The Decline of the Convertible 

Something is going on in America that is not especially newsworthy, but it is intriguing. Because it must reflect some sort of larger social or economic change that perhaps is widely known.

Did you know that…

* In 2004, Americans bought 315,000 convertibles.

* In 2010, that number was down to 144,000.

* Between March 2023 and February 2024, sales plunged to 70,000.

* Today, they comprise less than one-half a percent of car purchases.

Meanwhile, purchases of SUVs have been climbing. What’s going on?

One unconvincing explanation: David Lucsko, a car historian, says automakers now design vehicles for consumers to seal themselves in. “I think the car has become more and more a cocoon where we go to be isolated from the world,” he says. “Driving a convertible means being exposed to the world.”

Another unconvincing explanation: Convertibles are often seen as easy targets for car theft. A thief can easily remove items out of a convertible or access the ignition if the top is down.

I suppose the real question this brings up is this: Why am I spending a half-hour of a beautiful, sunny, Florida day trying to figure this out?