Open top 4 seaters?
Discussion
I have recently discovered the joys of open top motoring but am finding a 2 seater quite limiting. With a 6 year old daughter, we can never go out as a family so the car is now very much solo transport.
So, ideally I would find a 4 seater that has strong performance (I.e. not something like a Triumph Herald, sorry 😳) and is open top.
Era not so important as my taste is less governed by age.
Budget less than £20k.
I am currently drawing a bit of a blank other than a Triumph stag which I have never really ‘got’.
Any ideas?
So, ideally I would find a 4 seater that has strong performance (I.e. not something like a Triumph Herald, sorry 😳) and is open top.
Era not so important as my taste is less governed by age.
Budget less than £20k.
I am currently drawing a bit of a blank other than a Triumph stag which I have never really ‘got’.
Any ideas?
The Audi Cabriolet is cheap as chips, full four seats and built like a tank. Engine size ranges from 1.8 inline four to 2.8 V6. The one I'd have would be the inline five which is relatively rare but sounds gorgeous. Values are just starting to creep up as the bad ones fall into the crusher of history.
Or of you like RWD there's the E36 3-series convertible, about which I know nothing other than that they look nice.
Or of you like RWD there's the E36 3-series convertible, about which I know nothing other than that they look nice.
Had an 09 clk350 for a year, it’s the perfect car for me at the moment. Room for 4, quiet, comfortable and as it was a run out year it’s got all the toys.
350 v6 is a great mill and gets about 36mpg on a run. Fabric roof so doesn’t intrude on boot space like my old e93 (which had a nightmare roof reliability from new), had a few minor issues, thermostat and handbrake cable but it’s perfect otherwise.
Cost me £11k with 36k, top money I know but can see me keeping it until 100k.
Worth a look but look up the engine number online, before a certain number they had balancer shaft problems.
350 v6 is a great mill and gets about 36mpg on a run. Fabric roof so doesn’t intrude on boot space like my old e93 (which had a nightmare roof reliability from new), had a few minor issues, thermostat and handbrake cable but it’s perfect otherwise.
Cost me £11k with 36k, top money I know but can see me keeping it until 100k.
Worth a look but look up the engine number online, before a certain number they had balancer shaft problems.
I'd go for the Audi Cab too - I had one for a few years. Not the most inspiring car to look at, but built well and was fine with 2 kids in the back.
I had two XKR convertibles and you'd not get Douglas Bader in the back, my kids (who were small) found it a squeeze - particularly because booster seats tended to leave their legs pointed straight out.
I had two XKR convertibles and you'd not get Douglas Bader in the back, my kids (who were small) found it a squeeze - particularly because booster seats tended to leave their legs pointed straight out.
For me if i needed 4 seats then it would have to be a New Beetle convertible - can get 2 litre or 2.3 V5 N/A petrol. 1.8 turbo petrol - or if you're a skinflint & NOT a petrolhead and like smelly hands then a Rattly 1.9 diesel, will top your list.
Forget all the Tintops with the roof chopped ie BMW - MBZ - Audi - Saab they have NO style whatsoever unless of course you use to drive a tintop version whilst working as a rep - in that case they're gonna be your dream machine
Beetle is a sure classic - the shape is of course timeless.
Hope this helps
Forget all the Tintops with the roof chopped ie BMW - MBZ - Audi - Saab they have NO style whatsoever unless of course you use to drive a tintop version whilst working as a rep - in that case they're gonna be your dream machine
Beetle is a sure classic - the shape is of course timeless.
Hope this helps
Or something with a bit of panache compared to the Germans....
https://www.erclassics.com/peugeot-504-1976-p3946/
Or would sir prefer a V12 money pit?
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C846511
https://www.erclassics.com/peugeot-504-1976-p3946/
Or would sir prefer a V12 money pit?
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C846511
Some interesting suggestions so far, lots of exploring to be done already.
I am definitely looking for a classic/modern classic. I already have the practical family car and this is purely for day out/shows/early morning drives.
The car I am looking at maybe replacing is an Ng tc V8, prob around 300bhp a tonne and going too far back in performance terms will be a compromise. I also have a Sprinted 2 door Triumph Toledo which is quite sprightly too. So barges aren’t so much my thing.
I would keep the NG if it had the room, so that may give an indication that I am not really looking for a cruiser that won’t be much of a drivers car.
As a help, I would quite fancy a Sunbeam Tiger if I could afford one, but a 944 or Merc 500 would also take my fancy.
I am definitely looking for a classic/modern classic. I already have the practical family car and this is purely for day out/shows/early morning drives.
The car I am looking at maybe replacing is an Ng tc V8, prob around 300bhp a tonne and going too far back in performance terms will be a compromise. I also have a Sprinted 2 door Triumph Toledo which is quite sprightly too. So barges aren’t so much my thing.
I would keep the NG if it had the room, so that may give an indication that I am not really looking for a cruiser that won’t be much of a drivers car.
As a help, I would quite fancy a Sunbeam Tiger if I could afford one, but a 944 or Merc 500 would also take my fancy.
I have the same thoughts, my six year old twins love open-topped motoring. My wife looked at me strangely in a car park only yesterday as I peered into the back seats of a large 2+2 convertible. The problem is that many of these cars suggested are 2+2s really - modern children sit in additional child seats until they are 12ish. These are bulky (understandably as they need to provide support and protection in a crash). A lot of +2 rear seats are perfect for a child but not, in my view, a child and a child seat. let alone two children and two car seats. Even large, modern cars, such as the BMW 6 series have +2 rear seats. We may have it worse as their everyday car is an MPV and therefore has a lot of rear space for its length. The 6 series is (in so may ways!) the opposite.
So I shall follow this thread with interest. Good luck.
So I shall follow this thread with interest. Good luck.
alolympic said:
I have recently discovered the joys of open top motoring but am finding a 2 seater quite limiting. With a 6 year old daughter, we can never go out as a family so the car is now very much solo transport.
So, ideally I would find a 4 seater that has strong performance (I.e. not something like a Triumph Herald, sorry ??) and is open top.
Era not so important as my taste is less governed by age.
Budget less than £20k.
I am currently drawing a bit of a blank other than a Triumph stag which I have never really ‘got’.
Any ideas?
Stag pretty much the only option....but that depends on your definition of 'classic', or rather preferred era of classic.So, ideally I would find a 4 seater that has strong performance (I.e. not something like a Triumph Herald, sorry ??) and is open top.
Era not so important as my taste is less governed by age.
Budget less than £20k.
I am currently drawing a bit of a blank other than a Triumph stag which I have never really ‘got’.
Any ideas?
As can be seen from above posts, plenty of newer options, but, if like me, you consider anything much after the mid 70's as not a 'classic'........then the Triumph Slag is pretty much the only option (unless you go old yank?)
I never 'got' Stag's when they were new or nearly new, but, I've rather warmed to the old rust buckets these days.
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