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People Love Classic Convertibles Again
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| But Women Seem to Love Them Most |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:55:23 |
| Rating |
 210 ( 8 +3.8% ) |
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Description:
People Love Classic
Convertibles Again
But Women Seem to Love Them Most
By Beth McGroarty
When I was about 11 or 12, and
daydreamed about driving for the first time, I always pictured myself in a
sixties-ish coupe with the top down (even though it was actually then the less breezy or
sunny mid 70's). My ideal car was a generic, powder-yellow convertible roadster. I'm
zipping around some winding coastal road headed towards some equally generic Ivy-League
college weekend (as if these schools are anywhere near the sea...). I'm wearing one of
those 1950's gingham triangles tied over my head, to keep (my imaginary long and bright
red) hair in place. (I actually had short, brown hair cut in some ridiculous 70's 'unisex'
fashion.) I'm driving alone and wearing oversized dark sunglasses. I've always loved
convertibles, and if I still picture my ideal 'car,' that's what I imagine.
Miraculously, I did actually have a
yellow convertible for one year in high school, and it remains the only time I ever really
LOVED my car or LOVED driving. When I was 16, my father first helped me find a boxy,
pumpkin-colored 1971 Datsun sedan, for $800, that I'd saved up for. It barely ran--hardly
my dream realized. He neglected to inform me that you had to put oil in a car--quite
understandably--and I drove it for about 3 months before it died. I cried and felt guilty,
and he did, too. Felt guilty. It just so happened that two weeks later my stepmother (who
always buys convertibles) was purchasing a new "Champagne Edition" Pininfarina
convertible, a symphony of gold and beige. She was getting rid of her old '71 Fiat Spyder.
Because those cars (inexplicably to me) had little resale value (they said they broke down
a lot...who cares?!), they presented it to me as my Datsun replacement. I went mad with
joy.
The first night I had it, I drove it
to a friend's house. I was so excited, and so little acquainted with just how far you had
to pull the parking brake up. It was a nightmare: someone came running into her house
moments later, screaming, "A yellow car just rolled down the street into a
tree." That person had also tried to stop it while it rolled by grabbing the wipers
(?), so when I ran to the bottom of the hill, my car was nestled against a tree, with a
mangled bumper, and with strange, twisted antlers sticking out of the windshield. I had to
drive it home (crying) and then tell my Dad. He calmly said that's why I had insurance.
After that inauspicious beginning every minute I spent in that Fiat was fun and seemed
glamorous.
It had black leather seats, a real
wood dash, covered with gauges that had quivering red needles pointing out rpms and other
speed-racer gadgets. It was made out of real materials like wood, and leather and chrome.
It really drove like a sports car. I never put the top up unless it was hailing, and I
would blast the heater with the top down in the rain. You could actually jump in,
James-Bond-style, without opening the door. It had this lovable flaw where, at high
speeds, it would get stuck in fifth (you literally couldn't disengage it)--but that just
seemed appropriate and thrilling. When I went to college in New York, where you couldn't
bring a car, my Dad sold it. I'm still nostalgic for that yellow convertible, and all it
represented: having something you wanted rather than needed, being an adult, freedom,
hope... Driving often feels like an annoying means to an end. Driving in a convertible sports
car is an experience in itself.
I recently asked other women (friends
and co-workers) what car they wanted when they were young, and now. 16 out of 20 (in my
informal, unscientific poll) quickly gave a convertible as their answer to both questions.
About half, without hesitating, said their ideal new car would be a Porsche Boxster, with
some Corvette convertibles, and Z3s thrown in. There's obviously no biological reason why
women love convertibles, but it seems to be a compelling cultural fact. Maybe it's because
as girls we read the Nancy Drew detective books , and Nancy, the glamorous teen sleuth,
has a "sporty roadster" and races around looking for clues and cracking the case
with the top down, or riding with her two girlfriends to a college sock-hop to meet her
handsome co-ed boyfriend, Ned Nickerson.
The image of a woman driving (not just
passively riding in) a convertible is a uniquely American icon. From American Graffiti, to
Jayne Mansfield in her pink convertible, to Thelma and Louise running from the law--and
finally flooring it off a cliff, sailing through the air in a big, blue convertible.
Barbie had a convertible. A convertible sports car seems to conjure both traditional
feminine glamour, and defiant rebelliousness; freedom from other people and what they
think (sun and wind in hair, driving AWAY) and subconsciously knowing "it looks
good" while you're doing it. Convertibles may seem attractive because their drivers
are visible and on display (something, obviously, particularly associated with women), but
they also subtly imply power, independence and action. If convertibles seem like an
accessory more than a car, they remind you both of Marilyn Monroe's lipstick, and Thelma
and Louise's gun.
In a recent Detroit Free Press story,
the writer argued that the three 'trendiest' new cars are the BMW Z3, Porsche Boxster and
Mercedes SLK, while the 'coolest' cars may be retro classics like a restored Bug
convertible or a sleek 60's American ragtop. So, what women have always liked, seems to be
becoming what everybody's busy liking these days. If statistically women car buyers still
tend to opt for practicality, purchasing under $20,000 sedans, it may be because of income
disparity or prudence--buying what they need, rather than what they want. When the dollars
are there, women actually tend to go for the very sportiest cars on the market--fancy SUVs
and convertible sports cars.
According to the same Detroit Free
Press article, in 1997 women purchased more than half of the high-end ($30,000-plus)
sport-utilities in 1997. Minivan sales, associated with the weary soccer mom, are in a
sales slump these days, and that may be because 90% of their buyers are women, who are now
rejecting that staid image in favor of something more racy. If you're after 'sporty' in
the 1990's you have lots more options than in the 50's: sport-utilities, sport trucks, and
sporty coupes. While women are part of the truck craze like everybody else, they still are
loyal to their sporty convertibles. BMW officials claim that their vehicle that
attracts the biggest percentage of women is their 3-series convertible. Ford market
research from 10 years ago shows that about 45% of all Mustang convertible buyers were
women. All manufacturers of convertibles knows that women butter a good portion of their
bread.
Car makers have, however, been rather
slow to realize that increasingly women ARE the mainstream car buyer. 30 or 40 years ago
they marketed to them as a cute minority--at times in quite outrageous and literal ways.
For instance, in 1956 Jayne Mansfield put mink seat covers and trim into her topless
Lincoln Continental, and the male think-tank at Dodge introduced a car called "La
Femme." La Femme was a pink convertible with rose upholstery tapestry that came with
a matching lipstick, compact, purse and rain bonnet! Mirrors and beauty gadgets abounded,
and the car failed miserably. The New York Times reported in 1997 that one of the Big
Three makers actually promoted the fact that their engineers put paper clips on their
nails to design controls that would be easy to operate with long fingernails.
These anecdotes from Detroit's Dark
Ages, are thankfully becoming more scarce. Ford, in fact, is pushing hard to get women
designers and engineers to re-think their cars. It's a very good idea if you like to sell
cars: women are now buying half the new cars and trucks in the U.S. (up from 20% in 1984,
and 28% in 1990). By 2000, 60% of all car buyers are expected to be women. The New York
Times has also published stats that show that their reach is even greater than that: each
woman customer influences between 10 and 12 other women, and women influence 80% of all
auto buying decisions. Maybe that's why there's currently a rebirth of retro, sporty
convertibles on the market now. In the 70's, the grim oil crisis and safety concerns
almost killed the American convertible off. Those days are over. Sales jumped 20% in 1996,
and haven't looked back. In part, you can credit the auto industry with improving
convertibles, so that they are actually reasonable cars to drive with the top up in the
snow. Models are increasingly designed as convertibles, with a solid body structure and a
tight-sealing top, with reasonable trunk and cargo space, and more horsepower. Rather than
merely chopping the top off an existing, uninspired sedan, and waiting for the rattles to
begin, convertibles are less impractical and better made than ever.
And never have there been so many
desirable versions of 'that car' I had in my head growing up--that candy-colored, slightly
retro, glamorous convertible roadster--with many more coming in future model years. When I
called Mercedes about the marketing demographics for their SLK, they said they attracted a
number of first-time buyers in their 30's, and a lot of women--Me! (income, aside...) Just
because women have such historic affection for convertibles, doesn't mean they necessarily
like cute, "feminine" versions, or that these open-air cars on the market are
"feminine" in any way--the very macho BMW Z3 has been a huge hit with both
female and male consumers. Nearly four dozen open-top models are on sale in the U.S. right
now, ranging from an affordable $18,000 to nearly $500,000, and nearly 20 true convertible
sports cars are on dealer lots. Thankfully, the convertible is truly undergoing a
Renaissance.
Here are 4 that I wish were mine: 3
popular models out now, with one coming in fall. June and July, according to Polk data,
are the most popular times to buy convertibles. If you're in the market, this is hardly a
full list. The Chrysler Sebring, the best-selling soft-top in the country, boasts seats
for 4 actual adults; the Ford Mustang is a superpowered, historic contender; and I'm sure
certain $200,000 Lamborghinis are very pleasing, and none of them are here. It's more like
a personal wish list--with a subjective bent for cars that recall classic convertibles
from the past, that don't cost as much as a mansion.
1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Credit this
well-conceived, perfectly simple, and reliable compact roadster with reviving this whole
market when it debuted. When Mazda redesigned the original version in 1999, fans may have
been nervous, but almost all analysts agree that Mazda improved this near-perfect car in
almost every way. And without jacking up the very sane price. The BMW Z3, Mercedes SLK and
Porsche Boxster may have snootier European aristocratic roots, but the critical consensus
is that Miata handily delivers the most fun and performance for the buck. Even macho car
writers will tell you that insecure males that complain that the Miata is a 'woman's' car,
really for 'sorority girls,' are simply being stupid and macho. The car really performs.
The '99 Miata is faster, more rigid, and sports new styling that is more
aggressive-looking, with more sculpted bodywork. The 1.8 liter twin cam engine has more
power and torque than the previous year, and the manual and automatic transmissions are
even smoother. Reading road tests by the pros, they seem to all agree that the stiffer,
stronger body; the improved suspension and steering; and wider track make the '99 Miata
more stable and fun to drive. The '99 also has a glass rear window--something consumers
really clamored for. There's a CD player in each and every Miata. There may only be one
Miata--but Mazda offers a whole host of option packages to customize the roadster.
There's: a Touring package, a Popular Equipment package, a Leather package, and a Sports
package. There's also a suave limited edition 10th Anniversary version with a six-speed
transmission, intense sapphire-blue paint, a blue ragtop, blue interior trim, and neat
chrome and carbon details inside. The Miata was an inspired design epiphany when it was
born: let's give people a fun, high-performance, no-nonsense, stylish convertible roadster
again, that the masses can afford. It's what a sports car should be, without paying very
much for the privilege.
1999 Mercedes Benz SLK
This
compact, and relatively more affordable (closer to $40,000, compared to SL's $80,000)
Mercedes successfully reminds you of the classic 300SL and 190SL roadsters of the 50's and
60's. The SLK also manages to create real passion and elicit an emotional gut response for
a Mercedes product (always revered but sometimes conservative). The styling does strike a
chord: SLK is more young and sporty, often decked out in wild GenX colors like Bahama blue
and a fiery red. Throughout the roadster you appreciate the modernized retro touches:
rounded chrome gauges, black numbers on white backgrounds, a two-tone leather interior.
The innovation the SLK is best-known and loved for--it's fully-automatic push-button
retractable hardtop (which magically turns an open-air roadster into a snug, closed
Mercedes coupe in 25 seconds)--is also a retro twist, with the new technology to pull it
off. Retractable hardtops hail from the 1950's Ford Skyliner. SLK stands for 'sportlich,
leicht and kompakt'--sporty, light and compact. The 2.3 liter 4-cylinder, in unison with
its light weight and smaller dimensions (only a couple inches longer than a Miata), ensure
it deserves it name. Since the SLK's debut in '97, the biggest complaint was its
less-than-peppy automatic transmission. 1999 marks the year that it's available with a
5-speed, that transforms it into the exciting sports car it should be. A manual will also
shave about $1,000 off the price, while boosting what you get out of the engine. Fuel
efficiency figures (low 20s in city, 30 on the highway) are impressive for a true sports
car. SLK boasts numerous standard luxury and safety features you'd expect in a Mercedes:
every kind of airbag, traction control, great anti-lock brakes, and a new-for-99 Brake
Assist system that helps in emergency stops. Most experts I consulted agree that this is a
classy sports car with a lot of classic personality, that really takes off now that they
put the manual in.
Porsche Boxster
Porsche created the Boxster for those who lust after their fine German products, but
aren't necessarily one of the ten-richest people in America. Boxster generously packs a
lot of legendary Porsche qualities into a roadster that's significantly more affordable
than a 911, but is built on a common platform with that more modern-looking rocket.
Boxster is the first mid-engine (a 2.5 liter, watercooled, flat-6). rear engine car to
wear the Porsche badge since the 914, and it's more of a super-powered sports car than the
SLK. It's bold, and very popular looks, with its bulging fenders and distinctive
proportions, hearken back to Porsche's roots: fun, straightforward, light roadsters.
Boxster is undoubtedly retro-inspired, but with all the latest Porsche technology. Boxster
may not be the speed burner that the 911 is (at about twice the cost) but by all accounts
it blends power and excellent handling nicely. A 5-speed manual is standard, with
Porsche's renowned 5-speed Tiptronic automatic available. Aerodynamics are praised in road
tests, and it has a steel unit body that's fully galvanized, with a tight suspension, and
capable brakes that are used in race cars. For 1999 it gets a bigger fuel tank, bigger,
sportier wheels and a new classic package. A removable hardtop, heated seats, a CD and a
computer are among the options, but a host of luxury and performance features are
standard. It seems like everyone wants a Boxster, including famous celebrities. Its wild,
and yet classic, looks; unexpected practicality; and true Porsche performance are clearly
behind the craze.
Honda's S2000 Newcomer--This Fall
Somewhere in between the
Miata's straightforward, fun, affordability and the Z3 and Boxster's high performance,
sports car stickers--lies a niche waiting to be filled. That niche spans about $20,000.
Honda is set to introduce a light, peppy, low emission, handsome roadster that will retail
for around $30,000. By all accounts, the S2000 should raise the bar (once again) in the
convertible sports-car world. The engine seems to be a marvel: 4-cylinders that spin at a
mind-boggling 9,000 rpm. The S2000 generates a seemingly unthinkable 240 hp in tandem with
25 mpg, with great braking and cornering thrown in. This engine generates the most
horsepower per liter than any normal engine ever built for a production car. Honda says
their noble goal was to develop a 2.0 liter convertible, with dynamic performance, for
$30,000, that hit high environmental standards. Leave it to Honda to pull it off.
Honda's so confident about the S2000
that they just sent the press to try it out on a race track with the Z3 and Boxster, and
many journalists reported that it more than held its own. And those fine cars cost $8,000
to $15,000 more than the S2000 when it arrives in September. Sadly, they're only making
5,000 the first year, and the insane demand (it's sold out) means they'll have to step it
up--and soon. This Honda zips from 0-60 in less than six seconds, and the convertible
closes automatically in the same short time. One excellent feature is a six-speed
transmission. Honda said there was no car they could use as a benchmark when envisioning
the S2000, but they looked at several classics like the Lotus Elise for inspiration. The
S2000 is Honda's 50th anniversary present to the world, and it returns a Japanese
high-performance sports car to prominence after they were almost wiped out in the last 10
years. I want one.
1999 was a good year for convertibles:
Ford rolled out a more powerful new Mustang with new looks, for one. Honda's
much-anticipated buzz car, the S2000, is only the first of future new convertible sports
models. This year, Toyota will debut its Miata-fighting, and aggressive-looking, image
car, the convertible Spyder, which may be priced close to S2000. A new Z-car from Nissan
is slated for 2001, keeping with the new tradition of high-tech retro revival, and that Z
may, or may not, appear as a convertible. Everyone wonders where the VW Beetle soft-top
is, and that's about 2 years away. Women may love these roadsters the best, but their
appeal cuts across all lines. More choices, more new models, a wider price spectrum...
That powder-yellow classic roadster with the top down, that resides in my mind, is now
very much a reality. I hope I can afford one before the fashions change. For now, they ARE
the 'thing'. |
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