Vehicle canopy
Encyclopedia
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
s.
Advantages
- Normal car doors open out of the car's trackAxle trackThe axle track in automobiles and other wheeled vehicles which have two or more wheels on an axle, is the distance between the centreline of two roadwheels on the same axle, each on the other side of the vehicle...
, so they can obstruct the road or pavement when opened. This is not an issue with canopies as they open vertically. - A-pillarsPillar (car)Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
aren't necessary as there are no side doors, so the windscreen can extend from the front to the back of the car, giving the driver a field of vision of more than 180 degrees and minimising blind spotsBlind spot (automobile)A blind spot in a vehicle is an area around the vehicle that cannot be directly observed by the driver while at the controls, under existing circumstances...
. A-pillars are sometimes still added, like with the Sterling NovaAutomotive Design and DevelopmentAutomotive Design and Development Ltd was an English company that was responsible for the creation of the futuristic-looking Nova kit car. The company was based in Southampton from 1971 to 1973 after which it moved to Accrington, Lancashire until 1975...
, to give the car a more conventional look.
Disadvantages
- Air-conditioning or climate control is necessary with an all-glass canopy or with a wrap-around windscreen because the canopy provides substantial 'glasshouse effectGreenhouse effectThe greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface, energy is transferred to the surface and the lower atmosphere...
'. - If the car rolled over during fast cornering, exiting the vehicle would be impossible, short of breaking the glass.
- Entering and exiting the vehicle can be hard with a high sill and awkward roof positioning. This problem was overcome with the Saab Aero X, which has a 3 part canopy to fully open the interior.
- In situations of bad weather such as snow, rain, or hail, it is impossible to enter or exit the vehicle without getting the interior wet, unless under cover.
Cars that use canopies
This is not a full list of cars that use canopies, but just a few examples.Messerschmitts
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
, the notable aeroplane manufacturer, weren't allowed to produce aircraft after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Instead, they produced cars. These were designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend
Fritz Fend
Fritz Fend : was an aeronautical engineer. He worked for Messerschmitt and designed the famous Kabinenroller KR175 / KR200.Fend was a technical officer with the Luftwaffe during World War II....
.
A vehicle canopy was a new concept that is believed to be invented by Messerschmitt; this originated from their aircraft design. They quickly adopted the canopy as this was a simple solution that they had experience in. Unlike most canopies, the Messerschmitt canopies are hinged on the side. A problem with side hinging, is that if driving on the other side of the road, the canopy opens the wrong way. For that reason, after this, canopies were usually hinged at the front or back.
1953 Messerschmitt KR175
The KR175Messerschmitt KR175
The Messerschmitt KR175 bubble car was the first vehicle built by Messerschmitt under its 1952 agreement with Fritz Fend. In concept, although not in actual design, it was an extended version of the Fend Flitzer invalid carriage...
was the first car, and the first production car to have a canopy. In 1956, the model was changed to the Messerschmitt KR200.
1956 Messerschmitt KR200
The most noticeable thing about the KR200Messerschmitt KR200
The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller , was a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the factory of the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt from 1955 to 1964.-History:...
is its distinctive bubble canopy. The KR200 continued Messerschmitt's side-hinged canopies. These were usually transparent acrylic ("Plexiglas" or "Perspex"), though reproductions are car-safe polymethyl methacrylate.
1970 Ferrari Modulo concept car
The Ferrari ModuloFerrari Modulo
The Ferrari 512 S Modulo is a concept car designed by coach maker Pininfarina, unveiled at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show.By January 1970, Ferrari had built a series of twenty-five Ferrari 512 S racing cars for homologation purposes, just like Porsche had done in 1969 with the Porsche 917. This meant...
was one of the first cars to have a canopy. At this time they were a new concept and were thought to be the future in automotive design.
1970 Bond Bug
The Bond BugBond Bug
The Bond Bug was a small British two seat, three wheeled sports car of the 1970s. Following the purchase of Bond Cars Limited, Reliant commissioned Tom Karen of Ogle Design to design a fun car. It was a wedge-shaped microcar, with a lift-up canopy and side screens instead of conventional doors...
is a small 3-wheeled sports car and was the first production car to use a front-hinged canopy.
1971 Nova kit car
Other than the Purvis EurekaPurvis Eureka
The Purvis Eureka is a sports car which was produced by Purvis Cars at Dandenong in Victoria, Australia from 1974 to 1991.First exhibited at the 1974 Melbourne International Motor Show, the Eureka was based on the British Nova kit car design of 1971...
(a licensed copy of the Nova) and the Bond Bug, the Nova
Automotive Design and Development
Automotive Design and Development Ltd was an English company that was responsible for the creation of the futuristic-looking Nova kit car. The company was based in Southampton from 1971 to 1973 after which it moved to Accrington, Lancashire until 1975...
is the only production car to date to use a front-hinged canopy door. The windscreen has small A-pillars so it looks like a conventional car when the canopy is closed.
1985 Buick Wildcat concept car
The 1985 Buick Wildcat concept car had a canopy. The style of canopy it used is an extended canopy, as it is composed of much of the front bodywork, and not just the passenger compartment. A canopy was used in this concept car as it was thought to be futuristic.2002 Volkswagen 1-litre car
The concept Volkswagen 1-litre carVolkswagen 1-litre car
The Volkswagen 1-litre car is a two-person diesel concept car produced by Volkswagen. The 1-litre car was designed to be able to travel 100 km on 1 litre of diesel fuel, , while being both roadworthy and practical...
, VW 1L, uses a canopy door. A limited number of these cars are planned to go on sale in 2010, making this one of the few production cars with a canopy.
2005 Maserati Birdcage 75th concept car
The Maserati Birdcage 75thMaserati Birdcage 75th
The Maserati Birdcage 75th was a concept car created by automobile manufacturer Maserati and designed by Pininfarina and the design team, including Jason Castriota under the guidance of Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina. It was first introduced at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show. It was named to honor the...
lacks conventional doors, instead, it uses an extended canopy system. The demonstrator model lacks air-conditioning and so journalists (including Evo Magazine's
Evo Magazine
Evo is a British automobile magazine dedicated to performance cars, from hot hatches to supercars. The first issue was produced in November 1998 as an unofficial successor to Performance Car, which had been closed and integrated into Car Magazine by publisher Emap. "Evo" is published 13 times a...
Harry Metcalfe)experienced the previously-mentioned 'glasshouse effect' and so whilst driving the vehicle were reportedly forced to keep the bubble slightly open on hot days to cool the car's interior.
2006 Saab Aero-X concept car
Saab Aero-X
Saab Aero-X is a concept car by Saab unveiled at the 2006 Salon International de l'Auto. It is powered by a 2.8 L twin-turbocharged V6 running on pure ethanol that produces . 0 to is predicted to be 4.9 s and top speed is limited to . It has a 7-speed manual transmission controlled by paddles on...
's top canopy is styled on the one of the Saab aeroplanes, and this was their inspiration for using a canopy. The canopy opens by remote control, and there is a lever to close it again.
The three-piece canopy eliminates the problems like a high sill and awkwardly angled roof, although the mechanisms are more complex and so heavier, and more likely to fail; leaving an occupant stranded inside a car.
The canopy includes a wrap-around windscreen and a glass roof, side windows and body panels (which lift upwards, lowering the sills), and the top roof section of the interior fascia (which moves inwards so it doesn't obstruct entry/exit). These sections intricately manoeuvre themselves into a position where they take up as little space as possible. This construction eliminates the need for doors and A-pillars and so the windscreen extends from B-pillar to B-pillar, which has the important benefit of improving overall visibility.
Batmobile
Various models of the BatmobileBatmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
used in the production of the Batman films make use of the canopy door.
Custom Cars
Bubble canopies are popular on some custom carCustom car
A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been modified in either of the following two ways. First, a custom car may be altered to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission. Second, a custom car may be a personal "styling" statement, making the car look...
s, most notably those by Ed Roth
Ed Roth
"Big Daddy" Ed Roth was an artist, cartoonist, custom car painter, and pinstriper who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink and other extreme characters. As a custom car builder, Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot-rod movement of the late 50's and 1960's...
, such as the Orbitron
Orbitron
The Orbitron is a custom car built by Ed Roth and feared lost until its rediscovery in Mexico in 2007.-Construction:Built in 1964, the vehicle was powered by a 1955 or 1956 Chevrolet V8 and was backed by a Powerglide automatic transmission. The body was hand-laid fiberglass, hiding Roth's...
, Road Agent
Road agent
A road agent can mean:* Another name for highwayman, a criminal engaged in stagecoach robbery in the mid to late 19th century American West. * Road Agent , a professional wrestling liaison between the wrestlers and management...
and Beatnik Bandit
Beatnik Bandit
The Beatnik Bandit is a custom car created in 1961 by "Big Daddy" Ed Roth, originally as a project for Rod & Custom magazine. A Hot Wheels car was made based on the Beatnik Bandit. The thing that made the Beatnik Bandit different from most other cars, though, was that, instead of a steering wheel,...
.
See also
- List of cars with unusual door designs
- Suicide doors
- Scissor doorsScissor doorsScissor doors are automobile doors that rotate vertically at a fixed hinge at the front of the door, rather than outwardly as with a conventional door.- History :The first vehicle to feature scissor doors was the 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo concept car, designed...
- Gullwing doors
- Butterfly doorsButterfly doorsButterfly doors or vertical doors are a type of door sometimes seen on high-performance automobiles. They are similar to scissor doors, but while scissor doors move up, butterfly doors also move outwards, which makes for easier entry/exit at the expense of saving space.The McLaren F1, Alfa Romeo 33...
- Sliding doorsSliding door (vehicle)A sliding door is a type of door that opens by sliding , whereby the door is either mounted on or suspended from a track. These aren't usually used in small vehicles, but generally they're most commonly used for minibuses and buses to provide a large entrance or exit for passengers without...
- Car door