Preening Trumps Practicality for U.K. Soft-Top Owners
Nearly half of the owners surveyed cited exotic looks, not wind-in-the-hair driving appeal, as their primary reason for choosing a convertible.
It may be because of the U.K.’s notoriously fickle weather, but most convertible-car owners are proving reluctant to open their soft tops. And despite its capricious climate, the country is one of the world’s biggest markets for convertibles.
A survey released by Audi, which has four soft-top models in its portfolio, indicates 64% of U.K. convertible owners either never or rarely take the roof down. Some 46% of the owners cited exotic looks rather than wind-in-the-hair driving appeal as their primary reason for choosing a soft-top.
Audi says this suggests the cachet of owning an exotic open car, not the practicality of having an open or closed choice, is what motivates owners.
Women owners are more likely than men to frequently drive in the open air, with 39% saying they almost always drive with their car open, compared with 32% of males. Only
17% of women claim they never drop their roof, compared with 27% of men.
By far, 25- to 34-year-olds are the largest age group likely to drive with the top down.
Audi U.K. Director Martin Sander says the region is the biggest export market in the world for its cabriolets.
“Our owners want the choice,” he says in a statement. “Drivers in Britain like to know they can drop their roof, especially as the weather here is so changeable.”
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