Sometimes simply called vinyl roofs, the Landau roof gets its formal name from the city in Germany whose coachbuilders made this roof treatment popular. To be clear, the Landau roof actually predates the automobile itself, first appearing on horse-drawn carriages. On those carriages, the Landau roof was actually functional; keeping driver and passengers dry when it happened to rain, but retractable to take in a sundiet on nice days. It was akin to a modern convertible top, if you will.
The Landau top may have grown obsolete with the rise of the automobile during the first half of the 20th century, but just like certain fashion trends rise back from the dead, so too did this old-timey roof covering. Credit none other than Cadillac and its 1956 Eldorado coupe with the resurgence of the Landau as a non-functional, but similar appearing alternative to the more expensive Eldorado Biarritz, which was an actual convertible.
Unlike the Landau tops of old, these modern, purely decorative versions were made of vinyl, a miracle alternative to leather than was increasingly implemented post-World War II. After enjoying a multi-decade-long resurgence, the demand for Landau tops started to wane again during the 1990s. Since Cadillac arguably sparked the Landau revival to begin with, it's only fitting that the brand's 1996 Fleetwood was one of the last two factory-produced vehicles available with a Landau top. The other was the 1996 Buick Roadmaster which shares a similar platform with the big Caddy, though not the wagon version of the Roadmaster.
It's easy to dismiss the Landau roof as an accessory for the geriatric set. A gaudy adornment that's best suited for Buicks, Lincolns, and Oldsmobiles that crowd the parking lots of Florida bingo parlors and Golden Corral buffets. And indeed, that wouldn't be an unfair accusation. Besides the vinyl roof itself, embellishments over the years included buttons, snaps, and externally mounted metal hinges mimicking a functional Landau — all totally fake, of course. Perhaps the pinnacle of over-the-top (pun intended) Landaus was reached by the aftermarket, which offered replica and Gucci– and Louis Vuitton– emblazoned fabric for their tops. If a bustleback Seville resplendent with the elusive Gucci package isn't classy, we don't know what is.
However, it cannot be overlooked that many of the most ferocious muscle cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s golden age were also available with textured vinyl tops. For example, Chevy's 450-horsepower LS6-powered Chevelle SS, one of the most powerful classic muscle cars of all time, could be classed up with the addition of a pebble-texture vinyl roof in multiple colors, no less. That said, the Dodge, Chrysler, and Plymouth vehicles collectively known as Mopar surely must be the champions of gaudy factory vinyl roof coverings.
Already known for wild paint colors like Plum Crazy and Panther Pink, Mopar upped the ante in 1969-1970 with its rare floral patterned vinyl tops called either Mod Tops, Pop Prints, or the rather more boring Floral Top, depending on the Mopar sub-brand in question. It's hard to imagine a 426 Hemi 'Cuda with a flowery fake convertible top, but indeed, it's real.
Reportedly, manufacturers were all in support of vinyl roof coverings because it meant that the vehicle's bodywork didn't need to be as carefully massaged. For example, welds on the metal roof that normally would've been ground down flush could be left as-is because they would be covered with thick vinyl. However, a downside to Landau roofs is that if done improperly, ripped, or just deteriorated with age, moisture can creep in between the vinyl covering and the roof metal. That creates an extreme rust issue that, unfortunately, remains undetected while it foments grave damage.
Whether from changing styling preferences or the aforementioned rust issue, Landau tops were solidly in decline by the 1990s. Besides being one of the last factory-equipped Landau roof cars, Cadillac's 1993 to 1996 Fleetwood also sported classic rear-wheel drive architecture and a 350 cubic inch LT1 engine derived from the Corvette, albeit slightly detuned. And that 260 Chevy-based horsepower was needed, too, because the Fleetwood was a proverbial land yacht. At 225 inches (almost 19 feet), it was the longest car sold in the United States at the time.
The Fleetwood's vinyl roof was included as part of the upscale Brougham package, which also proffered upgraded seats, special badging, and unique wheels. On request, the vinyl roof could be deleted from the Fleetwood Brougham package, but who on earth would want to do that? Maybe just keep it out of the rain, instead.