Abstract: In a sliding roof or sliding lifting roof for motor vehicles, the lateral guide rails for the sliding guidance of the rigid cover and the roof frame carrying the same are entirely located below the fixed vehicle roof and are fitted closely adjacent thereto, so that neither the roof frame, nor the guide rails can reduce the free opening cross-section of the roof cutout releasing the cover following its opening. As the water channel for collecting the water penetrating via the marginal gap between the cover and the roof cutout edge is fixed only at a limited distance below guide rail, the overall height of the roof construction can be limited.