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Wales
by Joske Vermeule, September 1
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Forums39
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Jun 14th, 2026
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 37,486 Likes: 993
Tricky Dicky Member of the Inner Circle
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Tricky Dicky Member of the Inner Circle
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 37,486 Likes: 993 |
I'm with you on this Keith, the DHC is only good as far as early Morgan are concerned to me they are the same thing, I shall be most interested to read of a clear definition of each though  Well an Audi with a jigsaw is a cabriolet in the making isn't it.. There are no definitions that are consistent over time, place or manufacturer. This page has some good definitions, but marketing has perverted these. For example Mercedes says a roadster is a sporty two seater convertible, because there's no chance their customers would accept something without wind up windows. Thanks for that my favourite is The Mother In Law Seat 
2009 4/4 Sport Henrietta
1999 Indigo Blue +8
2009 4/4 Sport Green prev
1993 Con Green +8 prev
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,435 Likes: 122
Talk Morgan Guru
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Talk Morgan Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,435 Likes: 122 |
There has certainly been a lot of confusion in marketing over the decades. In my understanding a roadster is a car like the Morgan with side windows that can be removed. A " Cabriolet ", convertible or spider should be more or less the same. Spider I know actually only from the Italians as a name for a convertible. But may be that a spider i always a two seater while a convertible or cabriolet can also be a huge Cadillac or Mercedes or RR.
Then we still have the Targa.
'14 4/4 graphite grey
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 5,608 Likes: 617
Charter Member
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OP
Charter Member
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 5,608 Likes: 617 |
Spider I have a good idea about .... seems the term goes way back before cars and was a large-wheeled spindly open two seater sporty carriage .... nicknamed for its spidery looks .... got carried over into two seater open cars.
I agree ... marketing has blurred any lines in current useage .... they'll use any tag that sounds different in the pursuit of sales regardless of derivation ... I think convertible/cabriolet falls into this category .... cabriolet being another horse-drawn hangover that sounds 'classier'
K
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,435 Likes: 122
Talk Morgan Guru
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Talk Morgan Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,435 Likes: 122 |
It's similar with station wagons. In Germany, every brand used to have its own name. BMW Touring, VW Variant, Mercedes T, Ford Turnier, Opel Caravan, Audi Avant etc.
'14 4/4 graphite grey
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,633 Likes: 62
Talk Morgan Enthusiast
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Talk Morgan Enthusiast
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,633 Likes: 62 |
Yes and I am contemplating buying an old Toyota Corolla wagon to cart my boating stuff around in , to be referred to as the shooting brake of course 
99 plus 8 indigo
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 329
Learner Plates Off!
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Learner Plates Off!
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 329 |
I'm with you on this Keith, the DHC is only good as far as early Morgan are concerned to me they are the same thing, I shall be most interested to read of a clear definition of each though Well an Audi with a jigsaw is a cabriolet in the making isn't it.. There are no definitions that are consistent over time, place or manufacturer. This page has some good definitions, but marketing has perverted these. For example Mercedes says a roadster is a sporty two seater convertible, because there's no chance their customers would accept something without wind up windows. Thanks for that my favourite is The Mother In Law Seat WHOA!.... I own a Mercedes Benz SL 600, with the hard top that folds into the trunk....AND, the windows are ELECTRIC.... (It also has the monster V-12 engine) 
2019 Morgan +4
2006 Mercedes Benz SL 600
2018 GMC SUV
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,550 Likes: 5
Talk Morgan Addict
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Talk Morgan Addict
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,550 Likes: 5 |
Isn't a convertible an open top version of it's fixed roof version of the same car?
Having had three Roadsters at one point Morgan smart and MX5 none of these had a fixed roof version, only the Morgan had removable side screens but they all invoked finding a great road to throw them down!
The smart Roadster has both a softop and removable targa hard roof panels with a fixed roll over bar section so blurs any definition.
Lotus took its softop Elise and created a fixed roof version from it which could be seen as a backwards design of the convertible?
Mark - No Longer driving Archie the Old English Sheep Mog........... 2010 Roadster 3.0 V6 (S3) 
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,435 Likes: 122
Talk Morgan Guru
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Talk Morgan Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,435 Likes: 122 |
Mark, a good explanation, so here we have an example of convertibles. And I agree, the Elise was a Targa first, then the Exige followed. ![[Linked Image]](https://www.tm-img.com/images/2020/07/23/CDCD6453-734E-4E53-99B2-7BB6B799F191.png)
'14 4/4 graphite grey
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 5,608 Likes: 617
Charter Member
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OP
Charter Member
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 5,608 Likes: 617 |
Heinz .... not just the Italians use Spider ..... those Porsche people have turned out a Spyder or two over the years.
And even Renault used it
K
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 28,912 Likes: 354
Salty Sea Dog Member of the Inner Circle
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Salty Sea Dog Member of the Inner Circle
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 28,912 Likes: 354 |
Lovely line-up Heinz!
Graham (G4FUJ)
Sold L44FOR 4/4 Giallo Fly
'11 MINI Countryman Cooper D All4
'90 LR 90 SW
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