Saturday, April 12, 2008

I love my little T-roof motor car

For the first time this year I drove with my top off – on the car, that is, not me. My lovely little car has a T-roof (I actually prefer the more cosmopolitan sounding Landau to T-roof) so it therefore qualifies as a convertible. I’ve had this delightful and surprisingly spunky little auto since 1992 and I’m yet to grow weary of it. That’s primarily because, the first time I remove the top I remember exactly why I bought it.

I have an almost fetishistic love of convertibles, either ragtops or T-roofs, it matters not to me. I like to be able to look up and into the blue sky; I like the feeling of the fresh air and breeze in my hair (Wendy hates the breeze in her hair, by the way: “Argh – convertible hair!); I like the fact that when the car is shiny and clean and the top is off, people still look as I cruise by. Really I would like babes to look as I cruise by, but it’s usually 17-year-old youths who suffer from T-roof envy.

I still remember the first time I took it out with the roof off on a bright early springtime day. I cruised to some winding country roads inserted Hendrix to the sound system and turned up Purple Haze to full volume. I was in sheer bliss. It was almost sexual so thrilled was I to actually have my very own convertible.

Ever since I was a kid I’d loved that style of vehicle. Riding in, or driving an open car is so very different from being in a plain old sedan. My old man was a plain old Chevy sedan kind of guy, so I would look with envy at the very rich people across the street who had not just one, but two ragtops, a Ford and a Cadillac.

My enchantment never wavered. A friend in high school had a bright pink ’57 Ford ragtop. That guy got laid more than Sinatra (or so he reported), and I put it down to the car. I never put it down to the fact he was very handsome, charming in an adolescent sort of way and superbly athletic to the degree he went on to play professional football to reasonable repute. No, it was the car that got him the action, in my esteem. I wonder whatever happened to his car? I’d love to have it.

Once when my ex and I took a trip to Maui with her daughter, we went to pick up the car we’d booked – some el cheapo bit of Suzuki crap that was in the lowest category of Alamo’s rentals. The Alamo guy said, quite apologetically, that they had run out of cars in the ‘vehicular scum’ category, so would I object to taking a Mustang convertible for the same price as the cruddy little car? “Please twist my arm just a little bit,” I advised. Cruising Maui in a Mustang convertible is not at all a bad thing.

Now, we are at the point where both our cars are getting elderly. We have to consider replacement at some point – although I personally want to be buried with my car – and we would ideally like to downsize to one vehicle.

I, of course, want another convertible. Wendy, the more practical of this nuptial duet, suggests convertibles are not terribly practical, especially in this climate. She’s right, of course. She will concede a sunroof, but doesn’t want to go any farther than that.

I don’t know what to say about that, so I think I’ll go out for a ride in the T-bar sunshine.

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14 Comments:

Blogger Tanya Brown said...

Re: cars increasing sex appeal, my mate reports that when he purchased an MR2 Spyder convertible, young women suddenly started approaching him and asking for rides.

I, of course, have always found him attractive and hate to imagine what sorts of "rides" they had in mind. Happily, he turned them down.

Just another data point for your collection.

2:58 PM  
Blogger Echomouse said...

Really weird that I mentioned convertibles in my latest post and then I saw this :) Sorta like a time warp mindset we're sharing or something.

Your car sounds fabulous. But I agree with Wendy...."convertible hair!" ugh. Sunroof is good enough for me.

3:49 PM  
Blogger Tai said...

I raced around Hawaii in a convertible Jag once, I'll never forget it.
Another time I had a convertible Mustang at my disposal and ripped up and down the Island for a few days. What a blast!
I understand well the attraction.

5:41 PM  
Blogger jmb said...

Now why am I not surprised that you have a ragtop? It fits perfectly with my image of you my friend.

Just keep it till it dies and let Wendy buy whatever her heart desires in the meantime. I'm sure she'll give you a lift as necessary and when it's gone it's memory will linger on.

12:36 AM  
Blogger jmb said...

No apostrophe in the second its! What a pedant.

12:37 AM  
Blogger geewits said...

I grew up with a 1964 ford convertible. My Dad kept it for eons. There is something special about a convertible on a nice day. And of course, my husband and I had a convertible in Maui in 2004. I would never have one here in Texas for the opposite reasons that you have. Here it is just too hot. If you want another one, you should go for it. Life is about being happy.

12:45 AM  
Blogger Adele said...

I live in England. If we had a convertable the thing would rust shut before we ever got a chance to use it. We still harbour the fantasy though.

8:22 AM  
Blogger laughingwolf said...

i had me a bright red pontiac parisienne convertible, when i was a youngster ...great!

just NOT ideal for canadian winters, esp in southern ontario... so i side with wendy! :P lol

if i could afford one, a nice hardtop/convertible would still work....

10:35 AM  
Blogger Angela said...

YAY!!!!!!!!! I love convertibles so much. I really, really, really, really want my next car to be one. Hmmmmmm. Now how to make that happen. Enjoy a bit of sun for me, would you? YAY!!!

12:53 PM  
Blogger meggie said...

It must be a male thing. Though I do remember a friend (whose boyfriend, who later became her husband, had a convertible) told me it was such a thrill to her to ride in his convertible, she couldn't stop going with him, in spite of her parents disapproval.
He became a famous Race car driver, & was eventally killed doing what he loved best. True story.

3:56 PM  
Blogger beachgirl said...

I am laughing Ian.

I have a Mazda Miata. I never have my roof up unless it's raining. I love my convertible. A roof just doesn't cut it for me. My boyfriend says he has never seen a better match of car and driver.

So between my car and bike, I just love being in the open air.

I would go for the convertible any day of the week.

5:32 AM  
Blogger riseoutofme said...

In this climate, there are very few open tops to be seen ever ... even in the height of summer! You'd definitely have the natives falling at your feet, throwing themselves at you, even ... if you were ever to spin through. Between showers, of course.

Can't imagine you in anything else now. What an image.

6:47 AM  
Blogger Dr. Deb said...

I have never ridden in a convertible or t-roof car. I imagine, though, that is a wonderfully freeing and sensorial experience. I can see why you'd love it.

7:36 AM  
Blogger Leslie Hawes said...

"Convertible hair' just made me think of the Grace Kelly way to tie a chiffon scarf around your hair to keep it from blowing...

12:44 PM  

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