What are the Best-Selling Convertibles in the UK?

From thrill-seekers wanting to feel the wind in their hair to car lovers wanting to make a statement to those simply trying to make the most out of the great British summer, the UK’s obsession with convertible cars is showing no signs of stopping. The market for convertible cars has exploded since the turn of the millennium, we can expect this trend to continue.

While the UK is not blessed with predictably pleasant weather, 2021 data from thisismoney.co.uk named the UK as the ‘convertible capital of Europe’ with the MINI Convertible named the UK’s most popular drop-top. A surprising find maybe, given the stunning roads and Mediterranean climate on offer on the continent, but Steve Ashdown of Convertible Car Magazine comments: ‘Convertibles are actually better suited to a milder climate than hot, arid conditions where you can keep much cooler and less sunburnt in an air-conditioned hardtop.’

The UK’s Most Popular Convertibles

Armed with this information, we’ve taken a look inside our database to include a wide range of convertibles across a sizable price bracket, to discover what the UK’s most popular convertibles are. So, before we get into the results, what do you think will be the most popular make and model? A Ferrari perhaps? Maybe a Lamborghini, or a sporty little Porsche?

Perhaps surprisingly, performance-led supercars, Ferrari sat just outside the top five, with their convertibles constituting 4.45% of finance agreements, whilst Lamborghinis also made an appearance on our top 10 list. With their higher-end components and taller price tags, it’s fair to say models made by these companies are a little more exclusive.

It’s understandable that Mercedes, BMW, and Audi top the list of best-selling convertibles – they convey a certain prestige without overly-prohibitive pricing, are renowned for their quality and reliability, and, of course, look great with the roof down!

But which counties are hotspots for certain models?

The Best Places to Drive Convertibles

If there’s one thing that the data has shown, it’s that people in the UK don’t seem care about the weather when buying a convertible. Given that the top regions are all northern counties, and that Lancashire, long-renowned for its rather damp weather, ranks third by sales volume, it seems that it’s open season for convertible owners no matter where they live.

Perhaps, as a nation, we face so much bad weather that we value our convertibles all the more when the sun is shining? Or, as an Audi poll suggests, we don’t buy convertibles for the top-down function at all – results showed 64% of owners rarely or never take the roof down – and we’re drawn to the idea of soft-tops as status symbols?

If you are one of the few convertible owners who are concerned about the weather and want to get your roof down, we recommend the South West! West Sussex, in particular, Chichester which receives the most hours of sunshine per year. Other sunspots in the region include Plymouth, in Devon, and Southampton, the UK’s third-warmest city.

East Anglia and the surrounding areas make up another great region to be a convertible owner – Essex (which ranked 7th in convertible sales volume), Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk are routinely amongst the driest counties in the UK, so you won’t need to worry (too much) about getting wet!

If, like many of your other countrymen and women you’re not really bothered about the weather, there are plenty of stunning drives up and down the UK that’d look even better with the roof down, regardless of which make or model you’d choose.

So, if you’re in the market for a convertible, don’t be discouraged by rain and gloom in your area! Contact us, and get your dream car financed today.