A convertible sedan or a tourer?

[Lothar]

Rockne (Brad) recently had a topic with a photo of a beautiful 1933 Rockne Two-door sedan convertible in Norway. I asked the difference between a convertible and a convertible two-door sedan, which some of you patiently explained to me. I'm not really sharp about pre-war body styles, and I recognize that these style categories are variable and arbitrary. Jimjim mentioned that there were also FOUR-door sedan convertibles. I always thought that body style was called a touring car or tourer. Is there a definite distinction between those two styles, or is one man's tourer another man's four door sedan convertible? Does it matter if the side windows have frames? Is that a way to tell the two styles apart?

1950 Champion 4 Dr.
Holdrege NE

[fargoguy]

A convertible sedan - or 4 door convertible sedan normally meant an open car, but with roll up windows. A touring, or tourer- also sometimes called a phaeton, there are no side windows, just snap in side curtains. Hope this helps. This is also the difference between a Cabriolet and a roadster- cabriolet has roll up windows, roadster doesn't- but both are convertibles.

Evan Davis
Prairie Bulletin
Saskatchewan Chapter
Prince Albert, Sk

http://www.saskstudebaker.ca/Studebaker.html

[Lothar]

Thanks Fargo guy. I thought that it had something to do with side windows, but I wasn't sure if the windows had no frames, or if there simply weren't windows. I remember my grandpa talking about his first car (1916 Buick) having "isinglass curtains" instead of windows, so that must have been a touring car.

1950 Champion 4 Dr.
Holdrege NE

[monomaniac]

Just wait a couple decades when someone asks:
"What's the difference between an SUV and a crossover?"

[53hardtop]

Funny, I rode in a Volkswagon "Phaeton" awhile back and it had roll up windows!! Also GPS, climate control, etc.

Rob in ND
'53 Commander Hardtop resto-mod (work in process)

[fargoguy]

quote:Originally posted by 53hardtop

Funny, I rode in a Volkswagon "Phaeton" awhile back and it had roll up windows!! Also GPS, climate control, etc.

Rob in ND
'53 Commander Hardtop resto-mod (work in process)

OK- so let me clarify myself- i believe that my comments will hold true to all american made vehicle made before 1960. The last convertibles i can think of off the top of my head that didn't have roll up windows were the Willys Jeepster- ca 1949 and the dodge Wayfarer Roadster from the same time. The willys would be a 2 door phaeton and the dodge a roadster.

Evan Davis
Prairie Bulletin
Saskatchewan Chapter
Prince Albert, Sk

http://www.saskstudebaker.ca/Studebaker.html

[dictator27]

In Volkswagen's case phaeton was incorrectly used because it did not have a soft top. To them it was just a model designation.

Terry

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by fargoguy


OK- so let me clarify myself- i believe that my comments will hold true to all american made vehicle made before 1960.

Evan Davis

Not quite <G>.
One that comes to mind is the 1956 Mercury Phaeton model, a four door hardtop. There were 23,493 of those built.
A friend that has a nice '51 Studebaker Champion told me that he had a phaeton for sale that was out in his back barn. When I went to check it out, I found a 1956 Mercury Phaeton.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[jimmijim8]

53-4-5 Corvette - no glass side windows available. Snap in plastic. Sometimes called a roadster. jimmijim

[rockne10]

quote:Originally posted by monomaniac

Just wait a couple decades when someone asks:
"What's the difference between an SUV and a crossover?"

Someone at work recently asked me that very question.
I told them a crossover was a SUV body on a sedan platform.
It gives a false sense of bajaness.[)]

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight

[DEEPNHOCK]

Then toss in 'Cabriolet' just to confuse them good[}]
Jeff[8D]

[kurtruk]

First few years of Dodge Viper production---no doorglasses. Snap-in plastic windows.

KURTRUK
(read it backwards)