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Roof Bars for Cars Without Roof Rails

Roof bars for cars with no roof rails (bare roof)

A bare roof has nothing on it at all: no rails, no plastic covers, no fixing points, just a smooth painted panel. Most hatchbacks, saloons and small city cars are like this. Bars in this collection use a clamp that hooks into the top of the door frame when the doors are open, so the roof panel itself is never drilled or damaged. Each kit is matched to a specific vehicle, because the door frame shape is different on every model.

The 10-second check

  1. Stand at the side of your car and look across the roof.
  2. Check for rails running front to back. There should be none.
  3. Check the roof edge for small plastic covers or flaps. There should be none.
  4. If the roof is completely smooth with nothing on it, you have a bare roof and you are in the right place. If you find covers you can lift, you have fixed points instead.

The four roof types side by side

Roof type identification guide comparing raised roof rails, flush roof rails, fixed points and a bare roof

Roof type What you see on the car Quick test Shop
Raised roof rails Rails front to back, lifted off the roof on small legs Your fingers slide right under the rail Raised rail roof bars
Flush roof rails Rails front to back, sitting flat against the roof Nothing fits underneath, not even one finger Flush rail roof bars
Fixed points No rails, but small plastic covers or flaps on the roof Lift a cover and you find a threaded hole Fixed point roof bars
Bare roof Nothing on the roof at all Completely smooth; bars clamp into the door frame You are here

Why the roof type matters

Roof bars are not universal. A clamp-on bare roof kit needs a door frame profile it was designed for, and it cannot attach to a rail or a fixed point. Choosing the wrong type is the single most common reason a roof bar set gets returned, so it is worth the ten seconds to check before you order.

Still not sure? Send us your registration number and we will tell you which roof type your car has and which bars fit it.

What kind of roof does your car have?

Roof bars are not one size fits all. Pick your roof type first — it takes ten seconds and it is the biggest single cause of wrong orders.

Raised roof rails Rails run front to back with a visible gap. You can pass your hand underneath. 2606 products Flush roof rails Rails sit flat on the roof with no gap. Nothing fits underneath. 1326 products Fixed points No rails, but small covered mounting points sit in the roof edge. 12 products Bare roof Completely smooth roof. Bars clamp into the door frame. 183 products

Still not sure? Read the 60-second UK roof type guide.

183 products

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