Why there are so few convertibles being sold today

[reachme]

I've been curious why the % of U.S. convertible sales have been dropping so much and I read a few articles that blamed leasing companies not wanting to own a cab at the end, or blamed the recession.
Anyway good online article about this with points I hadn't considered before.

https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/why-america-s-love-affair-with-the-convertible-has-run-off-a-cliff-214537077.html

[johnsjmc]

I blame a lot of it on global warming and better reliable cheaper air conditioning.
My wife has a Jeep wrangler 4 door and even though it came with a convertible and hard top the soft top has never been used. As she ages ,my wife is increasingly afraid of getting wrinkles from sun exposure .
She even complains if I open the sunroof in my 993.
Converts I owned over the years were also leaky, tops are expensive to replace ,chassis are more flexible.

[TheSt|G]

Are we only considering soft tops?

[Joe Bob]

Traditionally, 'verts have always been low volume sellers. Then they are an added value on resale. Mine has no heat OR a/c by choice.....

[msterling]

Sales of convertibles are like hemlines. They go up and down as styles/tastes change. Most of the first automobiles were topless as they were motorized wagons. Coupes and sedans came later. Nevertheless, drop-tops are ALWAYS cooler. I know a 911 coupe would be stiffer but I won't trade out my cab. The top-down experience is the best! Give lots of rides to poor souls that have never ridden in a cab (or targa) and maybe the demand will come back. My top is down unless it is really cold or raining.

[NYNick]

This confuses me as well, although lately, this happens more often than I'd like to admit.

With every 911 Coupe under the sun trading at a premium, some older Cabs and Targas are bargains by comparison. Let's face it, how many people buying coupes these days are really going to test or appreciate the structural rigidity of a coupe over a CAB? I think this is a a bit of a market blind spot…coupes over Cabs and Targas.

Clearly they are trading at a much higher premium, and it is no coupe bubble, but it confuses me as to actually why, especially when both were more expensive when they were sold originally.

[msterling]

Actually, a quick look at the Hagerty valuation tool for a 1988 911 Carrera shows that the cab has a higher value than the coupe and that the targa is in third place. All prices seem to have skyrocketed this year. I need to revisit my insurance coverage.

1988 Cab Condition 1 $71400
1988 Cab Condition 2 $53800
1988 Cab Condition 3 $31100
1988 Coupe Condition 1 $64200
1988 Coupe Condition 2 $46500
1988 Coupe Condition 3 $30800
1988 Targa Condition 1 $66100
1988 Targa Condition 2 $44100
1988 Targa Condition 3 $27400
Hagerty valuation tool HERE

[porwolf]

Why there are so few convertibles being sold today?

I think it has to do with a cultural change. More and more people don't care much about the outdoors anymore. Gardens in suburbia are disappearing, houses are getting bigger and bigger. Fewer and fewer people are searching the outdoors on weekends. The most favorable outdoor experience for most people seems to be Disneyland. The national parks see fewer Americans and more foreign travelers. And, mostly traffic is so claustrophobic for most people That they rather enjoy a sealed off, air conditioned, car to be isolated from it.

[GeorgeK]

One thing to consider about 911s: If you can have only one, most (I think) would go for the seminal shape, i.e. the coupe.
I love my cab, but I have acoupe as well. And if I have to keep only one, the 911 experience is most complete in a coupe.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by NYNick

Let's face it, how many people buying coupes these days are really going to test or appreciate the structural rigidity of a coupe over a CAB?

Probably less than 1%, but it is probably also that same percentage that factors that point in when choosing to buy a coupe 'vs' a cab or targa. It is a safe bet that most buyers, particularly new ones, make their choices, in large part, based on the car's appearance, and many think that a 911 coupe looks much better than a cab or targa. I'm not a new buyer (not a buyer at all right now), and while I don't actually think cabs and targas are as hideous as I let on when joking around, would never buy either as I do not like how they look. Things like differing rigidity, open air or not, are not factors for me (just looks and power ).

[TheSt|G]

Targas, verts, and autos are always worth less. Just the nature of the used car marketplace.

I personally could see getting a Targa, but I doubt I would ever go through with it.

[msterling]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

Targas, verts, and autos are always worth less. Just the nature of the used car marketplace.

I personally could see getting a Targa, but I doubt I would ever go through with it.

That doesn't seem to be the case with 911's. You probably do have a point with the automatic trans. I spot checked a couple other model years besides 1988 where cabs were on top (by a little bit). For 1994 Coupes were a teeny bit more valuable and for 1992 cabs were a little more valuable. Maybe Hagerty is all wet. I don't really know.

I absolutely agree that the coupe version is easily the best looking. I still will be keeping my cab for other reasons. When I'm driving it down a fragrant country road on a warm Summer day I can't see how butt-ugly it is. I just feel how it performs, sounds and I am enjoying the whole experience in a way that would not be the same with a coupe. If I could afford two 911's one would be a coupe.

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by GeorgeK

One thing to consider about 911s: If you can have only one, most (I think) would go for the seminal shape, i.e. the coupe.
I love my cab, but I have acoupe as well. And if I have to keep only one, the 911 experience is most complete in a coupe.

I had both coupes and Targas as only cars and daily drivers. I much preferred the Targa because of the open air driving experience with the roof off and the coupe experience with the roof on. I do like the shape of the coupe but I think the Targa is an equally, much copied, masterpiece of design. The look of the Porsche convertibles is also fascinating and I think convertibles are most appreciated when cruising to best see the world and be seen. But at higher road speeds I prefer driving in a Targa and I feel a little safer there.

[NYNick]

I'm not on board with CABS being ugly. Targas, maybe. Then again, one man's ceiling is another man's floor; however: I also don't agree with Hagerty's values of Cabs being more expensive than Coupes. The sheer volume of those available versus the other proves that point….IMO of course.

There's nothing like a Summer night cruise with the stars twinkling in a Porsche Cabriolet…except maybe a twisty mountain road in a Coupe!

Nick

[TheSt|G]

Quote de TheSt|G

Targas, verts, and autos are always worth less. Just the nature of the used car marketplace.



I personally could see getting a Targa, but I doubt I would ever go through with it.

That doesn't seem to be the case with 911's. You probably do have a point with the automatic trans. I spot checked a couple other model years besides 1988 where cabs were on top (by a little bit). For 1994 Coupes were a teeny bit more valuable and for 1992 cabs were a little more valuable. Maybe Hagerty is all wet. I don't really know.



I absolutely agree that the coupe version is easily the best looking. I still will be keeping my cab for other reasons. When I'm driving it down a fragrant country road on a warm Summer day I can't see how butt-ugly it is. I just feel how it performs, sounds and I am enjoying the whole experience in a way that would not be the same with a coupe. If I could afford two 911's one would be a coupe.

I'm not really sure what they are basing that off. A quick scan through the for sale section will show cabs and targas at 10%-20% of the cost of their coupe counterparts. The hit for autos is much worse still.

[calimedeiros]

Here in canada all I seem to see in the ads are mostly all convertibles for sale
Perhaps they all came over here lol

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by calimedeiros

Here in canada all I seem to see in the ads are mostly all convertibles for sale
Perhaps they all came over here lol

Or maybe you Canadians have exceptional taste in cars (aka: everyone wants to get rid of their cabs)!

[CiscoSF]

A/C has gotten better, also more people live in urban areas now. A convertible is great if you have a garage but you do not want to keep one parked on a city street. They wear quickly and are susceptible to vandalism and slashing to gain access to the car. Ask me how I know!

Also, car ownership is trending down slightly, and that probably affects convertibles more because they're less likely to be someone's primary vehicle.