Miss it or not, the all-American vinyl roof has gone the way of eight-track players, wire wheel covers, and ignition points—a once-ubiquitous feature from another automobile era.
Although simulated convertible tops, padded tops, and other roof decor treatments date back to the 1920s, the classic vinyl roof didn’t really take off until Ford offered it on the ’62 Thunderbird and Falcon Futura. It blossomed after that as a premium option, peaking in popularity in the ’70s. Upholsterer Bob Stedman has been in business for about 25 years and admits he doesn’t get many calls these days to install them.
“One or maybe two a year; that’s about it,” he says. “But there’s still a call for restoration work, and that’s keeping the craft going because it’s a unique task to…