When is a roadster not a roadster... -when its a C3-Vette convertible...

[Vette/Berlina-coupe]

When is a roadster not a roadster... -when its a C3-Vette convertible!!

:argue According to Webster, "a roadster is a 2-seated open car having a trunk or rumbleseat in back", and automotive afficionados say "a roadster vehicle is one which accomodates one or two occupants, -with no roll-up windows" (while a phaeton is a roadster having 4-doors) ... thus it seems that the only honest to goodness Corvette-roadsters, -were the original '53/'54/'55 -iterations!! Hence, it is a misnomer to call a car having a folding-top & roll-up windows a roadster or a phaeton, as it is a weather-tight car called a- "convertible"!! If you ever got caught driving a C1-Vette in a sudden down-pour, and you reached for the non-existant window-crank, --that my friend is when you definitely knew you were driving a "roadster" and why they invented the "convertible"...
~Bob.vH

 

[wallyknoch]

Roadster

Any time the top folds down, they are all roadsters

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

thus it seems that the only honest to goodness Corvette-roadsters, -were the original '53/'54/'55 -iterations!! ~Bob.vH

That's technically correct, but many people today call all two seat convertibles 'roadsters'

 

[early shark]

Chevrolet referred to the 1963 Corvettes as Convertible and Coupe models, it has stayed that way. The roadster is not a correct term to use for Corvettes '63 and forward.

 

[JohnZ]

:argue If you ever got caught driving a C1-Vette in a sudden down-pour, and you reached for the non-existant window-crank, --that my friend is when you definitely knew you were driving a "roadster" and why they invented the "convertible"...
~Bob.vH

The only C1's that didn't have side windows were '53-'55s; '56-'62 had side windows.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Here we go again. This comes up every so often. I agree that a true roadster doesn't have roll up windows but so many people call Corvette convertibles roadsters that who cares any more. :crazy