For glamour and prestige in the classic era of American motoring, it was difficult to top the convertible sedan.

1940 Buick Limited Convertible Phaeton 

What is a convertible sedan? Where did it come from? These are our sort of questions. Just as the convertible coupe was a natural evolution of the roadster, adding roll-up windows and other features to offer better all-weather protection, the convertible sedan was an evolution of the touring car with the same improvements. The body style offered open-air pleasure for five or six passengers with the comfort of a sedan—in theory at least.

1929 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan

And by the early ’20s, the body style was coming into its own, in Europe at first. According to noted historical writer Tim Howley, the first true convertible sedan produced in the USA was a 1925 Lincoln bodied by LeBaron. But in any event, the convertible sedan was well established as a standard body style in the U.S. by the end of the decade.

1933 Auburn 12-165 Salon Phaeton 

Like all the body style designations used by the auto manufacturers, the term convertible sedan is conveniently elastic. In general, it has come to mean a convertible with four doors, roll-up windows, and at least two rows of seating—except when there are exceptions, of course. In 1931-32, Ford produced what it called a Convertible Sedan with two doors and unusual fixed window frames. In 1935, Ford then introduced a more conventional model. Auburn produced a true four-door convertible sedan, but for its own reasons labeled it a Phaeton. Some carmakers and coachbuilders adopted alternate names, including collapsible sedan.

1935 Ford Convertible Sedans

The 1930s, the peak of the classic era in American luxury automobiles, was also the heyday of the convertible sedan. It was a favored body style among the premium makes, including Duesenberg, Packard, and Buick. However, the low-and-medium-priced brands offered them as well. Due to its complex construction, the convertible sedan was often the most expensive body style in a manufacturer’s product line, which only added to the glamour. The convertible sedan offered fresh air for the entire family on the Sunday afternoon pleasure drive, a favorite American pastime in those years and a motivating force in car ownership.

1939 Plymouth Convertible Sedan

But by 1940, the convertible sedan was fading from the scene. Convertible coupes now often  included a rear seat and seating for five or six, erasing the need for open-air sedans. After World War II, they were mostly gone from Detroit’s product lines. But the body style saw a furtive revival when Kaiser-Frazer introduced the 1951 Frazer Four-Door Convertible. The four doors were mainly out of necessity as the automaker did not then produce two-doors, and oddly, the window frames did not roll down, only the glass.

1951 Frazer Four-Door Convertible

The last convertible sedan from a U.S. manufacturer in volume production, we can say, was the 1961-67 Lincoln Continental. As we see it, it met all the definitions for a true convertible sedan with one notable upgrade: an articulated window regulator that eliminated the need for a center drop post, a traditional sore spot for the body style. Also, the convertible top disappeared into the trunk, so there was no awkward boot. Will we ever again see convertible sedans from the Motor City? Seems unlikely. Not unless demand arises for a convertible SUV.

1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible