Open-top vehicle having a power operated roof structure

An open-top vehicle including a body section, retractable pillar means movable between an extended position where the pillar means extends above a rear portion of the body section and a retracted position where the pillar means is retracted into the rear portion of the body section, drive means for moving the pillar means between the extended position and the retracted position, vehicle speed detecting means for detecting running speed of the vehicle, prohibiting means responsive to the running speed of the vehicle for prohibiting the drive means to move said pillar means at least from one of the extended position and the retracted position to the other, said pillar means being of a substantially inverted U-shape having leg portions pivotably connected with said body section for movement between an erected position which corresponds to said extended position of the roof means and a retracted position, foldable hood means connected with said pillar means and adapted for covering a rear top portion of said body section, said foldable hood means having transparent means providing rear window means, roof panel means of a rigid structure for covering a front top portion of the body section, said drive means including motor means having output shaft means and link means including a link having one end articulatedly connected with the output shaft means and the other end pivotably connected with said leg portion of the pillar means at a position rearward of a position where said leg portion is connected with the body section.