Alternative "Rag Tops"

[Androlyn]

What other two seater convertibles are liked/fancied/owned by fellow F and TF owners?
I have a Series 2 Land Rover which has 2.5 seats as the middle one is a bit limiting.....
I keep looking around for another "Toy", cannot afford it but life is short so keep looking at the lower end, want to keep my F so not moving that on.
Any thoughts, for some reason I have days when I like the look of an Alfa Spider, then other days I don't, any good to own and drive as they don't seem expensive?
Not into the Mazda MX5, looking for something a bit less mass market.
Any thoughts......

[talkingcars]

I like the spider when the roof is down but prefer the coupe when up.

I fancy building a cat 7 style car one day, possible a locost.

[cococola]

I like the early bmw mini convertables as I think they are stylish and similar to the mgf/tf with the fact that you can do so much with them style wise.I love everybodies individual style no matter how subtle.

[DanieleT]

Triumph spitfire..may not be the fastest or best handling but absolute mint examples can be picked up for around 7k.
Also bound to turn heads and not as common as muck.
Additionally unlikely to depreciate.

[Androlyn]

I once had a '67 MK3 Spitfire, big mistake selling that but finances dictated at the time. More of a moneypit that my "F"..........

[DanieleT]

Like any older car, I can well imagine that everything breaks regularly if kept standard.
They do look very pretty though.

[stuart]

the Jenson Healey is a great little car...always liked 'em

[Green Squirrel]

My 1940s Opel - photo from Germany when in the RAF mid fifties

[David Dixon]

Having seen the new Abarth 124 Spider up close at Car Fest North last weekend, that is new on the desired list. Generally I am into the whole small to mid size two seater soft top genre, so Honda Beat to Honda S2000. (also on the desired list). The one exception is the Jaguar F type, I have been lucky enough to drive a variety of configurations of the F type and thay are simply superb in every way. Away from the genre, Land Rover series 3 soft top, Mini Moke, Seat Marbella soft top (similiar to a Moke), Citroen Mehari, and Dodge Dakota pick up convertible.

[Androlyn]

That Alfa does look smart, and I wouldn't mind an F Type, I may get shot for saying it but I prefer it to an E Type - I have never really liked E Types, look like a dodgy boat with out of proportion wheels. I do though like the remade modern E Types that are around, they have sorted the wheels.

Sadly my budget is at the other end of the scale, but I still get to enjoy the open top driving experience..........

Just realised I do have an "F" Type of sorts, MG though not Jaguar

[DanieleT]

I agree about the e-type.
I've never understood why people think it's such a beautiful car.
I'm all for classic lines but the e type isn't it.
Maybe because I'm Italian but the miura, Dino or the 33 tipo stradale are all far far more beautiful cars. I'd also put many other English sports cars of the eta before the e type. Including the jaguar xk140.





Perhaps a little off track because it's not a rag top and certainly not cheap but my god she IS beautiful!!

[David Dixon]

I also agree about the Jag' E type, and bravely I prefer the end of the line 'Leyland' E type, to the start out model, but then I prefer rubber bumper MGB's to chrome ! If you are looking at beauty in four wheel form, and at $27 million it would have to be, then this Farrari 275 GTB NART Spyder is it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaZB14xiHg8

[DanieleT]

Gorgeous! But like the e-type...the engine is in the wrong place

[Helsbyman]

Just two words Citroen wind and at £15k new yes new a good buy

[Androlyn]

I have also had a hankering for a small TVR S

[talkingcars]

Just two words Citroen wind and at £15k new yes new a good buy

One word - why? LOL

[Helsbyman]

T/C, one of our F reps has one

[RSR92]

I have to say that personally I am not a fan of any french car at all, and I can't say I think the Wind is very attractive at all, for £15K I'd rather go get myself a used Mk5 Leon Cupra or the like you can pick up pretty low mileage Leon Cupra K1's for under £10k and those things are over 300BHP and made by VW so pretty reliable, as cars go in any case! Much more reliable than a backwards built French thing any day, they should stick to wine!

That being said I think 300BHP in a FWD Front engine car would be madness and after having had the F I can honestly say I will never be without a mid engined car from this point onwards. I may get another front engine car to go alongside it but as far as drive-ability goes I am entirely besotted with how the F handles, and grips. It's amazing how much better a car feels with proper weight distribution!

[DanieleT]

Odd that you'd slag off French cars and then go on about mid engine layouts and front wheel drive. Seeing as the french are notable for producing quite a few front mid engine front wheel drive cars that stick pretty well. The R5 being one of em.
BTW I also dislike the wind

I think there are a lot of common myths regarding front or rear drive, rear or front mid mounted etc.
Ultimately the quality of each individual car and it's driver is what really matters.
I don't find French cars any less reliable than German now but 30 years ago it may have been different.

[RSR92]

I was talking about an MGF...so what makes you think I was hailing mid engine FWD? I'm not sure about yours but my F is most certainly RWD not FWD...and part of the reason I was singing it's praises. Maybe you have scanned and got my comments on the MG confused with my comments regarding a Leon K1.

I've never owned a french car myself but my mind always reverts to the facelifted Renault Megane (you know the one with the angular boot?) with the electric start button that my Mum had I guess it would be 2000-05 sometime around then and the amount of problems with that was unbearable, we actually binned it for a Volvo Estate not long after the bloody thing randomly cut out for the 3rd time in 2 weeks ownership just round the corner from our house on the way to my school, and I don't exactly enjoy it when I have to drive the G/fs Clio which hasn't helped to change my opinion at all. Maybe one day I will drive a French car that does drive nicely but that day is yet to come.

In any case I didn't "Slag" anything off and I don't appreciate your wanton inaccuracy in your portrayal of my comment which was an opinion and in no way put forth as a statement of pure fact nor in fact any kind of attack on French cars, I clearly pre-fixed the statement with a bold note saying that personally I'd get something more traditionally reliable for £15K and saying that their wine is better than their cars. If that constitutes a slagging off in your book then you need to learn what a real slagging off is! It would definitely require more than expressing an opinion followed by a light-hearted joke