Car buyers looking to engage in a little sun worshipping as the they drive have plenty of options these days. In fact, there 30 vehicles to choose from despite the fact droptops comprise just a little more than 10% of all vehicles sold.
Convertible sales have been on the rise in recent years, as have the number of options for getting a ragtop. Perhaps the biggest driverin the sales increase is the improvement in materials and technology, have made these vehicles increasing popular in new places.
“There are 30 models categorized as convertibles that are currently available, which is 11.2% of all new vehicles on the market, yet convertibles only capture 0.8 percent of sales at dealerships,” said David Greene, a data analyst with Cars.com.
“When compared to a segment like minivans, which has just seven models available and double the sales market share of convertibles, it is obvious just how aspirational the convertible segment is.”
(As many as 20 models disappearing in 2018. For the story, Click Here.)
The segment is growing but when compared to EVs and hybrids, which pull in less than 5% of the total market, the droptop market seems tiny. Despite so few options available in the segment, convertibles are not just for luxury shoppers.
The 30 models available to shoppers range drastically between the most affordable and most expensive options. For example, some dealers typically ask $19,283 for the Fiat 500 Cabrio, and others ask $190,875 for the Audi R8 Spyder.
There are seemingly more options than ever, which is good because it seems that the interest in those vehicles is broader than ever, according to Cars.com, which recently completed a survey of convertible sales and demographics.
Often when folks think of convertibles one vehicle immediately jump to mind: the Mazda Miata. Mazda has sold nearly 8,000 of the two-seaters through July — an increase of 27.2%.
(Click Here for details about Mazda’s latest engine innovation.)
However, there is one model that also draws more interest than either of those two, the website noted: the Chevrolet Camaro. The site gets more hits for the Chevy pony car than the Miata. The rest of the top 10 convertibles includes:
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Jaguar F-Type
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Ford Mustang
- Porsche 911
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- BMW 4 Series
- Fiat 124 Spider
While there are no real surprises up there overall, the list placement may raise an eyebrow or two. Perhaps just as surprising as what browsers are looking for is where the four-wheel sun worshippers call home.
The top five states for convertible sales, according to Cars.com sales data, are Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, California and New Jersey. However, the state that is home to the largest number of wanna be droptop owners? Nebraska.
Apparently Huskers grow corn and really like convertibles. The rest of the group includes New Mexico, Connecticut, New York and Hawaii.
(Faraday Future lines up new plant, insists it isn’t going away. Click Here for the story.)
“It’s no surprise that states like Florida, California and Hawaii made the most-popular lists,” added Greene. “They’re all among the wealthiest states as determined by household income, and of course the year-round sunshine in those states makes convertibles a sensible lifestyle choice.”
When I got my ’65 convertible it was a $300 option (about 10%).