What does targa mean?
In modern English, targa most often names a sports-car body style with a removable roof panel, usually combined with a T-shaped frame that supports the windscreen. The roof can be lifted or removed and stored, leaving the occupants in an open car while retaining more structural rigidity than a fully convertible. The word can also refer to the removable panel itself. It became established in the 1960s through European sports cars and has remained chiefly an automotive term. Although sometimes treated as a loose synonym for convertible, it describes a more specific roof-and-frame arrangement. In general use, the word is uncommon but readily recognized, especially in discussions of classic cars, body styles, and restoration. The expression "targa roof" is particularly common in descriptions of vehicle condition and replacement work.
nounA sports-car body style with a removable roof panel, usually supported by a prominent T-shaped frame. The term may also refer to the removable panel itself.
- A sports-car body style featuring a removable roof panel, commonly supported by a T-shaped frame.
- The removable roof panel itself.
"The car retains the strength of a fixed-roof coupé while its targa roof can be lifted away."
"The 1972 sports car had a contrasting black targa roof."
"The repair estimate included replacing the car's targa panel."
The regular plural is targas. Capitalization varies when the term forms part of a model or product name.
"Several well-preserved targas appeared at the classic-car exhibition."
The targa made a car's roof removable without abandoning its structural frame—a clever compromise between a coupé and a convertible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does targa come from?
English borrowed the word from Italian targa, a term for a shield or plate that was also used for a vehicle's registration plate. The automotive sense developed in Italian usage and became familiar in English through sports cars of the 1960s. Italian targa is related to older Romance forms represented in English by targe and target.
How targa is actually used
This is a specialist automotive term and is relatively uncommon in general prose. Lowercase is normal for the body style, while capitalization may distinguish a model or product name.
Easily confused with targa
A targa is an automotive roof or body style, whereas a targe is an archaic word for a shield.