blandacre

I bought my first Vette in 68 (a 63) and always referred to it as a roadster as did most of my Vette club buddies. Now roadster seems to have been replaced with convertible or "vert". What happened.

Bud

Nowhere Man

roadster is a convertible with no roll up windows like from 53-55. convertibles has roll up windows

vettebuyer6369

They have been convertibles since the beginning of time... and Corvette people have long made the distinction of the body types as "roadster" or "coupe," even if the exact definition of roadster isn't quite accurate. These terms have been used since I started buying in the late 70's... it didn't just come up.
"Vert" seems to be a Corvette Forum slang among some people, I don't know anyone else who says that.

NedP1

They have been convertibles since the beginning of time... and Corvette people have long made the distinction of the body types as "roadster" or "coupe," even if the exact definition of roadster isn't quite accurate. These terms have been used since I started buying in the late 70's... it didn't just come up.
"Vert" seems to be a Corvette Forum slang among some people, I don't know anyone else who says that.



If some one says roadster, I immediately think Corvette Covertible. I think they had Model A Roadsters?

Corbrastang

Roadster is anything without a top or windows. A convertible is a car with a soft/hardtop or both and windows.
Ever since i started buying cars back in the twenties its been that way. I dont like this new fandango slang about vert-damn youngsters
I have a vert I have never heard of a corvette convertible referred to as a corvette roadster.

magicv8

The etymology of "roadster" takes us back to the driver of open buggies pulled by horses.

IMO the application of the term to a car usually implies no top, and whatever other stipulations the person using the term wants to add on - it's very subjective - like "sports car".

My friend described a sports car as one that you could drive over a hundred mph steering with one hand, and reach out with the other hand to touch the rear tire. I believe the definition implied as much about the stability of a car that could run triple digits as it did about the position of the seat and the rear wheels. I tried it and it can be done in a c2, but I wore a glove.

Hardtop is another such term, originally applied in the automotive world to cars made by welding a hard top to a convertible body with (in the current usage) "no B pillar". That was done because the convertible frame (in the 50s) was made stronger than the sedans and coupes - to make up for the missing steel roof. That way the hardtop body didn't need the B pillar for strength either.

IMO all of the body terms are used and abused by the marketing and press people until any application is applied. Not to worry.

64roadster

now that I have been educated I guess I should change my user ID

nassau66427

It is my understanding that a convertible is a car that can be readily "converted" from an open car to a closed and weather proof [in theory] car. Roll up windows are what differentiate a convertible from a roadster.

"Vert" is for those either unsure of the proper spelling or desirous of saving 7 keystrokes.

My '66 is a convertible, it is neither a roadster nor a vert.

magicv8

Dunno - I refer to my 66 as a roadster. It certainly was when I bought it, by almost any definition - since the 27 large boxes of parts that I went to get after I drove the car home contained: the convertible top, the windows and window mechanisms, the A-C, the interior (except for the driver's seat), the bumpers, the spare tub, bolts, brackets, and the jack. It had none of that on it for 7 years of street driving.

Here's another way that we older rodders look at it. At the weekend digs, Corvettes usually raced in sport (SP) or modified (MSP) sport categories, but the really modified animals ended up in the roadster or fuel roadster classes. My favorite was "Plain Vanilla" AAFR (that's double A fuel roadster to you younger people. I named my white roadster after that car.

PS Speaking of roadsters: From the October 1964 edition of National Dragster:

A familiar face will step forward when the World Championship awards are passed out for Competition Eliminator. Charlie Smith, from Oklahoma City, Okla., will answer the call. Driver of the famed "Plain Vanilla" A/Altered, Smith fought a nip and tuck battle throughout the season to defeat another hard-charging Oklahoman, also by the name of Smith, for the title. His strongest challenge in the season-long race came from his brother, Frank Smith and his A/Competition roadster.

Smith won the World Championship in the competition bracket last year with the same injected Chevy roadster. The prospects for 1965 look even stronger for the Oklahoma driver, who won them all this season, including the Nationals at Indianapolis.

Ironcross

Roadster is for the older generation that learned to spell in school. Well before the PC police came into the picture. It wont even work in racing and probably because of me that they were stuck into the Altered Coupe classes. No more AA/FR`s except for us few remaining purest`s.

Johns_65Vette

Man all this talk about convertible, roadster, vert.....mine is a ragtop

Corbrastang

Judging by the amount of people that spell convertible convertAble i am not so sure that roadster was for people that knew how to spell. It appears that more than a few have trouble with convertible.

Wiscane

Grey Ghost

I think this is recognized more so, by the Pebble Beach crowd and their cars. Roadster = no rollup windows. Convertible = rollup windows.

Trophy Blue

Man, I'm glad mine's a coupe!!

2toys

Wow, just goes to show what a shallow thinker I am, how embarrassing for me, had never given this any thought. Now I'm not sure what to call those two Corvette things in the garage.

I've always liked the term Vert as I've only heard it applied to Corvettes, have thought of it an an abbreviated term for a Corvette "soft-top".

Whoa, Corvette speak for those in the know!!

Hitch

To be honest I've never given it much thought. Maybe I'm simple minded or maybe it's just a little bit silly to worry about it...

splidecision63

NowhereMan is absoutely correct. Looking in Nolan Adams book on C1's, he addresses the roadster definition. That's my 02 cents, I still call my 59 a roadster, it just sounds better. Any way who cares.

trw58c1

Reading this is like watch C-Span, any politicians on this forum?

Jack60