Vehicle canopy

A vehicle canopy is a rarely used type of door for cars. It has no official name so it is also known as an articulated canopy, bubble canopy,cockpit canopy,canopy door, or simply a canopy. A canopy is a type of door which sits on top of a car and lifts up in some way, to provide access for passengers. It is similar to an aircraft canopy. There are no established sub-types of canopies, so they can be hinged at the front, side, or back, although hinging at the front is most common. Canopy doors are rarely used on production cars, and are sometimes used on concept cars.

This is not a full list of cars that use canopies, but just a few examples.

Messerschmitt, the notable German aeroplane manufacturer, weren't allowed to produce aircraft after World War II. Instead, they produced cars. These were designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend. A vehicle canopy was a new concept that is believed to be invented by Messerschmitt; this originated from their aircraft design. They quickly adopted the canopy as this was a simple solution that they had experience in. Unlike most car canopies, the Messerschmitt canopies are hinged on the side, as was the canopy of their famous Bf 109 fighter (as was common with numerous other pre-war and wartime fighter designs). A problem with side hinging, is that for a car with normal side-by-side seating arrangement, the passengers sitting closest to the hinge will have to climb across the outer seat to get out of the car. For that reason the side-hinging canopy is best suited for single-occupant or tandem-seat cars, and after this, canopies were usually hinged at the front or back.

The KR175 was the first car, production or concept, to have a canopy. In 1956, the model was changed to the Messerschmitt KR200.

The most noticeable thing about the KR200 is its distinctive bubble canopy, which gave rise to the term 'bubble car'. The KR200 continued Messerschmitt's side-hinged canopies. These were usually transparent acrylic ("Plexiglas" or "Perspex"), though reproductions are car-safe polymethyl methacrylate.

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