Why so many convertibles?

I have often wondered the same thing! Must be it never rained or got cold back in the 50's and 60's.

It's the romanticism of the convertibles.... plus they are cheaper to make. Less die-cast material, less "window glass" and less complicated molds.

I agree there are too many contvertible models for sale.  However, I like the fact that: a) you can see the details inside them (when they have details) when the top is missing, and b) it is a lot easiler to pose people inside the car when it is a convertible. 

So, in spite of the fact that probably something like only one out of fifty cars was a convertible in the 50s, I out of about every ten or twelve is on my layout.

Ask the Chinese. I'm sure the makers saw them as the car everyone dreams of owning (especially guys with 4 kids). Part of the sucess of American Excellence/NEO and Brooklin is their offering sedans and wagons.

I think it might be the romanticism behind Convertibles, as opposed to functionality. That's why most of my 1/43 die-cast fleet (which I'm thankful is semi-modern) are sports and race cars (1978 Corvette, 1981-82 Nissan Fairlady Z/280-ZX, 1969 Dodge Charger 500), and a lot of them are foreign makes and models (Porsche 935, Lancia Stratos) not often seen in small(er)-town America.

     -- Señor J.

This question has been asked before...I remember somebody saying all the people in his little town were well to do and drove convertibles...Brooklin has offered, luckily for me, a choice of  closed cars, unluckily, not at dime store prices.  Brooklin seems to go off on odd tangents..they were building every body style of Buick for 1934-39...have offered a few Olds and Pontiacs of that period, but only one Chevrolet, while Chevrolets, in the small towns I grew up in, along with Ford, probably divided up 90% of what was on the road.  This into the 1950's.  Rextoy was covering Ford, but only for 1935, in CLOSED body styles...I don't remember a roadster...but there are quite a few other makers' open Fords.

The guys picking away at the played out mines in my dead or dying mining towns

are not well to do.  The only convertibles are beat up old tourings that the owner

is trying to get himself through the Depression with.  Sure wish somebody would

revive Rextoy.

Actually, this thread should read: Why are there so many convertibles in the $7. or less catagory?  I have 300 1:43 models, and very few are top-down convertibles.

I think that was my thread earlier, lamenting the fact that every O-gauge car was either a '53 or '59 Eldorado convertible, a '66 Corvette Convertible, or a 1948 Tucker Torpedo.  LOL.

I think it's partly because a convertible requires less material.  I'm serious by the way. Itt requires less metal (about 10% - 15% less), less plastic (in the windshields - about 20% overall.  Even though materials are only a portion of total cost it probably saves the factory 3-5% overall - in a business where net margin is probably only 10% or so.  The other reason is that they are sexier -- at least the manufacturers probably think so and expect them to sell better.