
- Lotus Elise
- Maserati MC12
- Matra 530
- Mazda MX-5 RF
- Mercedes-Benz Silver Lightning
- Nissan 100NX
- Nissan URGE
- Nissan 300ZX
- Opel Speedster
- Pontiac Solstice Coupe (2009)
- Porsche 911 Targa (1966–present)
- Porsche 912 Targa
- Porsche 914
- Porsche Carrera GT
- Porsche 918 Spyder
- Qvale Mangusta
- Renault Wind
- Saab Catherina prototype (1964)
- Smart Roadster
- Suzuki Samurai
- Suzuki Cappuccino (optional)
- Tesla Roadster (2008)
- Tesla Roadster (2020)
- Toyota Sports 800 (1965–1969)
- Toyota Supra
- Triumph TR4 Surrey top (1961)
- Triumph TR4A Surrey top (1965)
- Triumph TR250Surrey top (1967)
- TVR Tuscan Speed Six
See also
References
- ^ "911 History". Edmunds.com. 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
- ^ "Porsche official website". Porsche.com. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
- ISBN 0854292179.
- ^ "Evo February 2002". Evo.co.uk. 2002-02-21. Archived from the original on 2009-11-14. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
External links
- The dictionary definition of targa at Wiktionary