Top draw: Volvo's C70 features the world's first three-stage retractable hardtop, which represented a major challenge for the engineering team

摘要

Starting out in the likes of Peugeot's 206CC, Renault's Megane and, more recently, the Nissan Micra, hard-top convertible roofs are now finding their way into larger vehicles. Volvo's sedan-sized C70 was previously offered with a fabric folding roof, but it now boasts a state-of-the-art, three-stage metal lid. The Swedish car maker enlisted the help of Pininfarina for engineering, with vehicles being sent back to Gothenburg for regular checks. "Both ourselves and Pininfarina had to learn how each other worked, as we both operated in very different ways, so that meant a lot of discussions about the best way to do things," recalls Olle Odsell, technical director at for Volvo's C70.