On Tue, 10 May 2016 18:00:09 -0400, Micky
wrote:

On Tue, 10 May 2016 17:44:31 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 10 May 2016 17:20:25 -0400, Micky
wrote:

On Tue, 10 May 2016 06:43:17 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 9:11:14 AM UTC-4, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Ed Pawlowski:
I had one convertible many years ago and it was fun to have back then.
About 3 days a year I'd still like to have one. The other 362 days a
year the windows are up and the climate control is set at 72. Quiet,
nice sound from the XM radio, no wind noise.

Does anybody else think that convertibles lost a lot of their attraction
when steel-belted radial tires came into wide use?.... The noise...

I don't think that. I never noticed any increase in noise, and I
don't think I've ever heard tire noise.
--
Pete Cresswell

I'd blame more on the expense of the feature

But they'll pay for other things.

vs. the limited usage time,

I have my top down 6 to 7 months a year in Baltimore, and when I
lived in NYC and only drove on the weekends mostly it seemed there was
one weekend day every month in the winter that it was warm enough to
put the top down.

as well as the practicality. As the market appeal for SUV's continues to grow,
the appeal of the convertible goes in the opposite direction.

Now that I don't understand at all. What does one have to do with the
other?

Factor in the growing markets in India and China, where the concept of
"open air" brings up images of gas masks as opposed to rolling country roads,
and you can imagine the appeal dropping even further.

They hadn't driven convertibles since they had horse and buggies or
rickshaws. It's not an increasing market there, but I don't see how
it can be declining.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...n-freedom-dims

I was never interested in the "Image of Fun and Freedom" but in actual
fun and freedom, and that hasn't diminished. When I was working,
the highlight of many spring, summer, fall days was the drive home.

I'm looking forward to baysitting the TD again this summer. (a
convertible with no top - and only a pair of "brooklands" wind
screens). When it looks like rain it sits with the toneau cover on.

I would like one of those.
I helped a friend rebuild it. He's got more cars than he can drive -
so I get to exercise one every once in a while. I prefer the MG over
the Fiat cinco even though it has a roof and windshield.
See if he gets the Isetta finished this summer.