2007 Mazda MX-5

BMW 3-series

MX-5 hardtop convertible

Mustang GT/CS

Those of you old enough to remember that the first cars to hit the road were of the “open cockpit” type, congratulations. That would make you over 100 years old! Back when Henry Ford, Ransom Olds and all those other chaps who were handy with a set of tools first hit the road with their horseless carriages, they were all open to the weather, as the top hadn’t been invented yet. The closed car was at least a few years down the road from the dawn of the automobile age, and purveyors of umbrellas, hats and scarves probably made out almost as well as mechanics and gas station attendants.

The closed car, or saloon, became an instant hit in our part of the world when it was finally introduced. In between the open car and the saloon came the cloth convertible top, which at least sheltered occupants from the sun and rain (provided that both came straight down, as side windows came along later on). Fast forward to 2007, where we have a vast choice of vehicles, some open, some closed; some open models have cloth tops, some have complicated retractible hardtops which are crowd-gatherers when being open or shut.

Here’s just a small sampling of what’s available if you’re the open car type. There’s many more than this, of course, but space only allows so much, so I’ve picked my favorites:

Of course the Mustang is on my list. This particular model is new for 2007, and its formal name is the GT/CS, or GT California Special. It includes 18-inch wheels, side scoops, tape stripes, black leather with contrasting Dove or Parchment inserts and unique front and rear styling treatment. It’s no accident that this car looks a lot like the one in Ford’s showrooms 40 years ago.

The Mazda MX-5, the world’s most popular two-seat convertible, now comes in two variations: cloth top or retractible hardtop. Personally, I prefer the cloth top version, but the hardtop looks cool, too. Perhaps one day Mazda will use this shape for an MX-5 coupe? Under the hood is still the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, which not only moves this little car right along, but does so in a non-gas-guzzling fashion, which should help put it near the top of anyone’s list these days.

If you’ve got a few more bucks to spend, head on over to the BMW dealer and check out the new 3-series ragtop. Of course, it’s not really a ragtop if it has a hard roof, but in some circles (like the one I spin around in) a convertible will always be a ragtop no matter what the roof’s made of. This is one of those cars that look good no matter if the top’s up or down. Others in this category are the VW New Beetle, Audi A6 and Chrysler Crossfire. Some that don’t come off as well are the Pontiac G6, Toyota Solara, and the Nissan 350Z—which were all hit with ugly sticks.

Whatever you choose, I don’t expect to see you cruising around town on those nice, sunny days with the top up and the A/C running on high. Jeez, get with the program!