The words "convertible" and "cabriolet" have
long been used synonymously and interchangeably, since the advent of automobiles.
But, are they actually identical in meaning, or is there some difference
between the two? Looking up in the dictionary doesn't help, so, we have
presented the factual information that you need to clarify our doubts and
misconceptions about the similarity (or dissimilarity) in
"convertible" and "cabriolet".
Many
may claim that both these phrases only refer to the four-seater cars, that
originate from fixed-roof cars. However, over the last few decades, there have
been countless exceptions to this rule - so, they are more appropriate as
general terms.
History behind the terms
The term "convertible" does seem to have a bit more recent origins and is generally used only for motor cars. Simply, this phrase means "to convert". Although, both these words are commonly used, "convertible" is more popularly used by a small margin.
On the other hand, "cabriolet"is actually a French word, which was first used in 18th-century. It was originally used to refer to light horse-drawn carriages. Cabriolet used to have to be along with a folding fabric-hood that was pulled up to protect the two occupants from the weather. This name is thought to be derived from "cabriole", another French term for dance-like high kicking classical horse movement, pointing to the vehicle's particularly light, bouncing motion. Back in the 70's, the time when all things French were considered exotic, Peugeot possessed a convertible version of each and every car in their range. Their name stuck when they were labelled as "cabriolet", named after roofless horse-drawn carriages.
The manufacturers in America kept using the word "convertible", while the European brands (especially French) often preferred to use the word "Cabriolet". However, contradicting examples could be found in case of German brands, where BMW uses convertible, while Audi prefers Cabriolet. Having said that, brands such as Mercedes and Jaguar are known to use both the terms for their cars.
What about "roadster"?
Another interesting fact is that the term "roadster" can be traced back to early days of motoring, too, the period when it used to refer to a stripped-down two-seater type of coachwork, which was mostly used for racing. Eventually, this phrase became frequently used for the simple, lightweight sports-cars with no fixed roof. So, whereas the term "roadster" is more specific, typically referring to a lightweight, small two-seater sports car, the terms "convertible" or "cabriolet" are used in a more general way for cars that have removable roof.
The final answer
These two words generally have a similar meaning but originate from rather different routes. Here's a hint at Wikipedia
So, basically, the following terms defined the same variety of cars, though, every term has more relevance to the region where it originated from (or tends to be frequently used).
Convertible - English
Roadster - American
Cabriolet - French
Spider - Italian
Author bio:
Kerry and Maya are the two colleagues who share a love for cars. They often work together on projects for Carzoos,You can find them on G+ .
History behind the terms
The term "convertible" does seem to have a bit more recent origins and is generally used only for motor cars. Simply, this phrase means "to convert". Although, both these words are commonly used, "convertible" is more popularly used by a small margin.
On the other hand, "cabriolet"is actually a French word, which was first used in 18th-century. It was originally used to refer to light horse-drawn carriages. Cabriolet used to have to be along with a folding fabric-hood that was pulled up to protect the two occupants from the weather. This name is thought to be derived from "cabriole", another French term for dance-like high kicking classical horse movement, pointing to the vehicle's particularly light, bouncing motion. Back in the 70's, the time when all things French were considered exotic, Peugeot possessed a convertible version of each and every car in their range. Their name stuck when they were labelled as "cabriolet", named after roofless horse-drawn carriages.
The manufacturers in America kept using the word "convertible", while the European brands (especially French) often preferred to use the word "Cabriolet". However, contradicting examples could be found in case of German brands, where BMW uses convertible, while Audi prefers Cabriolet. Having said that, brands such as Mercedes and Jaguar are known to use both the terms for their cars.
What about "roadster"?
Another interesting fact is that the term "roadster" can be traced back to early days of motoring, too, the period when it used to refer to a stripped-down two-seater type of coachwork, which was mostly used for racing. Eventually, this phrase became frequently used for the simple, lightweight sports-cars with no fixed roof. So, whereas the term "roadster" is more specific, typically referring to a lightweight, small two-seater sports car, the terms "convertible" or "cabriolet" are used in a more general way for cars that have removable roof.
The final answer
These two words generally have a similar meaning but originate from rather different routes. Here's a hint at Wikipedia
So, basically, the following terms defined the same variety of cars, though, every term has more relevance to the region where it originated from (or tends to be frequently used).
Convertible - English
Roadster - American
Cabriolet - French
Spider - Italian
Author bio:
Kerry and Maya are the two colleagues who share a love for cars. They often work together on projects for Carzoos,You can find them on G+ .
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