I Think That It’s Time for Summer!

I don’t know what the weather is like in other parts of the country, but where I live, it’s time to bring out the cars that have tops that go up and down (gasp)!  Let’s talk roadsters.

A roadster can refer to a two passenger car with a (typically) skimpy cloth (canvas, vinyl, etc) top that barely keeps the elements out of your face.  They used to have removable side curtains rather than glass windows.  Brrrrrr!  But, roadsters have evolved much over the past 50 years.  Today, there are fun-to-drive roadsters that are every bit as easy (thank G-d for ABS and rack and pinion) to drive, as they are plush and costly (I’m talking to you Mercedes-Benz SL, Chevy Corvette, and Porsche Boxster!).

The term can also relate to the IndyCars of the late 1950s-early 1960s which had their powerful engines at the front tipped sideways, which forced the driveshaft from the transmission to the rear wheels ran right next to the driver’s seat instead of underneath it (both VERY bad ideas!).  What the designers came out with was a lower, wider car which looked like a two-seater, yet barely accommodated the driver.  Here’s some examples of both types of roadsters.