coupe vs. hardtop

[moparcrazy72]

I have a 1972 dodge rallye charger, and i thaught it was a coupe, but i dont know the exact difference between a hartop car and a coupe car dealing with dodges. can anyone explain what the diff. is? thanks

[Rolling_Thunder]

coupe has a "B" Pillar - a hardtop does not...        B pillar is the pillar located between the driver's window and the 1/4 window.

[Ghoste]

I agree with you on the hardtop portion but I have always thought of a coupe as any two door vehicle (with a back seat), so technically a Charger would be a hardtop coupe.

[Foreman72]

your vin should tell u..but just in case...i would say the coupes did not have a vinyl top and the hardtops did...but idk if thats the rule

http://www.stockmopar.com/_images/brochures/1972-dodge-charger-brochure/original/1972-dodge-charger-brochure-4.jpg

2 big of a pic 2 post...

[Nacho-RT74]

TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 3RD GENS... coupes are with fixed quarter windows, making the molding like a fixed B pillar, and hardtops are with rolling down quarter windows.

beside that, coupes are low trim package and hardtops are a higher step on trim package, like woodgrain all around etc...

As far I know Coupes could have vinyl top.

Structurally ( so then now the real life ) is true than all Chargers are really Hardtops, because none of those have a real B pillar post, except 73/74 SEs and 74 Spring Specials. However this B pillar post doesn't make any function on structure/unibody

[375instroke]

A hardtop is what one calls a coupe without a window frame and no b-pillar.  A coupe is technically smaller than a sedan.  The SAE defines a coupe as a fixed roof car with less than 33 cubic feet.  A sedan can also have no frame around the windows.  In the end, it comes down to how the car maker wants to market their products.  I have a '62 Cadillac 4-door Sedan Deville.  It doesn't have window frames or a b-pillar, and the Coupe Deville, I'm sure, has more than 33 cubic feet on interior space.

[purple charger]

The WL series cars are the coupes The WH and WP for 71-72 were the hard tops.  The WL were the cars that the rear windows did not roll down they were fixed Check your VIN tag

[71superbee]

This may help

http://www.mymopar.com/vinbody.htm

[Charger1973]

My first '73 was a coupe.  It was a WL21 car and it had fixed rear windows, low trim package (no woodgrain) and it was a vinyl top car. 

[Mike DC]

The "hardtop" name comes from the popular look (at the time) of a vinyl top + no B-pillar.  That combination sorta mimics a convertible car with its top raised up, if you think about it.


The word is just a non-brand-specific designation.  Covers anything without a B-pillar but still having a second window on each side.