First Electro-mechanical folding top?

I'm wondering who built the first electro-mechical folding roof? I believe the E30ic was BMW's first, but who came before?

Ford did. With the Skyliner in 1957:

was that electric or hydraulic?

A brief search yields a claim that Anderson automobiles built in Rock Hill, SC, were the first with powered convertible tops. The article states that they were built between 1916-25, but doesn't detail what year the powered tops were available.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_(automobile)#cite_note-1

the Ford Skyliner was the coolest convertible top ever, and probably one of the first available as a regular option on a regular production car..

Since no one elses Skyliner pics are working

mad_machine wrote: was that electric or hydraulic?

It had three roof drive motors driving four lift jacks, four door-lock motors, ten solenoids, four locking mechanisms for the roof, and a total of 610 ft of wiring.

As for the first retractable hardtop convertible, the first production application was the 1935 Peugeot 402BL Éclipse Décapotable, which was sold through 1940.