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Convertible cars have been with us since the Peugeot 402 Eclipse, launched in 1935 as the first convertible car featuring a retractable hardtop roof. The French automaker’s exploit left the automotive fraternity smitten and lit the fuse for an entire sector focused on performance roadsters capable of exposing its occupants to the natural elements.
With summer approaching, you can be sure every gearhead worldwide begins sifting through countless adverts online looking for a convertible car to satisfy their lust for tarmac-grabbing performance. While most will settle for the best-selling convertible car of all time, the Mazda MX-5, let’s flip the coin and shed light on some classic convertible cars that continue to crawl out of winter hibernation thanks to their rock-solid construction.
10 Good Call: BMW E30 M3
You may be surprised to hear the iconic 1987 E30 BMW M3 arrived as a convertible car. Only 786 units of the E30 M3 convertible rolled off the production line between 1987 and 1992, leading to an astonishing average price of $104,634 today!
The E30 M3 represents a classic convertible car built to last, as BMW crafted the car from a self-supporting all-steel body later welded to the vehicle floor, providing extra rigidity. The Bavarians took it a step further regarding performance for that weighty roof line, incorporating plastic as the material of choice for mudguards, boot lids, spoilers, and bumpers to help keep the convertible version of the car performing as intended.
9 Junk: Chevrolet Corvair
Chevrolet’s answer to the simplistic Volkswagen Beetle was the air-cooled Corvair, powered by a flat-six. The innovative Corvair arrived with a monocoque design and independent suspension setup, a group of features unseen on American production cars. Chevrolet went on to build a convertible variant of the Corvair between 1962-1969. However, the convertible car took a hammering from the court of public opinion, and rightly so.
Sadly for the innovative Corvair, Ralph Nader’s book, “Unsafe at Any Speed,” released in 1965, highlighted the detrimental safety issues involved with a rear-engined independent suspension setup, singling out the Chevrolet Corvair in particular. The Corvair is naturally a dangerous car to drive due to its unyielding handling, and that’s down to the roof. So for those looking for a classic convertible car, the Corvair is strictly a roadster to avoid.
8 Good Call: Mazda MX-5
When we talk about classic convertible cars, the Mazda MX-5 is a mainstay, and early 1989/90 models are as dependable as they come. In fact, consumer reviews rate the 1990 Mazda Miata 4.4/5 for reliability, with 100% of owners recommending the unstoppable little roadster.
The first-generation Miata NA sold a whopping 431,506 units globally, making parts readily available for Mazda’s take on classic British convertibles such as the MGB and Triumph Spitfire. The highly tunable 1.6-liter roadster remains the best convertible of all time by sheer sales alone.
7 Junk: Chrysler LeBaron Convertible
Chrysler launched the LeBaron on their life-saving K-Body front-wheel drive platform in 1982, and the car went on to achieve 368,747 sales by 1988 across sedan, wagon, and coupe formats. In fact, the LeBaron Convertible made up 75,083 sales between 1982 and 1986 despite featuring the pitiful 2.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing a mind-numbing 84 hp.
To match the low-powered mid-size convertible is a bulky 2,660 lb curb weight, only adding to the list of issues presented by the family roadster. Furthermore, being an American car from this era, the LeBaron suffered chronic rust and stalling issues relating to the severely under-powered nature of malaise-era production cars. Chrysler had missed the mark on what a convertible car should be with the second-generation Chrysler LeBaron.
6 Good Call: Mercedes-Benz SL R129
The Mercedes-Benz SL or ‘Super Light’ series represents the most iconic convertible cars ever brought to market. The SL R129 arrived in 1989 to replace the bullet-proof R107 SL series of roadsters. Mercedes-Benz’s cars of this era harken back to the company’s $745 million investment when developing the W201 sedan, which later became the C-Class. In fact, the R129 shares a shortened floor-plan with the unstoppable 1989 W124, or E-Class, as it eventually became known.
This particular era saw Mercedes-Benz at its durable best. Every automobile that arrived from Mercedes was instantly labeled ‘over-engineered,’ which includes the classic R129 convertible SL, despite experiencing the dreaded Daimler/Chrysler years. Today, the ’90s Mercedes convertible car can be purchased with a frugal 2.8-liter straight-six or a ridiculous AMG 7.3-liter V12 found lurking within the SL 600.
5 Junk: Chrysler TC By Maserati
Chrysler and Maserati collaborated to produce one of the worst convertible cars ever made, the Chrysler TC by Maserati. What came to be was a $35,000 parts bin that shockingly resembled the better equipped $22,500 Chrysler LeBaron GTC it shared components with. What’s worse, Chrysler spent $600 million developing the roadster to re-establish their luxurious persona.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Chrysler TC arrived with a considerable problem for owners who purchased one of the 7,300 units built. The little convertible’s expensive construction saw the body manufactured in Italy, suspension from Germany, and engines from Mitsubishi, Cosworth UK, and Chrysler themselves! Any issues with a Chrysler TC cost a fortune to repair, thanks to its never-ending list of suppliers.
4 Good Call: Porsche 968
We can always turn to Porsche for a classic convertible. The Porsche 968 arrived between 1991 and 1995, replacing the outgoing 944 as the company’s front-engined offering. What’s interesting is Porsche quoted the 968 sharing just 20% of the same components as its predecessor, and considering they look so similar, the majority of those changes took place internally.
Porsche armed the 968 Cabriolet with a 3.0-liter four-cylinder engine capable of 236 hp, rocketing the hardy convertible car to 60 mph in five seconds in 1993! Porsche’s forgotten gem scores 4.5/5 stars based on consumer reviews, as many continue to tear up the countryside today.
3 Junk: Yugo Cabriolet
The king of lemons, the Yugo clambered across the Atlantic in 1985 and weirdly became an instant hit! And then a miss. Although 141,651 units sold in 1985, by 1992, that figure had dwindled to 1,412. Despite being powered by a 1.3-liter engine, the Yugo suffered awful gas mileage partnered with atrocious build quality, which barely warranted its bargain list price of $4,500.
However, between 1990-1991 Yugo launched the convertible version of the car, the Yugo Cabriolet, which saw around 500 units produced, with a suspected number of about 75-100 of them making their way to the USA. Potential customers would have to pay about $8,900 for the convertible car and, of course, spend the rest of their time endlessly justifying their decision among their peers.
2 Good Call: Chevrolet Corvette C2
GM’s efforts on the second-generation C2 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray are iconic among the automotive fraternity. While sharing many of the best components with its predecessor, primarily the 5.4 and 7.0-liter V8 power plants, the C2 was all new and quickly became an iconic American convertible car thanks to its gorgeous sharp edges. In fact, Chevrolet produced 117,946 C2 Corvette models between 1963-1967, 72,418 of which were convertibles.
Legendary GM engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov utilized years of experience when creating the C2 Corvette, which quickly became appreciated as a staple of American engineering. The average price for America’s most iconic convertible car is $110,220.
1 Junk: Jaguar XJS
Malcolm Gilbert Sayer is the man behind Great Britain’s most beautiful automotive offering, the Jaguar E-Type. However, he also partially designed the Jaguar XJ-S, or XJS, post-1992. The XJS is famously known for its hulking great V12 power plant maxing out at 304 hp, which was necessary for the 4,000 lb monster if it was ever going to entertain its occupants. The British manufacturer ran the XJS between 1975 and 1996 in coupe and topless formats, and it has since become an infamous classic convertible car, and here’s why.
Jaguar’s hulking great V12 “roadster” garnered a reputation for poor build quality very quickly. Electrical gremlins haunted the British cruise liner. It suffered with general rust, and a rather expensive valve cover gasket costing around $700, and the list of faults became endless for the tubby Brit, making it a surefire convertible car to avoid.
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