reason for soft top

[Bob/AZ]

I have been asked twice in the last week why the roof on Henry's Model A is soft rather than steel. I know I have read the reason somewhere but can't recall for sure. I said I thought it had to do with the steel stamping capacity of the day. Is that right?

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by Bob/AZ

I have been asked twice in the last week why the roof on Henry's Model A is soft rather than steel. I know I have read the reason somewhere but can't recall for sure. I said I thought it had to do with the steel stamping capacity of the day. Is that right?

Yes, that was a large part of it. It was also common practice throughout the industry so it didn't change until it was economical to do so.

[Bob/AZ]

Thanks Marco,
The young man who asked me today wondered if it slid back like a moonroof.

[John Butts in CT]

Some English sedans did have opening roof panels, at least in '30 & '31. They show clearly in magazine ads.

[Jack '29 Sport Coupe]

People sometimes ask me how come I don't have my top down.
They mistake the Sport Coupe for a Cabriolet. One day a guy
was leading his young daughter in between a row of Model A's
and other antiques at a car cruise and she was quite proud that
her daddy knew so much about the antiques. When he got to my
car he pointed out that it was a cabriolet and that the top goes
down. I didn't have the heart to tell her any different. I didn't want
to spoil their moment.

Jack

[Rainmaker Ron]

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Years ago I did quite a bit of contract work on a steel mill that made the roll stock used by the auto industry. I asked the question about the auto tops and was assured by the engineers that coil stock of the day was too narrow. As soon as the roll mills were able to make wider stock the auto industry stamped one piece steel tops.
Rainmaker Ron

[steve s]

A friend had a friend who welded in some sort of steel sheet when his roof needed replacing and reported it was like being inside a drum--nearly unbearable boomy noise. Obviously, this problem was solved in later years.

Steve

[Model T Monte]

It was my understanding that the large pieces of sheetmetal without seams would crack, but who knows I was a small boy with a lot of questions to ask! Monte