1960 Daimler Dart retractable hard top - GIF

[Jon]

1960 Daimler Dart retractable hard top.




Previously:

Automatic retractable hardtop - GIF
1951 Buick XP-300 convertible top - GIF
1955 Lincoln Capri Woodie Sportsman convertible - photos

[Frank S]

Now if ever there was a car that should never be driven with the top on this is one. That thing is 7 kinds of ugly with the top up but aside from the back window, with the op down it doesn't look nearly as bad

[NortonDommi]

Just begging to be turned into a ute but the front end is too French looking for my taste.

[WmRMeyers]

That thing is so ugly it's cute! This is the first convertible I've seen since I figured out I'd never be able to afford to replace my 1963 Impala SS hardtop with the convertible version that I want one of. Not going to have any better luck finding one of these, though, am i?

[bruce.desertrat]

Looks right out of "The Thunderbirds" to me...

[Moldyjim]

DAMN!
Sometimes, doing something just because you can is the wrong thing to do.
While I agree that with the top down it isn't too bad looking, with it up though, ...UGHH!

[DIYSwede]

And I thought the Morris Marina was bad looking...
Only 2654 Darts were ever built, and had to be rebranded as "250 SP" as Dodge Corp owned the Dart brand.
This "Tupperware Pig" (as it was nicknamed) had a 152.6 cu in (2.5 L) Hemi V8 crammed into it...



A few of these were banished to Antony H Croucher Precision & Prototype Engineering Co Ltd (AHC) of Alton, Hampshire.

As well as incorporating the novel retracting roof, AHC's converted SP250 was be made into a four-seater and given an enlarged boot.
AHC applied for a patent in 1962 (23981/62), which was completed in July 1964.
Company records show that some 3,080 man-hours were spent on the engineering side and 1,948 man-hours in the drawing office.
King & Taylor of Godalming, Surrey made the body, while all of the engineering, including making body moulds, was undertaken at AHC's factory.
The car was finished in 1963 at a cost in excess of £30,000.
Unusually, the AHC roof could be raised or lowered at speed, unlike other systems that require the car to be stationary.

Auction sale fact sheet of this particular example: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23595/lot/123/

Guess you couldn't even get into the trunk with the HT down?

[Moldyjim]

"Raising the bonnet exposes the complete power unit, and every component that has to be serviced is readily accessible."

(Wow, what a concept, ease of service? That's crazy talk, we can't have that. Owners would be able to work on it themselves, how would our dealers be able to make a profit?)

At least they got that part right.

[DIYSwede]

"Raising the bonnet exposes the complete power unit, and every component that has to be serviced is readily accessible."

Total necessity for UK cars from the mid-sixties 'til late seventies - as demanded by the quality, craftsmanship and reliability of their products:
Most of the ingoing parts needed to be serviced or changed, a little too often to many's taste.
OTOH: They also rusted pretty easily and well, so not many lasted ten years anyhow.

Their "Bobbies" back then had some cool rides just to show off and prove their absolute authority, the PANDA cars:



“A decision was made to take economical cars like the Ford Anglia and BMC Mini and give them a distinctive white band on both the front doors and the roof. As black was the first basic colour used they looked like Panda bears. For this reason we came up with the acronym “Patrol And Neighbourhood Deployment Area” Cars, although when Ford offered a substantial discount on their Anglia range we could only get them in pale blue and white."

It gets worse: 1970 Mini Cooper Police car at an auction: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25450/lot/22/

[mklotz]

...

It gets worse: 1970 Mini Cooper Police car at an auction: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25450/lot/22/

While the Brits chase you in a glorified roller skate, the Germans are burning up the Autobahn with this...