Why Are Convertible Cars Disappearing From American Roads?

According to new car sales and registration data, it’s clear that the golden age of the convertible is over—for now, at least. The car’s decline has been fairly constant since the convertible boom in the 2000s, when it seemed like everyone wanted to feel the fresh air tousling their crimped hair. Now, less than 100,000 convertibles are sold in the U.S. annually, with the style accounting for only 0.6 percent of new car registrations between March 2023 and February 2024 compared to 2 percent in the mid-2000s. 

We’ve also lost some of the most iconic models of the period. Of the eight most popular convertibles in 2001, four have been discontinued as of 2023. The survivors are the Ford Mustang, the Mazda Miata, the Chevrolet Corvette, and the Mercedes-Benz SL. Only the Corvette (marginally) increased its sales; the other three sold less than half of what they did 20 years ago.

Even the 2000s, however, don’t compare to the true heyday of the convertible back in the 1960s. That’s when the convertible became more than just a car; it became a symbol. They were all over movies in the '60s and '70s, when all directors needed to do to convey a sense of freedom and adventure was have characters cruise around in one with their sunglasses on. The connection between open-top vehicles and a free-spirited sensibility dates back even further. A car dealer was quoted in a 1931 issue of the Chattanooga Daily Times saying: “The utility of the conventional closed car, combined with the smartness and freedom of the open car, provides a dual purpose unit with every essential of fine motor car transportation.” For decades to follow, the exhilarating feeling of driving a car with the top down cast a spell over American motorists.

So why has the convertible fallen out of fashion? The simple answer is that people stopped buying them. Some prevailing theories for the decreased demand include economic hardships since the 2008 financial crisis and changes in car trends among the wealthy. Nowadays, affluent car owners are more likely to have an ultra-efficient, potentially electric car rather than a flashy one.

The car's reputation has also changed with average Americans. While convertibles were once seen as “sporty,” trucks and SUVs have largely taken their place in that niche. Their ruggedness and roominess has propelled them to the top of contemporary car sales, especially within the last 10 years. In 2014, 38.6 percent of new cars registered were SUVs. In 2023, that same metric was 59.7 percent.

To some, however, the fall of the convertible isn’t just about finances or fashion. As Mark Dent theorizes for The Hustle, it seems to signal a larger shift, one where the personal vehicle has become more of a place to hide away than a place to experience the world. It may reflect our increasingly isolated, digital lives.

But like clothing, car trends tend to be cyclical. Just as the 2000s convertible craze was a resurgence of a ‘60s trend, there’s a chance convertibles will make their way back onto highways soon enough.

Read More Stories About Cars: