When vinyl roof trim first became a popular option for hardtops and sedans in the mid 1960s, it was a reasonably subdued item: just a thin covering of textured vinyl—usually black—that covered to the roof, with a little chrome trim rail around the edges. It was a common option even on “performance” cars. But moving forward through the 1970s to the mid ’80s, vinyl tops became thicker and more grandiose, until they were the malaise era’s definition of “luxury” (whatever that is).
Many otherwise attractively styled models were ruined by their excessive vinylosity. Yes, many surviving examples of iconic muscle cars, such as the Dodge Charger and Chevelle SS, look fairly hot despite their vinyl cladding. But I’m sure most hoons today would rather have a shiny painted roof if given a choice. But if you could go back in time and fill out the factory order sheet for any vehicle, is there one that would compel you to check the box next to “Vinyl Roof Appearance Package?”

As the malaise era blossomed, vinyl tops became less about imitating the look of a convertible and became their own weird design language. Instead of simply covering the entire roof and c-pillars, more stylized versions appeared that only covered a portion of the greenhouse sheetmetal—in just about any configuration stylists could dream up. As the vinyl top finally evolved (devolved?) into the so-called “formal” look, padding was added underneath until roof-lines looked positively puffy and rearward-only “landau” tops became the rage. Eventually, manufacturers thankfully abandoned the fad. (Even the faux-called “carriage tops” being perpetrated installed by accessory shops today are typically covered with woven synthetic cloth, not vinyl.)

The only car that I’d say vinyl even comes close to “working for” is the AMC Matador Barcelona. As much as I love the Matador coupe (and that’s a lot), I always thought the c-pillars looked too thin and awkward. The bottom of the rear quarter window didn’t match the backlight and the two seemed too close together. The lines of AMC’s initial, unpadded vinyl top design tried to split the difference — and only made things look worse. When the Barcelona debuted, featuring its little opera windows, I thought (as a 12 year old) that it was a huge improvement. But when Penske translated the look into sheetmetal for Bobby Allison’s NASCAR Matador, I realized that the reshaped quarter window—not the vinyl—was responsible for the improved looks, and I would’ve liked the prospect of a vinyl-less Barcelona roof-line much, much more. (Never going to happen, since the opera top was slapped over the original windows and sheetmetal.) Over the years, as both I and the original Matador Coupe design have matured, I’ve reversed my appraisal of the Barcelona. The conservative, “formal” styling of the small, square, beveled window openings now seem to be a meek, apologetic styling compromise that diluted the Matador’s original boldness. So, in the end I have to say no — even in the Barcelona’s case, the vinyl doesn’t work.
What about you? Do you have a vinyl-clad love you can’t deny?
[Image sources: www.hamtramck-historical.com, americandreamcars.com & flickr.com. The rest are standard press photos culled from my hard drive, and remain the property of GM, Chrysler, Ford, AMC and Jaguar.]