Administrator
02-23-2009, 02:08 PM
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To my mind, one of the greatest pleasures of driving can only be experienced in a convertible. I love the feel of the wind rush, and the open sky above my head. In the spring, I revel in the way the faint perfume of lilac bushes catches my attention, or the aroma of freshly cut grass. On a clear, crisp, fall afternoon, the distant scent of burning leaves is a delight to my olfactory sensors. On a midsummer evening, just after the sun has set on the horizon, but it's still light outside, there is nothing like the sensation of the breeze on your arms after the heat of midday has passed, and before the comparative chill of night comes on. And, of course, glancing up at the stars on a clear night while traveling on an unlit two-lane road is a treat I never tire of.
I'd rather spend time driving a 10-year-old Chrysler Sebring Convertible, than drive a Ferrari or Lamborghini coupe. Of course, I'd rather spend time in a Ferrari or Lamborghini convertible, but alas, I've resigned myself that I'll never have the money to indulge in that dream.
When I was a kid growing up in the late '50s and '60s, virtually all car models had a convertible offering, from the barge-length, luxury Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, to the modest Ford Falcon. But with the rise in popularity of air-conditioning, (and the lower pricing of that option as it became more common) the sales of convertibles waned, and the last American drop top, a Cadillac Eldorado, left the factory in 1976, presumable never to return.
More: 2009 BMW 128i Convertible (http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/bmw/2009-bmw-128i-convertible-1041.html) on AutoGuide.com
To my mind, one of the greatest pleasures of driving can only be experienced in a convertible. I love the feel of the wind rush, and the open sky above my head. In the spring, I revel in the way the faint perfume of lilac bushes catches my attention, or the aroma of freshly cut grass. On a clear, crisp, fall afternoon, the distant scent of burning leaves is a delight to my olfactory sensors. On a midsummer evening, just after the sun has set on the horizon, but it's still light outside, there is nothing like the sensation of the breeze on your arms after the heat of midday has passed, and before the comparative chill of night comes on. And, of course, glancing up at the stars on a clear night while traveling on an unlit two-lane road is a treat I never tire of.
I'd rather spend time driving a 10-year-old Chrysler Sebring Convertible, than drive a Ferrari or Lamborghini coupe. Of course, I'd rather spend time in a Ferrari or Lamborghini convertible, but alas, I've resigned myself that I'll never have the money to indulge in that dream.
When I was a kid growing up in the late '50s and '60s, virtually all car models had a convertible offering, from the barge-length, luxury Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, to the modest Ford Falcon. But with the rise in popularity of air-conditioning, (and the lower pricing of that option as it became more common) the sales of convertibles waned, and the last American drop top, a Cadillac Eldorado, left the factory in 1976, presumable never to return.
More: 2009 BMW 128i Convertible (http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/bmw/2009-bmw-128i-convertible-1041.html) on AutoGuide.com