Convertible vehicle body

Claim 1

A vehicle body having a roof, an ingress/egress opening extending downwardly from the rear edge of the roof, and a closure means for the opening that is contoured to provide a distinctive configuration to the rear end of the vehicle body; hinge means hinging the closure means to the vehicle roof for swinging movement about a hinge axis; the closure means being swingable about the hinge axis from a position fully closing the opening to a normal open position and to a position beyond the latter; the hinge means comprising at least a pair of laterally spaced quick release hinge devices. each quick release hinge device comprising a base portion mounted on a frame structure framing the ingress/egress opening; a cylindrical sleeve fixedly mounted on the closure means contiguous to the vehicle roof body; and a tubular member pivotably mounted on the base portion to telescopically receive the cylindrical sleeve thereover; each hinge device including a locking means that locks the hinge device against quick release during swinging movement between fully closed and normal open position, and vice-versa; the locking means of each hinge device comprising retractable detent means on the tubular member preventing withdrawal of the sleeve means from the tubular member in nonretracted condition of the detent means; each hinge device including a cam means and a cam responsive means coacting to retract the detent means in response to swinging movement of the closure means to a position beyond its normal open position; and counterbalance means extending between the vehicle body and the closure means; the counterbalance means being disconnectable to permit movement of the closure means beyond its normal open position; release of the hinge devices and disconnection of the counterbalance means permitting substitution of closure means of varying configurations, thereby to change the appearance of the rear end of the vehicle body.