Similar to the sport coupé, it has a provision for converting to an open-type body (i e , convertible) A rumble seat is a common on older vehicles, but not mandatory feature Mercedes-Benz distinguishes the cabriolet from the roadster in that the former has a soft-top which folds up while the roadster has a hard-top which is stored in the trunk Also called a "drophead coupé "
A light, two-wheeled, hooded one-horse chaise Replaced the curricle as a fashionable vehicle for society men in the early years of Queen Victoria's reign
a car with a roof that can be folded back = convertible (cabriolet type of carriage pulled by a horse (18-20 centuries), from , from cabriole ; because of the way the carriage moved along)
Another name for a convertible coupe Over the years the European manufacturers have used this name much more than other manufacturers; specifically Volkswagen, Porsche, and Peugeot As with many automotive terms, this one traces its roots back to the horse and buggy days, when it described "a light, two-wheeled one-horse carriage with two seats and a folding top *" Of course, today these vehicles have more than one horse under the hood, and the number of wheels has doubled, but then again, these are not your great grandfather's Cabriolets *(The American Heritage Dictionary Second College Edition, Copyright 1983, Houghton Mifflin Company)
French word, derived from the verb "cabriolet" describing the movements of a prancing horse It was used initially to describe a light-weight, open, two-seater, horse-drawn carriage generally fitted with a top that could be raised to protect the occupants in inclement weather Later, among French coach-builders, it came to designate a convertible automobile for 2 or 3 passengers Fleetwood adopted the term in 1927 to designate custom-bodied closed cars with a leather or cloth covering applied to the roof; the term was a favorite with Fleetwood in the late Twenties and Thirties; it term went out of style in the mid-Thirties but made a reappearance in 1980 [see 1980 brochure]