Raunchiest convertibles of our time
When you think cult cars, convertibles are probably the last cars that come to mind but if you really think about it, there are some classic drop tops that have weaved themselves into our hearts... like the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 soft top or the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette and the more recent Audi R8 spyder. Here is a salute to some of the cult car convertibles that made the most hardened purist swoon:
1962 - 66 Mercedes Benz SL roadster cult car
The Mercedes Benz 300 SL roadster followed the production of the 1954 300 SL gullwing which has recently been resurrected as the Mercedes SLS. While the gullwing version was more distinctive, the 1958 - 63 drop top roadster was a lot more beautiful with its flowing long bonnet and signature mercedes benz grill cuddled by two soft looking lights . The fastest production car of its time, it featured a three litre engine with 158 kW and could stomp onto a 260km/h speed limit. Thats still faster than most Toyotas!
1955 - 59 BMW 507 convertible cult car
The BMW 507, like the Mercedes Benz 300 SL, owed its existence to American luxury car importer Max Hoffman. Elvis Presley is one of the famous personalities to have owned this beauty which also featured a three litre engine. Despite the car's undoubtedly attractive style, the 507 was a disaster for BMW, almost bringing the automaker to bankruptcy. Still, a notable drop top in my books and the spiritual predecessor to the BMW Z8.
1971 - 74 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS (convertible) cult car
The Ferrari Dino is considered to be the most beautiful ferrari car ever designed by purists. Although the Dino nameplate was initially planned to be the nameplate for Ferrari's low cost production models, this plan was thankfully aborted. The Dino nameplate was also meant to honour Enzo Ferrari's late son Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari. The tribute can also be seen to extend to Enzo's father and brother whose names were also Alfredo and who both died in the 1916 Flu epidemic.The 246 GTS (S standing for Spyder) is the third iteration of the Dino. As with almost all Ferraris the naming of the car indicated it used a 2.4 litre V6 engine and it produced some 130kW to give the car a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 235km/h which were a tad better than the Porsche 911 S' figures.
1964 - 68 Ford Mustang convertible cult car
The Ford Mustang is a cult car of note. And its convertible derivative is simply stunning! The quintessential muscle car, the Ford Mustang created a new genre of cars which saw the emergence of the Chevrolet Camaro, the Dodge Challenger and the Chrysler Barracuda among others. The drop top is still seen as a visual for the American way of life, the liberty of it all...
1961 - 63 Jaguar E-Type convertible cult car
The Series 1 Jaguar E-Type is still considered by many to be the most beautiful Jaguar ever produced. While the coupe came in a 2 + 2 seat configuration, the roadster remained a 2 seat sports car. It was powered first by a 3.8 litre engine then by Jag's legendary 4.2 litre engine. The former enabled a top speed of 240km/h and a 0-100 time of just over 7.1 seconds.
1956 - 63 Chevrolet Corvette convertible cult car
A true cult car the Chevy Corvette is still America's bonafide supercar alongside the Dodge Viper. This particular model was something of a facelift of the original car first produced in 1953 in Polo white paintwork. Like the Mustang, this Corvette is often used to depict the classic American way of life. This car featured a 211kW (and later 250kW) V8 small block engine, electric windows, an electrically operated soft top roof and fuel injection. That's what I call a golden oldie.
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