Convertibles with four doors – The Emergency Strip

BMW 502 Convertible

BMW 502 Convertible

We kick off with the oldest four-door convertible in this list. After the war, the 501 and 502 were the first models that BMW put on the road in the 1950s. It was also the first car that the brand screwed together in Bavaria. The 502 had a V8 and was also available as a four-door convertible. It was initially built by coachbuilder Baur in 1955, reportedly only 11 copies were made. In 1960, the 502 also came as the ‘Autenrieth Cabriolet’, pictured above. Compared to its predecessor, this 502 has a nose that is more upright, the convertible top is also slightly better concealed when open. The stiffness of the body was undoubtedly nothing to write home about.

Lincoln Continental Convertible

Lincoln Continental Convertible

In the 1960s, the Lincoln Continental Convertible was a car that Hollywood stars loved. The rectangular design in combination with the double headlights and chrome bumpers looks wonderfully classic. The Continental Convertible, like the sedan, had rear-opening rear doors. That is not only cool to see, but also easier in the construction because you can omit the B-pillar. Unfortunately, such ‘land yachts’ are no longer made these days, even though Cadillac did please the public this century with the Ciel, which will come along later in this piece.

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited

As mentioned in the introduction, low factory four-door convertibles are really rare. They were made more before the war, but that list would become quite long given the large number of coachbuilders. SUVs are much more common as four-door convertibles, starting with one of the most popular models: the Wrangler Unlimited. The Unlimited is the long wheelbase version and was first introduced on Generation TJ in 2004. To date, Jeep offers the Unlimited in the range. The open air is not completely visible, because to ensure the rigidity of the body, there is a bracket between the front and rear doors in the roof. In addition, the Wrangler also has roll bars at the rear. However, that does not alter the fact that Jeep is currently one of the few manufacturers with a four-door convertible in the range.

Ford Bronco

Ford Bronco

The other manufacturer with a four-door convertible is Ford, which recently revived the Bronco. With the Bronco, Ford wants to challenge the Jeep Wrangler, so it is not surprising that the Bronco comes on the market in approximately the same body styles. The Bronco’s cloth roof can be folded away manually, as demonstrated by the best man in the image above. Unlike the Wrangler, the Bronco does not have a bracket between the front and rear doors in the roof, giving you a larger open space. You can also opt for removable roof panels. Nice for the real adventurers: the doors of the Bronco can also be removed.

Hummer H1 Convertible

Hummer H1 Convertible

The list of four-door open-top off-road vehicles is not over yet. The Hummer H1 was also available as a ‘Convertible’ with a huge fabric roof. Where you can imagine yourself as an adventurer in the Bronco through the missing doors, the H1 has a military nature. The Hummer H1 is in fact a direct descendant of the ‘Humvee’, the iconic military vehicle that is best known for its role in Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War and later military deployment, mainly in the Middle East. The civilian variant came on the market in 1992 and finally lasted until 2006. Its successor, the Hummer H2, was never available as a convertible from the factory.

Concept cars

Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive Concept

Now on to the unfulfilled potential, because both Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac toyed with the idea of ​​launching a four-door convertible. Mercedes showed the Concept Ocean Drive in 2006, a car that had to prepare the public for an S-class convertible. In the end, it only came in 2015 and he had two doors less. In addition, Cadillac came up with the Ciel Concept in 2011, a modern interpretation of the ‘land yachts’ of yesteryear. Unfortunately, Cadillac never brought this study model to fruition, just like other cool concepts from the brand such as the Sixteen and Elmiraj.