Buddy Clair had a ready answer when asked why this year, there seems to be many more convertible cars on the road than in recent years.
“People want sunshine,” he said. “There’s nothing like getting into a convertible and having the wind blow your hair.”
The owner of Westford Auto Sales and Clair Classics, both located at Routes 110 and 225, Clair understands the allures of a 1950 Ford Mustang, a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, a split window Corvette of 1963 and the special edition Pontiac Transam released in 2002.
“Fifteen years ago we sold one to a gentleman down the street,” said Clair, referring to the Pontiac Transam. “He still has it.”
Clair’s cars are so eclectic and so classic that the local TV show, Chronicle, featured them in February.
The Chronical show was titled “New England for Sale.” Clair took host Anthony Everett inside the showroom where his private collection of cars is on display, including a 1966 white Corvette convertible.
The Ford Mustang is the most popular convertible today, according to Car.com. Those that compete include: the Infiniti Q60 Convertible, theJaguar F-Type Roadster, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Nissan 370Z, the Infiniti Q60 Convertible, the Jaguar F-Type Roadster, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, and the Nissan 370Z.
In the mid 200s, sales of convertibles dipped by 7 percent, according to Edmunds.com. But a quick glance around the Westford common at rush hour will show how much interest has resumed in the soft-topped autos. In fact, the national average for convertible sales over the past year is just under 2 percent of all vehicles sold.
Here’s how a Bloomberg writer saw it: “Sure, convertibles aren’t very practical. They’re usually heavier, more expensive, slower, less agile, and a bit less safe than their hardtop siblings. They are a lark, an upgrade for those who reach the why-the-heck-not layer of socioeconomic strata,” stated Kyle Stock in 2016.
But Clair speculates on why interest in cars with movable roofs may be growing again. Noting that life is fast-paced and staying afloat economically can be a challenge, Clair put things in perspective.
“People are trying to reflect back in time to when they were a lot happier,” he said.
