Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 14, 2026

Carson top

A Carson top is a one-piece, padded, upholstered, removable top for a car. The design was invented by Bob Houser in 1935 when he worked for Amos Carson at Carson Top Shop in Los Angeles. The first Carson top was likely made for a Ford Model A convertible, and nowadays it is mostly used on hot rods and customs.

Last revised
Jun 14, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
74 w
Citations
Source
Red Volksrod with a Carson top at the 2010 Volksfest, South Australia source ↗

A Carson top is a one-piece, padded, upholstered, removable top for a car. The design was invented by Bob Houser in 1935 when he worked for Amos Carson at Carson Top Shop in Los Angeles. The first Carson top was likely made for a Ford Model A convertible, and nowadays it is mostly used on hot rods and customs.

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