Karl thinks that there may actually be some hidden value in owning a convertible.
“Don’t knock it till you try it.” Whether it’s black pepper on strawberries, or sprinkling salt on chocolate, that simple saying applies across all areas of life. In today’s world with so many preconceived notions, it’s helpful to keep it front of mind – especially when it comes to cars.
Convertibles, for example, are easy to pick on. For years I enjoyed driving them, but just couldn’t see the point. Oh, sure, you feel the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin, but five minutes later you feel the wind plucking out your hair and the sun burning your skin. In fact, in any weather over about 23 degrees, it’s skin-cancer city.
Okay, there are some nice drop-tops. Look at the Rolls-Royce Dawn, for instance. It’s one of the few machines that looks as good with the top up as it does stowed away. Then there’s the Aston Martin Vanquish, which manages to create the world’s greatest aural symphony with the convertible giving even greater access to that heavenly sound. And you could argue that the Ferrari 488 Spider creates a lustful feeling in just about every motoring enthusiast. Of course, these are machines that most mere mortals can’t afford. Well, this mere mortal, anyway.
But what about your more reasonably priced convertibles? Well, some of them are pretty ordinary. Think about what making a car into a drop-top does to its structural integrity. Imagine a shoebox with the lid on. Try to twist the box lengthwise. Now take the lid off and do the same action. Yes, that flex isn’t great. It’s called torsional rigidity, and it’s something that most convertibles lack. The reason why they end up weighing a whole lot more than their coupe counterparts is they have a whole lot of bracing added to stop them wobbling around like jelly. Not good for the sporting machine that a lot of them pretend to be.
Hit your first bump and you can feel the steering column shudder and in some cases, see the windscreen wobble. It reminds me of the launch of the Chrysler Sebring Cabrio. The PR manager was so confident in his product that he actively encouraged the media contingent to seek out potholes. The gathered media contingent did exactly what he’d suggested and burst into laughter at how bad the car wobbled after every bump. The ensuing articles were hilarious.
So, after all of that, you’d be right to expect that I’m not really a fan of the convertible as a whole. Except during some recent house renovations, I discovered a surprising upside to owning a drop-top.
Changing from one car to another you get to experience how practical they really are. And when a fridge had to be moved, the massive trolley used to shift it wouldn’t fit in anything but a van. Except, the diminutive 2 Series Convertible I had on test easily swallowed it. With the top stowed away and the front seat laid back, the trolley was able to stick up into the clear air that normally a roof would reside in. Sedan? Nope. Coupe? Forget it. Convertible? Sure, load me up.
Putting kids into the back seat is as simple as lifting them up and dropping them into the back, whereas a sedan or coupe would require some back-breaking work to get them in. And long tubes will happily run front-to-back without any loading hassle.
Would I own one? No, probably not, but now when I see a convertible driving around I don’t snigger because someone’s being a poseur. Instead, I smile and think there’s some hidden value to match the hidden roof.
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