By Kamil Kaluski
There was a time when cars had large windows. A time when there was no need for blind-spot sensors because they were so small. And there were many vehicles that allowed all windows to be rolled down. This was especially common with full-size SUVs and station wagons. This was because years ago they all had tailgates and not hatches like they all do today.
But there were a few non-wagon, non-utility cars that also had roll down rear windows, such as the above Honda Del Sol. Today we are looking for those cars with roll down rear windows.
The Caveats (there are always caveats):
- No body-on-frame vehicles such as SUVs and pickup trucks. There are too many of them, too easy.
- No station wagons, same reasons.
- Concept cars are allowed, why not?
- Roll down rear solid panels are allowed simply because I don’t know if such thing even exists.
- Other non-conventional opening rear windows get partial credit. Or extra credit, depending on obscurity and/or innovation.
Difficulty: 6.5 out of 8, enjoy the summer breeze.
How This Works: Read the comments first and don’t post duplicates! Bonus points for adding photos.
Image source: Honda
Robert Crespo 
Jeff Glucker
On 1968-1972 Corvette Coupes, the rear window was a removable panel.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/bobs77vet/removable%20rear%20window/00000077.jpg
Combined with the standard T-tops, you got a near convertible.
http://www.proteam-corvette.com/cars/photos/203X15.jpg
I did not know those were removable!
Only 1968-1972. They changed it for 1973. A cost cutting measure.
It also gained a little cargo capacity. There was a built in storage compartment at the top of the area behind the seats. It took up the same amount of room whether or not it was holding the glass. And cargo space was at a premium in those cars, especially when the T tops were off.
https://corvetteparts.com/pictures/KdEEhaUuGjRFX8YtPz0jGA_3.jpg
I know all about the cargo capacity of these things. I drove a 1977 Corvette while in college. It had room for one big suitcase, a book bag, and two 6X9 speakers in a small speaker boxes. That’s it!
Mine was a ’69. With the T tops stowed, two small duffel bags was about all the additional luggage that would fit.
Low hanging fruit, Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
https://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/IMG_7989-Small-550×367.jpg
While this is a body-on-frame vehicle, the “Breezeway” Mercury is the poster child for roll down backlight and is in the spirit of the assignment.
Well, okay, if we’re going to ignore the body-on-frame restriction…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fedd6f8c3f697faec86d90e1d1648ac1b3a74cd7777d44bfea9c53118ed6ac19.jpg
Writing this I kind of forgot that all cars used to be on frame. Ugh. Coffee me.
If you allow body-on-frame examples, roll-down rear windows were fairly common in the era of rumble seats, such as on this 1935 Dodge:
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/articles/35dodge/1935-dodge-08.jpg
Some cars are body-on-frame
Some cars are body-on-frame
Some cars are body-on-frame
Some cars are body-on-frame
…sorry I’ve clearly been spending too much time on Twitter
Almost all cars before the 1970s were body-on-frame.
The Turnpike Cruiser (1957) is the first production model with the “Breezeway” design. But the started with the 1955 D-528/Beldone concept. The Breezeway design was used by Lincoln Continental’s for 3years in 1958, 1959, & 1960.
The Breezeway design was reintroduced in 1963 the retracting glass, and the trendy reverse-slope Z-line roof that enabled the feature, were offered on both two-door and four-door styles, pillarless hardtop and post bodies, and in all three trim lines: Monterey, Montclair, and Park Lane. All told, there were eight different Breezeway models. In 1967 the redesign of the roof the grass only retracted a few inches.
In 1969 retracting rear windows were eliminated and gone from Murcury car’s.
I think the Vivio T-top’s rear window is flip down but still counts.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Subaru_Vivio_T-top_003.JPG/800px-Subaru_Vivio_T-top_003.JPG
Put some air in those tires! 😉
Put some air in that car! It looks deflated!!
BMW 6 Series Convertible
Yep. The vertical back window can be raised and lowered independently of the top, which allows it to serve as a wind blocker when the top is down.
Dang, I even reviewed that car!
http://image.motortrend.com/f/8560480+w786+ar1/112_0406_2004_BMW_645Ci_Convertible_04z+2004_BMW_645Ci_Convertible+Interior_View_Rear_Window.jpg
1958-1960 Lincoln Continental (including the convertible).
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0df4422cdbb82c8be9c57445bbc8d94ef8ad3797511f9f1f1e414ec45d2671bf.jpg
Good call, as these have unibody construction.
But not the Ford Anglia (aka Harry Potter car) that shared the same reverse-angled window
If Corvette pop out counts, then Viper RT10 should, too.
https://theviperstore.com/images/Viper1_Back_Glass2_30.jpg
Did the early RT10 even have a rear window? I remember that the raincoat t-top/targa top was an afterthought and not meant to be attached while at speed.
Yes. The hard top came along a few years into production and would detach above 160-something mph, but they did have back windows.
https://theviperstore.com/Viper2_Products_Parts&Upgrades_Replacement_Parts%20-%20Convertible_Back_Glass.htm
Ford coupes of the mid-1930s had roll-down rear windows, particularly meant for rumble seat models. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/60f985252af3ea7dfeb650be65a08bbb915a12a08cc13359226a5ec376ccd2a9.jpg
Pulsar NX could be driven with the hatch on, odd, or replaced with a wagon roofline.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wkeXkUliwKg/hqdefault.jpg
My thought.
I passed a hatchback one of those on my way home from work the other day, and realized I don’t recall ever seeing one with the wagon roof though I’ve known of it for ~30 years. (Thanks, new-cars-for-198x edition of Parade magazine!)
I had one and drove it once in full convertible mode. The experience was essentially the same as just taking the t-tops off, not worth the trouble
I had a TR6 and AW 3000, both of which their soft tops ziped out. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb6f2c5ab0815f44518b0e861a322eaac5937bf7e7c28f13686d61fcf50751db.jpg
Also MGB/C plus the RV8
As does my Thunderbird and, I think, my Dad’s Eldorado. I think it used to be fairly common with convertibles.
How about convertibles like the Baur TC?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/BMW_Baur_E30_TC2.JPG/798px-BMW_Baur_E30_TC2.JPG
Or Porsche 911 Targa soft window?
http://topclassiccarsforsale.com/uploads/photoalbum/very-rare-porsche-911-22t-soft-window-targa-1.jpg
Not really roll-down?
https://media.giphy.com/media/NCjISbEPFxm48/giphy.gif
The 1967-1968 big Mercury sedans offered an electric rear window that could be retracted two inches. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6486503521ddabefebfdf90ca067f03bbc981210556d85f8bb2ecb51a5833a57.jpg
This…. this is the stuff I love to see! You get a super bonus!
It was offered as early as 1963.
http://www.carstyling.ru/Static/SIMG/420_0_I_MC_jpg_W/resources/entries/4882/1963-Mercury-Monterey-Custom-Four-Door-Hardtop-Ad.jpg
Yes, I know. But the ’67-’68 models were the only ones with the “normal” sedan roofline.
The “better idea from Mercury” was originally on Shelby GT350R.
It didn’t unroll, though. The glass was deliberately installed with the gap for competitive reasons (aero improvement).
https://assets.hemmings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//2015/02/LIN_8407-cropped.jpg
i don’t even have to cheat and call out the NA/NB’s unzippable rear window. as always, The Answer™…
http://st.automobilemag.com/uploads/sites/11/2016/03/2017-Mazda-MX-5-Miata-RF-rear-side-view-wheel-turned.jpg
Can I get a ruling on Toyota Sunchaser? And if split roof convertibles count, what about second generation RX7?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Toyota_Celica_SunChaser_rear.jpg/800px-Toyota_Celica_SunChaser_rear.jpg
https://cdn1.mecum.com/auctions/fl0113/fl0113-145397/images/fl0113-145397_2@2x.jpg
While it’s not really within the parameters the Toyota Tundra crew cab does have a roll down rear windwo which is rather unusual on a pickup
http://image.trucktrend.com/f/8252318+re0+ar0+st0/163_0712_57z%2B2008_toyota_tundra_4x4_crewmax_limited%2Broll_up_rear_window.jpg
avalanche and the envoy xuv both have rear window panels/sliders respectively
can remove the avalanche rear window , keep the bed panels on and have stuff stored and still a breeze through https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e5ceb95caf34595c6da9ff49ca70450001dc9ece66276718b86074e326fdce3b.jpg
Same for the 2005-2015 Mitsubishi L200/Triton although the window opening was not full-width. This was dropped for the next generation because it stole too much cabin space.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a3ca3b9789db3b20e9ced01a16f8737f893c55e60cd7cf156fd901aebf37699f.jpg
DQ’ed
He stated in “The Caveats”
“• No body-on-frame vehicles such as SUVs and pickup trucks. There are too many of them, too easy.”
That’s was the first one he said.
Yea, I thought about that but there are so many pickup variations of that, hence the rule.
DQ’ed
He stated in “The Caveats”
“• No body-on-frame vehicles such as SUVs and pickup trucks. There are too many of them, too easy.”
That’s was the first one he said.
Miata RF’s back window hides away when the targa is down
I’m seeing a lot of soft-tops with roll-down plastic rear windows. Can we get a global ruling on that? The Triumph Stag and the Jaguar XJ-SC would fall into this category.
http://www.simoncars.co.uk/triumph/slides/Triumph%20Stag%20open%20rear.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/1985_Jaguar_XJ-SC_5.3_V12_in_Morges_2012_-_Side.jpg
In terms of “other non-conventional opening rear windows” Alfa Romeo Zagato Juniors seemed to be a bit lacking in through-flow ventilation. However they could be (and usually are) driven with the rear hatch open just a notch:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_hTDMTTNsMc/maxresdefault.jpg
And the Citroen Pluriel had a removable rear window as one step in its 5-part process from conventional hatchback.
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/testing-the-citroen-c3-pluriel-vue-arrire-coffre-ouvert-de-la-citron-picture-id163048584