Chillin' out at Khao Yai

ROAD TRIP

Chillin' out at Khao Yai

The open-top is an innovation that expresses one of the best aspects of the automobile. Motoring joined 30 samples from the Classic Car Association (Thailand) to Khao Yai

ALFRED THA HLA

Convertibles or cabriolets have bodystyles with a folding roof which can be called soft-top, open-top, rag-top or open-hood depending on which continent you call home. That's official lingo.

An emotional interpretation of the open-top represents an unequivocal ensemble of freedom, fun and lots of style with the wind in your face. Or the unforgiving heat on your head if it's Thailand.

Although it's challenging for motorists in Thailand due to exposure to UV rays and hot climate (or bird droppings off Silom Road in December), it's possible to drive these engineering marvels when the weather cooperates and please make sure you throw on some sunscreen.

Having said that, Motoring hitched a ride on the third edition of the "Top Down in Cool Winds" event organised by Classic Car Association (Thailand) vice president Syam Sethaputra, as about 30 open-tops were flagged off in front of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) Plc headquarters on December 1 to their destination - Phuvanalee Resort in Khao Yai.

Early birds were a Ferrari F430 and very yellow TVR Griffith, but stealing the limelight was a 1994 Morgan Plus 8 powered by a V8 Rover engine driven by former Thai ambassador to Italy and wife, Vara-Poj and Pasherin Snidvongs na Ayutthaya, who were among the few who showed true open-top spirit.

Making up the rest of the open-top entourage were a handful of Merc SLK (R171) luxury roadsters, 450SL (W107), mid-engined MG-F, Saab 900S Convertible, BMW 330Ci Convertible, Maserati Convertible, classic Alfa Romeo Spyders and a Ferrari 308 GTS.

There's a lot more to open-tops than your conventional collapsible roof section which is done in vinyl or flexible canvas over an articulated folding frame, although steel, rigid plastic and aluminium have been used in neat folding designs.

Nowadays cars have an electrical retraction mechanism. When the top is erected, it is secured to the windshield frame header done in either a manual or automatic fashion.

You can do it electrically and real easy - like in the mint 1995 Saab 900S of Khun Naruepol - or do it the hard (and potentially painful) way with the manual version of a 1994 TVR Griffith which requires a two-man operation for installation and removal of its fibreglass roof section. The TVR and the Morgan Plus 8 share the same Rover V8 power source.

When the top is made of a rigid material such as steel, it's referred to as a retractable hard-top instead of a convertible, while the blokes at Autocar magazine call it a CC (coupe'/cabriolet).

A roadster is a two-seater. It usually has a soft folding top offering called a rag-top, while the convertible has roll-up glass windows in the sides so the entire vehicle is "convertible" to an enclosed coupe'.

Since most convertibles use a cloth type material, as opposed to a metal roof, the term rag-top is the preferred American slang for a convertible.

Cabriolets (or cabrio), as preferred by Brits, is a car that has a retracting or removable roof and rear window, known more commonly in the US as a convertible, resembling a coupe' in appearance and capacity.

Soft-tops are usually made of vinyl or canvas, and folding plastic rear windows.

Strangely enough, cabriolets were known as an early 19th century light, two-wheeled carriage drawn by a single horse, with a folding calash hood of leather, seating two persons facing forwards, one of whom was the driver.

On a separate note, the early December weather at Khao Yai was sublimely awesome. Cold once the sun sets. Chilly at night if you're sleeping in an outdoor two-bed tent with built-in bath at B2,500 a pop at Phuvanalee Resort.

A pre-requisite for open-top drives is to leave early - 6-ish or 7am - to avoid the sun's glare. And vehicles who don't qualify as open-tops should be at the rear of the caravan so guys like me can do their job.

Otherwise it was a great drive, great people and great scenery to go along with jolly good weather at Khao Yai.