Mechanism for use with both hard and hybrid retractable cabrilolet vehicle tops

A retractable top (10) for a vehicle includes a front section (12), a middle section (14) and a rear (14) section. A first embodiment includes rigid front (12a), middle (14a) and rear (16a) sections. A second embodiment includes rigid front (12b) and rear (16b) sections and a membranous middle (14b) section. A single retracting mechanism design (20) is utilized for both the first and second embodiments, which allows selective movement of the front, middle and rear sections of the top between an open position and a closed position.