James Ruppert
I was sat at the traffic lights today behind a tidy MGF, waiting to turn. It raised my spirits, even though the driver hadn’t been brave enough to lower the roof despite the sun being out. Summer will be here eventually and very soon everyone will be shopping for convertibles, if they aren’t already. So here’s a few you should be looking at.
Peugeots, simply because there are a lot to choose from and they are quite striking. A coupé-convertible roof is convenient in our climate but it is essential to triple-check that it is working properly. They’re decent value, though. For instance, here’s a 207 CC 1.6 GT with 74,000 miles from 2007. It’s described by the dealer as a clean example that is good to drive and low mileage. At £995, it seems worth a risk and would certainly get us through to the autumn.
I would describe the Audi A4 as the new generation’s VW Golf convertible, on account of the Golf being phased out and the Eos being not quite the real thing. There are some ‘spares or repairs’ examples and questionable high-milers that always have issues. Although a 1.8 T with reasonable mileage seems like a smart buy at just over £1000, there are better options. I rather liked the look of a 2004 3.0 Quattro automatic. Many would be put off by the big engine and complication, but it has a history and very clean recent MOT history, which backed up the reasonable 64,000 mileage. At £2000, it is £500 more than those 1.8 Ts, and much better value. No one is going to do 20k miles a year in this: it’s the perfect low-use convertible.
If that’s a bit extreme and you want a hopefully simpler life, then an MG TF will certainly do. They are still temptingly cheap. Let’s find a private-owner example that has been cherished. Here’s one: a 2003 car with three previous owners and one for the last decade. There’s a decent heap of history too. It has done 51,000 miles and the owner has put a year’s MOT ticket on it. It is priced at just over £1000 to take home, marked down from £1250.
If that isn’t cool enough for you, then there’s a dealer part-exchange to clear in the shape of a Smart Roadster from 2005 with 80
