By Maureen Condon
BMW Z4 Roadster
It’s summer time! Who doesn’t want to be riding around in a convertible with the top down, the wind in your hair and the sun on your face?
Convertibles are as old as, if not older than, the automobile. The first “convertibles” were horse-drawn carriages with fold down tops. How’s that for old! But, convertibles magically seem to make everyone who drives or rides in them feel young, attractive and rich!
Plus, there’s the whole hip language thing about convertibles – ragtops, hardtops, 2+2s, and “All Weather” — early car terminology for the first convertibles.
Did you know that the Porsche and the Mercedes Benz “Cabriolets” take their name from an early French term meaning folding top, or convertible? The same car would be called a Drophead Coupe in England – evoking a not-so-romantic image!
But whatever you call it, if you drive a convertible, you are sure to turn heads and spark conversation.
MSN has picked out the top 10 convertibles for 2010. You can see them all at:
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=1146118&icid=autos_1398>1=22021#1q=10%20Best%20Convertibles%20of%202010%3A%202010%20Ferrari%20California
And if you want to pick up more automotive terminology and history, so you can chat with authority about convertibles past as well as present, you can do so at:
http://www.wheels.ca/article/242807
and
http://www.antiquecar.com/terms.php#C
