Just say NO to B-pillars!

[Sixty8panther]

Who was the first to introduce a hardtop car?

(pillarless 2/4dr sedan)

Who claimed to be the first but is disqualified for lack of a significant production numbers?

What was the LAST domestic hardtop made? What year?

[Newbiewar]

i think i remember seeing a cadillac being the first...

but rolls royce was the probably first but disqualified for production numbers

thats my guess

[XP715]

The 1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera is the first pillarless two-door. I believe GM started in 1956 with pillarless four-doors, after people were so receptive of the Cadillac Orleans and Park Avenue concepts at the 1953 and 1954 Motoramas, again with the Roadmaster Riviera and also the Cadillac Sedan DeVille leading the charge. The last year Buick used the name Riviera to designate a pillarless body style was 1963, the same year Riviera became its own nameplate, on the 1963 Electra 225 Riviera (body designation #4829 for all the other Buick queers like myself on here). Buicks I know; I'm learning the other marques quite quickly though!

The hardtop car that was denounced due to production numbers I have no clue about, but I can tell you that Hudson built the first completely enclosed car in 1913! Before then, cars still had open cabs and at most convertible roofs with side curtains.

Last domestic hardtop? For GM it would be the 1976 Chevrolet Caprice/Pontiac Bonneville/Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight/Buick Electra/Cadillac Sedan DeVille. But last domestic hardtop produced overall would be the 1978 Chrysler New Yorker as far as I know.

[Sixty8panther]

1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera: Correct

1978 Chrysler New Yorker: Correst

The car that claims the honor of being the first hardtop can be found here:

http://local.aaca.org/tcor/facts.htm