Cost-of-living crisis hits summer cabriolet sales

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DROP-TOPS are dropping in popularity this summer, against the usual trend for strong cabriolet sales during the sunny months.

However, the online marketing deals aggregator carwow reckons that the cost-of-living crisis is impacting our desire for topless motoring.

During the first two weeks of July, enquiries for new and used cabriolets and convertibles fell by 59% compared with the same period in 2021, it reported. Enquiries in the first two weeks of July were also 14% lower than during the final two weeks of June 2022, and 9% down on the first half of June.

“The UK is one of the biggest markets in Europe for convertible sales. In a typical year we might see demand rise further due to a sustained period of good weather, yet this year the trend is clearly very different,” commented Hugo Griffiths, consumer editor at carwow.

“The cost-of-living crisis could be curbing demand. Convertibles are often seen as luxury purchases, and that might be out of step with the current economic climate where ongoing rises in household bills dominate the headlines.”