Projects Retractable Hard Top Fords - Are they losing their popularity?

The thing that screwed up the Retractables was Ford's insistance that it have storage space in the 'trunk' with the top down. The compromises that ensued is where the odd proportions came from. I've often wondered that if Ford had thrown out that requirement if they couldn't have gotten it better looking. With the top up, there's tons of luggage room. Just don't put it back there when the top is down. Or even if they sold the car with custom-fit luggage included that fit with the top down.

With a slight top chop and moving the 'fold' in the top back, I believe they could have lengthened the top yet still have a shorter 'folded' length than the original design. But that 'washtub' would have to go....

 

Most people don't know the retractable hardtop was designed for the Continental. The stand alone car, not the earlier or later Lincoln versions. When the Continental was a flop sales wise due to it's excessive cost, Ford decided to use the retractable hardtop design on the full sized cars to recoup the development costs. Rumor has it there was one Continental test car equipped with the retractable hardtop, but was never sold to the public, also there is supposedly one that was converted by using the highly modified top and parts from one of the Ford cars at a later date.

 

Thought they were 'cool'.....(when I was 10-11 years old)
now...not so much.
Now a Sunliner.....well !!
6sally6