10 best convertible designs

[Chihua33]

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/top-designe ... tml?page=3

Check it out!

[hamlet]

The 60s Alfa definitely deserves the top spot. My god, if those cars didn't cost $20-30k+, I'd have one.

[azruss]

the alfa is the only car I don't think belongs on the list. It is a style that has never rocked my boat. All the rest of the cars are beautiful. I also think the 850 spider was a stunning design....don't know if it belongs in the top 10.

[TX82FIAT]

I cant believe the Miata MX5 makes the list. Really. They are nice cars and fun to drive... but what style concept or engineering accomlishment exists other than the fact that they came out with a roadster at a time the world was craving an afordable roadster.

[SeldomSeen]

The series one E-Type is in a class by itself. It's unfair to compare it with any other car ever made. I think the Ferrari 275 GTS is an order of magnitude more beautiful than the California. The graceful flowing lines of the AC Ace/Bristol would have been a better choice than the brutal looking Cobra. The Alfa spider? A better choice would have been the Alfa Giulietta/Giulia spider but even that model wouldn't make my top ten. The mid-year 1963-67 Corvette is my overwhelming choice over the earlier model. And where was the Fiat Dino Spider? The Porsche? Lets face it, the only really stunningly beautiful production car Porsche ever produced was the 904 GTS but it was a hardtop. The Mercedes was way too boring to be considered. It's sure nice to see the lovely 124 Spider getting more positive attention lately.

[RedWolf]

The Miata is absolutely laughable; here are some other ones where I think a strong argument could be made....

BMW 507
Austin Healey 3000
Pegaso Z102
Triumph TR2 (or 3 or 3A)
Fiat Dino

[steve8462]

did somebody say "Mazda" ?

[Jimb]

I like the Miata. A friend has an MX5 and its a great little car.
Jim

[divace73]

As much as I love my spider, Mazda did what the other failed to do. And made it better.
They took the best bits from roadsters around the world and made a bare bones sports car again in a world of front wheel drive.
I know I maybe scalded over my comments but it is a fact.
Pretty much every manufacturer that made a decent convertible stopped in the early to mid eighties and a lot of them was based on technology from the late 60's (which was advanced for the time) and didn't really update their platforms.

I'm afraid the same thing has happened again with the Subatoyota....I wish the Italians would get back on track...let's see what the Alfa-Mazda mix comes up with.....(Notice it is with Mazda, Ironic hey??) and I just hope they remake a 124 coupe and spider......

[agarair]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I happen to believe I own the two best convertibles on the list, a 71 Fiat 124 Spider and a 94 Miata. I have owned the Spider since I bought it new. I lucked into the Miata when my son realized he did not need it with four kids. While very similar in size and layout, the two cars are from different generations and hard to compare. At 42 years old, the Fiat is irreplaceable and I love driving an older sports car, the Miata is now 19 years old and once I modified the exhaust and got the sound I wanted, added a strut brace, and moved the spare tire out of the trunk and tucked it in underneath, it is a joy to drive and even revs higher than the 1608 cc in the Fiat. At the Fiat Freakout in Asheville NC a couple of years ago, about 10 Fiat Freaks (including myself and my son) were sitting around the lunch table talking about where they buy their Fiat parts and Denise asked me where we buy our Miata parts. At which point my son and I looked at each other and I think we both said at the same time "We don't have to buy any parts for the Miata." So yes the Miata may not have have been designed in Italy by the best designers, but for reliability, they did a dang good job in a convertible that has a top as easy to put up and down as a Fiat and makes choosing which one you want to drive today hard to do. That is saying a lot considering I learned to drive on a Fiat 600D, spent some time in an 1100D, drove to college for four years in a 1500 Cabriolet and also had a Strada for 10 years. Do I love driving my Fiat . . . dang right! Do I love driving my Miata, you bet. Would I sell or trade either, no way.

And a little postscript, I think I made Denise's day when I told her about 6 months after the Freakout about using the Fiat to go by a new clutch slave cylinder for the Miata, so once in the last 60,000 miles I did have to buy a part for the Miata!