Spider Roof in Mohair

Mohair is a fabric made from the hair of the Angora goat. Because it is both durable and resilient mohair is notable for its high lustre and sheen and is often used in fibre blends to add these qualities to a textile. The term mohair is also used to describe the material used for the folding roof on many convertible cars. In this instance, mohair is used to create a denim-like canvas, usually accepted as the best-performing and best-looking material available for this application. Research shows that Lancia originally specified mohair for the soft tops fitted to all Lancia Montecarlo and Scorpion models. Our own recently-acquired 1981 Montecarlo second-series spider still had its original factory-fitted hood which remained in very good condition despite its age.

This car was loaned to our soft-top manufacturer who carefully stripped out the entire hood and frame. They then set about producing an exact replica template which was identical to the original. Next they produced and fitted a series of new hoods, making minor modifications to the template until they were happy that the new product would be a perfect fit. The inside face of the hood is finished in a light colour to improve the ambience of the cockpit when the roof is closed. Our pictures show the sixth and final prototype as fitted to Linda’s car (where it will remain) and these hoods are now back in series production.