Then & Now: Our Favorite Convertibles for the End of Summer

The days of shorter days, longer pants, and shirts with sleeves are quickly approaching but before we give in to the cold months ahead, we thought that we'd share our favorite vintage convertibles and their modern contemporaries that are perfect for lazy Sunday drives in the last days of summer.

The vintage and classic covertibles we chose were picked from the eclectic selections on show at the recent 2014 Historic Festival 32 at Lime Rock Park in the verdant (and humid!) hills of rural Connecticut. The contemporary cars chosen are the convertibles that we think best capture the sporty, breezy, summer freedom that only a droptop can deliver.

Triumph TR6

Built between 1969 and 1976, the Triumph TR6 was a best-selling primarily exported model for the British brand. The sweet little 2-seater has a inline 6-cylinder engine and, in its collectible form, has a reputation for overheating. Still, we love the classic British roadster look and would drive this on any warm Sunday.

2015 MINI Roadster

The miniest of the MINIs is the MINI Roadster. Available since 2012, the 2-seat convertible and British-born roadster has a more modern motivator than the Triumph TR6: the MINI-ster boasts a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that can top 140 mph.

Audi A5 Cabriolet Saab 900 Turbo

The classic Saab 900 was first imported as a convertible in 1986. The Swedish designed and Finnish made cabrio sported a backwards engine, but that was just the start of many quirks that created Saab fans worldwide. The final year of the classic, first generation Saab 900 Convertible was 1994. This convertible is as comfortable touring fjords on sunny Sundays as it is farmfields.

Audi A5 Cabriolet

The contemporary car that brings a European flavor to our modern tastes is the German designed Audi A5. Turbocharged with 4 cylinders but full of a fun 220 horses, the Audi A5 has all of the infotainment and technology that would make a Sunday cruise zippy.