Here’s something you don’t see every day. The above article, which appeared in a February 1968 issue of Popular Science magazine, features former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Lincoln Continental – which was equipped with a transparent convertible top.
According to the article, “A transparent top permits surveillance of rooftops and other elevated structures.” Following former President John F. Kennedy’s assassination while riding in a convertible in 1963, you could understand why the concern. Still, it’s interesting that the federal government didn’t nix convertible tops altogether.
These days, you’ll never find a U.S. president riding in one.
For more interesting articles about auto upholstery’s past, check out our “Industry History” section.
[via Modern Mechanix]
I have a friend in Florida who has been building his own clear convertible tops for years mostly for the 70’s model gm sissor tops he makes the pads out of chameleon vinyl to match the cars paint and charges about $2500.00 And it is like sitting in a sauna ,he does a lot of Hooptie /lowrider cars and i have seen him build a “vinyl top using the old Cadilac orange plaid cloth and topping it with the bubble plastic ,
I think I would be pretty honored to be able to work on a presidents car. That would be awesome!