cabriolet, spyder, convertible

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

wtf are the differences between convertibles cabriolets and spyders?

[UK CARS]

there all the same, theres also soft top!....some companys just call them different...

[DarkSide]

Converibles and cabriolets are the same.
They are topless cars with an softtop hood.
Some availeble with a hardtop.
Spyders are actually topless cars, but with no softtop.
They can only be driven open.
Some have an hardtop as an option.

but most brands use al types for the same thing.
a topless car with a softtop.

[NoOne]

I thought Cabriolets related to German cars (Porsche and VW, etc) even tho it sounds French, Spyders were Italian (Fiat and Maserati, etc) and the term convertible was generic for everyone else, particularly American cars.

[cls12vg30]

Spyder was also used for the convertible version of the Mistubishi Eclipse, so it's not only Italian cars. The Eclipse is obviously from a Japanese nameplate, but that generation of the Eclipse was built in Illinois by Diamond-Star Motors (DSM), a joint venture between Mitsubishi and the pre-merger Chrysler Corporation (hence the Eclipse's sister cars, the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon).

Oh, and another slang term for convertible is "ragtop", though I've only heard it used in reference to American cars.

[Misho]

Originally Posted by NoOne

I thought Cabriolets related to German cars (Porsche and VW, etc) even tho it sounds French, Spyders were Italian (Fiat and Maserati, etc) and the term convertible was generic for everyone else, particularly American cars.

i could not have said it better myself !! this is exactly how i felt about the topic, especially the French sounding cabriolet !!

[Nigel]

there is also the Japanese mr2 spyder.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Spyder is supposedly meant to be italian, but spider in Italian is actually Regno.

Convertable doesn't have a roof bar, and can be fully retracted.
Spyder is usually for 2 seater cars, and means the same as Convertable usually.
Cabriolet is something that has a roof bar, and wasn't engineered as a Convertable to begin with, Eg: VW golf Cabrio.