[4] A canopy is a type of door which sits on top of a car and lifts up in some way, to provide access for passengers.
The first vehicle canopy is thought to have been invented by Messerschmitt, the German aeroplane manufacturer that was not allowed to produce aircraft after World War II.
[8] The first of three concept cars made under the Alfa Romeo Scarabeo name was equipped with a forward hinged canopy.
The demonstrator model lacks air-conditioning and so journalists (including Evo Magazine's Harry Metcalfe) experienced the previously-mentioned 'glasshouse effect': whilst driving the vehicle they were reportedly forced to keep the bubble slightly open on hot days to cool the car's interior.
[11] The three-piece canopy eliminates the problems like a high sill and awkwardly angled roof, although the mechanisms are more complex and so heavier, and more likely to fail; leaving an occupant stranded inside a car.
The H is for Hypervelocity, and the concept features a set of butterfly doors with an additional canopy opening which the company calls the A.C.E.S.
or Articulated Cabin Entry System, which moves part of the roof to make access easier.
Bubble canopies are popular on some custom cars, most notably those by Ed Roth, such as the Orbitron, Road Agent and Beatnik Bandit.
[citation needed] The action-roleplaying video game expansion Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty features the Herrera Riptide, a retro-futuristic sports coupe vehicle that has a canopy door.