The 'Surrey Top': The Mother of All Baur-Types?

Readers of Baurspotting know that we have a strong interest in history, and, in particular, a strong interest in the history and development of the "Baur-type" (top cabriolet) roof.  Here is another interesting piece of the puzzle, thanks to Don Marco, who recently celebrated the 49th birthday of his Baur Cabrio.  

Thanks, Marco!

The word targa first came into use from the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, though the first production car with this system as an option was actually released five years before: namely the 1961 Triumph TR4, where it was commonly called a surrey top. It was also used on the 1964 SAAB Catherina prototype.

1961 Triumph TR4

Art Hart's 1963 "Surrey Top" TR4 with Ford 302 V8 Engine 

http://www.britishv8.org/triumph/arthart.htm

1964 Saab Catherina prototype

Both of the cars above preceded the Porsche with a removable roof and a roll bar.  Porsche, however, trademarked the word 'targa' to characterize their version.  

The targa syle roof opening became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, when there were fears that the Department of Transportation (DOT) in the United States would ban convertibles, due to concerns over the safety of occupants when a car overturns. As a result, manufacturers adopted Targa tops or T-tops. As Porsche helped to popularise this body style, they took out a trademark for the Targa name and manufacturers sought for alternative names for their removable tops. Porsche got the name "Targa" from the Targa Florio, the famous road race in Sicily where Porsche was very successful. Targa means "plate" in Italian.

Porsche, the Porsche Crest, 911, Carrera, Targa, Boxster, Cayenne, Cayman, Panamera, Tiptronic and Tequipment are registered trademarks of Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG.

http://www.porsche.com/germany/legal-notice/

In 1967 the Targa (meaning "plate" in Italian^[7]) version was introduced as a "stop gap" model. The Targa had a stainless steel-clad roll bar, as Porsche had, at one point, thought that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would outlaw fully open convertibles in the US, an important market for the 911. The name "Targa" came from the Targa Florio sports car road race in Sicily, Italy in which Porsche had notable success, with seven victories since 1956, and four more to come until 1973. This last win in the subsequently discontinued event is especially notable as it was scored with a 911 Carrera RS against prototypes entered by Italian factories of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. The road going Targa was equipped with a removable roof panel and a removable plastic rear window (although a fixed glass version was offered alongside from 1968).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_911

With the final 356 cabriolets for 1965 reserved for the American market, Porsche created the 911 Targa, whose name honored Porsche’s great success in the grueling Targa Florio endurance race. As a structural extension of the car’s B-pillar, the Targa’s reinforced integral rollbar provided the rigidity and rollover protection that a full cabriolet version would have lacked. The initial series, or A-series 911 Targa, which was produced through 1967, also incorporated a soft, removable rear window, with the resulting cars termed “soft window” Targas today.

http://www.boldride.com/ride/1967/porsche-911-targa#gallery/2

Porsche 911 Targa mit Targadach


Here is the trademark registration:

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=fd81b9101c&view=att&th=13bd8108fd8502b8&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P-Sz-bslPBoTjLjQ-FhEp1R&sadet=1356567139591&sads=LR-CXkhyXyikMiDDHAMQ4U7HBcc

Targa and T-top numbers have slowly declined as manufacturers discontinued them in favour of full convertibles with retractable hardtopsand folding metal roofs such as the Mercedes-Benz SLK, and by better structural engineering with pop-up roll over bars behind the seats and front roll-over bar incorporated into the front windscreen,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targa_top

More to come, stay tuned!


Porsche Trademark registration: