Convertibles Make a Comeback in Europe

Sales of convertibles in Europe reversed a seven-year decline in 2016 and are up about 9% this year, notes Automotive News Europe, which cites market data from JATO Dynamics.

Demand in Europe slid 40% from 2007 to 2015 before rising 18% to 134,100 units last year. New models helped revive the segment, whose topless body style is appealing almost exclusively to consumers in Europe and the U.S., ANE says.

Europe’s 10 top-selling drop-tops all come from German carmakers, who regard convertibles as status models, JATO Dynamics points out. This year’s best-sellers are the Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet, Mini Cabrio, BMW 4 Series and Audi A3.

The market research firm says European largest convertible markets in terms of proportion of total passenger car volume are Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and the U.K.—all with less than 4% of overall sales. Convertibles account for only 1% of the U.S. car market.