It's time to put the top down

The roads are wet, the medians are grassy and the sun is peeking through the clouds.

The thaw is on, folks. Spring has sprung.

For vehicle lovers, especially those who are destined to a life of 6-month winters like us, it's time to kick back and put the top down.

It's convertible season.

According to Jack Nerad and the website DrivingToday.com, the first retractable hardtop system was conceived by an American, Ben P. Ellerbeck, in 1922, but the concept was never put into production.

Then in 1935, the French car brand Peugeot constructed the first power-operated retractable hardtop called '402 Éclipse Décapotable'. The car was designed and patented by a Parisian, Jewish dentist, Georges Paulin. He also worked as a part-time car designer, but died later in the Holocaust. Paulin's designs were custom-built by French coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout, on a larger Peugeot chassis.

In 1941, America entered into the convertible game when Chrysler built its first retractable hardtop concept called the 'Thunderbolt'.

Ford Motor Company engineered a 'Continental Mark II' in 1953 with a servo-operated retractable roof - a control system that converted a small mechanical motion into one requiring much greater power - by spending an estimated $2 million, a huge financial risk for the times. The concept gained success in theory, but was rejected due to marketing reasons.

Following WWII, the convertible really started to take off in the U.S., as automakers manufactured a broad range of models during the 1950s and 1960s - from economical, compact-sized models such as the Rambler American and the Studebaker Lark, to the more expensive models such as the Packard Caribbean, Oldsmobile 98, and Imperial by Chrysler.

Proposed major safety standards suggested during the mid-1970s for the 1980 model year included a 50 mph crash to the front, at 25 mph on the sides, as well as a rollover at 30 mph, a test that open top convertibles would unlikely be able to pass. This caused a major slow down in production.

Although the requirements were later reduced, sales of convertibles fell steadily during the early-1970s. Automobile air conditioning systems were also becoming popular. In 1976, Cadillac marketed the Eldorado as "the last of the American Convertibles", believing the 70s would bring the end of the convertible.

It wasn't until the mid-80s that convertibles were widely sold again in the U.S. The excess and glamour that was the 80s brought back this vehicle gem to American driveways. The Chrysler LeBaron and Saab 900 revived the body style in the United States - followed by models such as the Mazda Miata, Porsche Boxster, Audi TT, and later retractable hardtop models.

Today, the Chrysler 200 accounts for over 2% of its manufacturers' volume, and is considered, by many auto enthusiasts, to be the top convertible of this generation.

Although the history of the convertible went from bright and balmy to cloudy and dreary at times, the sun is clearly still shining on our vehicular symbol of spring and summer.

 By Scott Stone