Peugeot 401 Eclipse
World's first hardtop convertible appeared in 1935
If you thought retractable hardtops were a modern invention, think again! Produced back in 1935 the 401 Eclipse was light years ahead of its time - it was more than 20 years until another manufacturer, Ford, reimagined the idea with its Fairlane 500 Skyliner.
Only 79 examples of the 401 Eclipse were ever built, although the technology was repeated on the 301 and 601, but it clearly made quite an impression. Nowadays the market for folding hardtops is huge - thanks largely to the 206CC which brought the technology to the masses in 2001.
