Mercedes convertible tops, like the cars themselves, vary widely in form and color. Originally, many of the tops for classic Mercedes cars like the 220 and the 300SL roadster were made from a blend of cotton and rayon, and were black in color. Nowadays, exact replicas of the cotton/rayon cloth are very rare. One common replacement is high-quality canvas.

For most early Mercedes convertibles, there are three types of canvas tops available. The most inexpensive is Stayfast canvas, which has a good wear rating and comes in many colors. Stayfast canvas tops, like most canvas tops, are built around a durable butyl rubber core that helps provide water resistance. They can be treated to be fully waterproof.

German-made Sonnenland and American-made Sonnendeck canvas Mercedes convertible tops are also available. Sonnendeck is similar to Sonnenland in most respects, but Sonnenland has high quality-control specifications that give it the highest wear rating of any canvas top. Both have a herringbone pattern weave on the interior cotton lining of the top.

Wooden Bow Replacement and Mercedes Convertible Top Replacement

Classic Mercedes convertible tops use wood bows above all of the windows as part of the attachment mechanism for the tops. For many restoration jobs or top replacements, the wood bows may also need to be replaced. Replacement wood bows for early Mercedes convertibles, made from quality kiln-dried upholstery-grade hardwood, are available from most convertible and automotive upholstery specialty stores.