Mazda 121 Canvas Top

The story

The 121 Canvas Top took an ordinary 3-door hatchback and swapped most of its roof for a reinforced fabric panel running on rails. Because the pillars and roof rails stayed put, the body kept its stiffness, the hatch kept working and the rear seats kept their room, yet one pull on the canvas turned the cabin into something close to a convertible. Mazda kept going: the rear bench slid and reclined, so the 190-liter cargo bay could stretch to 420 liters, all in a car about 3.48 m long that weighed only 775 kg (1,708 lb).

With 67 hp from a 1.3-liter four it was never quick, but its lightness made it lively, and the 5-speed manual let it make the most of every horse. The real reward came on a warm day with the roof back, when low speeds felt like an occasion rather than a compromise. Owners in Europe, Australia and Hong Kong grew fiercely attached, and the simple drivetrain has a name for going the distance; the canvas is what needs watching, since old roofs stretch, crack and leak. The 4-door 121 that followed kept a canvas top but lost much of the original's cheer.