WI: The US regulates Convertibles out of existance

kernals12

Banned
In 1973, the NHTSA regulation FMVSS 216 went into effect for passenger vehicles. The rule stated that cars' roofs had to withstand a force of 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle with no more than 5 inches intrusion. This was meant to protect occupants in rollover accidents. The regulation of course would've made convertibles illegal, but the NHTSA chose to exempt them. The regulators thought this would be a moot point because droptops were a rapidly disappearing breed as drivers preferred air conditioning and sunroofs over the annoyance, weight, and complexity of a removable roof. Indeed, in 1976, the last convertible out of Detroit, the Cadillac Eldorado, went out of production. But then in 1983, Chrysler cut the roof off the Lebaron and Detroit was back in the business.

So what if the regulators decided that droptop fun wasn't worth the safety risks? This of course wouldn't just get rid of American made convertibles, but also all the import convertibles. Also, the loss of the US market would probably cause most automakers to stop selling them altogether.
 

Driftless

Donor
Are you allowing for vehicles with engineered roll bars, or excluding them as well? Depending on the details of the rule, that could also remove the old military style Jeeps, removable top Land Cruisers, Broncos, Land Rovers, etc.
 

kernals12

Banned
Are you allowing for vehicles with engineered roll bars, or excluding them as well? Depending on the details of the rule, that could also remove the old military style Jeeps, removable top Land Cruisers, Broncos, Land Rovers, etc.
Those would probably survive. As long as the roll bars can follow the roof crush rules. As would things like the Pontiac Firebird T-Tops and Porsche 911 Targas.
 
Older vehicles would become more valuable, since they would be grandfathered in. Depending on how valuable convertibles became, it might get to the point of lifting the VIN number tag and building a new car under it, much as some Washington Treaty "rebuilds" and the USS Puritan were mainly a case of lifting the bell up and putting a new ship underneath.
 

Driftless

Donor
As you note, I can see those vehicles with sufficient rollover protections continuing in production, but probably in reduced numbers as much from additional cost as anything. I'm no engineer, but weren't most of the full roll cage set-ups attached to either the ladder frame or it's equivalent secure structure? That's extra steel, some interesting design and assembly work to make it fit under a roof, all without impacting the overall model appearance - but that would come at cost. With the T-tops, that rollover protection of course was an integral part of the design, so they might continue for a time. Are there any current production T-tops, at least in the less than $50k range?

Another element of cost with the convertibles was higher insurance rates - As I understand it due to higher medical related costs (in rollovers) and some increased levels of theft/vandalism.
 

kernals12

Banned
As you note, I can see those vehicles with sufficient rollover protections continuing in production, but probably in reduced numbers as much from additional cost as anything. I'm no engineer, but weren't most of the full roll cage set-ups attached to either the ladder frame or it's equivalent secure structure? That's extra steel, some interesting design and assembly work to make it fit under a roof, all without impacting the overall model appearance - but that would come at cost. With the T-tops, that rollover protection of course was an integral part of the design, so they might continue for a time. Are there any current production T-tops, at least in the less than $50k range?

Another element of cost with the convertibles was higher insurance rates - As I understand it due to higher medical related costs (in rollovers) and some increased levels of theft/vandalism.
The Mazda Miata has a removable roof panel.
 
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