Manufacturers without a convertible in their lineups, insiders believe, are risking a collision with customer criticism. Owning, driving and wanting a convertible represent a complex yearning. Visibility tinged with vulnerability, sensuality. And that release becomes an arithmetic multiplier, a wonderful invitation to be in control of your destiny, to move into a new phase of life. You are young again.
Convertibles are as old as the American automobile.
Fighting elements simply wasn't an issue when car trips didn't last long enough to encounter weather changes. Besides, for chugging at 10 mph, a curly brimmed bowler and an umbrella worked just fine. Through the '40s into the '50s, life was freer, the car market was strong, and a dozen American convertibles were on their way to becoming classics. The 1947 Chrysler Town and Country, two tons of steel and varnished wood panels. In 1965, Americans bought 507,000 such status symbols, with convertibles representing 7 percent of the car market.