why have convertible cars fallen?
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Man, there are a lot of reasons. If you are asking why there are fewer now than back when they were really popular in the 50s and 60s, that has a lot to do with the invention of AC, and the fact that most cars back then were body on frame, and now most are unibody, and unibody are more difficult to convert.
But more recently, it’s a combination of worse gas mileage (and car companies are in a pinch to produce more efficient vehicles), the fact that cars are going extinct and being replaced by crossovers, and (I don’t know, but it’s a hunch that) it might be tied to the decline of the stickshift. roadsters are endangered. Those cars just aren’t what people want. They’re easy to break into, not as convenient of a back seat, totally inefficient, in an era when car costs are insane, and people want the most efficiency they can get.
There are all sorts of technical reasons why building convertibles today is harder, but the real reason they have mostly died off is because people aren’t buying them. If there was a bigger market for convertibles like there was in the mid 20th century, manufacturers would be willing to spend the money and effort to build them.
Why aren’t people buying convertibles? They just aren’t trendy any more. The big status symbol these days is an SUV rather than a sporty coupe.
coupes have fallen. convertibles are a subset of coupes.
convertibles were never that popular though.
also, wrangler sells a fuckton of convertibles. now bronco too.
I wonder if convertible sales including wrangler/bronco are higher than ever in the past.
I mean, i live in an area where i see lots of new convertibles. Heck my neighbor got the new mini.
I guess what i am saying is that if you where the climate calls for them, then maybe you will see more of them?
I had a convertible passed down to me and even though it’s a hard top, the road noise is intense. If I were choosing another every day car it wouldn’t be convertible. And I can’t afford to have a fun side car
I have been a convertible owner for many many years (over 12 convertibles)
But now that I have an electric every day car it seems environmentally wasteful to drive my gas powered convertible so it sees even less use than it did before (which was already low use)
there is no pipeline or plan for an EV convertible –
Broncos , Jeeps and Mustangs are the dominant convertibles and most of the rest of them aren’t recognized as convertibles because they are a hard top convertible. The increase in cars available with glass roofs also cuts into the sale of convertibles.
Lol what? Where did they fall? Are they all at the bottom of a cliff somewhere?
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/best-convertible/
I mean there are several 2022 convertibles available… Where did they fall?
[CNBC Video: The Rise and fall of convertible vehicles](https://youtu.be/kU4PyKmfw6s)
Brief summary of article related to convertible vehicle sales:
Stat: less than 2% of vehicle’s sold are convertibles, and that includes ones legally defined as convertible such as the Jeep Wrangler which has removable roof and doors but isn’t really a traditional convertible.
“…Reasons for the decline of convertibles include practicality, durability, cost increases, and new panoramic sunroofs and glass tops, according to experts. Automakers are also investing capital in off-road models and electric vehicles.
“The trajectory has been down and there just isn’t as strong of a consumer interest,” said Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst at S&P Global Mobility. “In the transition to electric vehicles, and where do automakers put their development money, it just isn’t going to convertibles.””
“In the early days of the automotive industry, nearly all cars were open-air vehicles or convertibles. Hardtop vehicles were introduced as a premium option — a trend that has switched in modern times. For example, the 2022 Ford Mustang hardtop starts at $27,470. The convertible version starts at about $33,000.
J.D. Power reports the average cost of a convertible has risen from about $45,000 in 2011 to $70,400 in 2021. For 2022, amid supply chain problems leading to higher prices, that has ballooned to $79,200. That makes SUVs such as the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco among the least expensive, most available options.”
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/09/24/convertible-sales-fall-in-us-amid-popularity-of-evs-suvs.html
Old convertibles sometimes lose their balance. What is worse is when their hip restraint needs replacement.
Seriously though, I think it is a changing taste by consumers and how younger people view convertibles as a mid-life crisis car, so it gets a bar rap. Throw in they seem easier for thieves to target and demand has cooled off.
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