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Tag: Convertible Week

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Convertible Week: 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 5-speed manual

It was around my second year in college that the chance arose for me to finally get behind the wheel of the (then) newly introduced Mercedes SLK230. My first impression is that for such a small car, it drove just like a regular Mercedes. Except it was smaller. Up until around 15 years ago, I maintained that you could blindfold me and I could tell you if I was riding in a Mercedes or not. The SLK was no different. Steering with a bit of heft to it, a firm but compliant ride and a smooth automatic gearbox were the order of the day. Some complained about the agricultural nature of the supercharged inline-4, but it offered plenty of power to scoot you around in a hurry.

Mercedes upped the enthusiast ante shortly after the SLK debuted and offered a 5-speed manual gearbox. Not since the 190E had US customers been able to spec a Mercedes with three pedals. To this day, you can still order a new SLK250 with a 6-speed manual, but who knows how long that will last. I tend to think someone at Mercedes-Benz USA forgot this was on the menu. If you don’t want to plunk down the coin for a new SLK, this SLK230 for sale in Pennsylvania gives you the chance to enjoy a lot of fresh air and the freedom to row your own.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 on eBay

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Convertible Week: 1987 Volkswagen Cabriolet with 21,500 Miles

By the late 1980s, Volkswagen’s lineup seemed decidedly dated. While the entire lineup of German motors wasn’t particularly innovative or new (I’m looking at you, R107 and 911), for some reason the Volkswagen lineup seemed more ancient. Outside of the Golf and Jetta which were launched in 1985, you had the Quantum – a chassis shared with the B2 Audi, but it lived longer as a Volkswagen. Square and tall, it looked like a mildly updated 1970s car mostly because it effectively was. Then you had the Scirocco; fun, angular and sporty, it too was a mildly updated Scirocco 1 from the 1970s and might have been the last use of sealed-beam headlights in the U.S. market. Of course, there was the Vanagon; the T3 would amazingly carry over into the 1990s (barely) from its 1979 launch – but it always felt straight from the 1970s, even when presented with updated bodywork, wheels and interiors. And then there was the true Jurassic-era product in the Volkswagen lineup – the Cabriolet. While Volkswagen didn’t chop the top off the first generation Golf until 1980, it was already a reasonably old car by that point, having been launched in 1974. Yet the last of the Cabriolets would roll off the assembly line astonishingly in 1993, having outlived the A1’s successor, the second generation Golf. Such was the enduring appeal of the Cabriolet, however, that it was a bit long in the tooth didn’t matter. Nor did poor build quality, relative unreliability, buzzy engines, short gearing, oppressive wind noise and poor performance. It was, after all, a convertible – and that meant people anted up amazing amounts of money to get their hands on what was the cheapest German convertible one could buy. It wasn’t an expensive Rabbit – it was a cheap 911 cabriolet. Sort of.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Volkswagen Cabriolet on eBay

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Convertible Week: 1998 BMW M Roadster

When it was introduced, the BMW M Roadster quickly caught the attention of those who thought the non-Motorsport variety Z3 Roadster was a bit weak in the knees. Even though the US version was initially short on horsepower versus its Euro market counterpart, 240 horsepower was nothing to sneeze at in such a small package. Then the M Coupe arrived on the scene. Still a two-seater, this sports car with a breadvan profile was a bit misunderstood at first. Now, however, it’s popularity is eclipsing that of the M Roadster, leaving prices for the open roofed version lagging a bit. This M Roadster for sale in Florida is a lower mileage example, wearing the rare Evergreen hue that at times polarizes opinions.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 BMW M Roadster on eBay

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Convertible Week: 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

Following on to the 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500 we featured yesterday to kick off convertible week, here’s that car’s grandfather: the 300SL Roadster. Painted in a similar hue of black, this example for sale in Los Angeles has lived there most of its life, originally being sold in Europe. This is an early build 300SL roadster on its fourth owner, having undergone a repaint in 1981 along with a few other items being refreshed.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster on eBay

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Convertible Week: 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500

To kick off Convertible Week here at GCFSB, we’ve started with one of our favorites: the Mercedes-Benz SL. For more than 60 years, this car has been a mainstay in the Mercedes lineup, beginning with the closed roof, 300SL Gullwing. The Gullwing would eventually give us the 300SL Roadster and from there, Mercedes stuck with the hardtop roadster format, which would morph into a roadster with a retractable hardtop for the 2003 model year. One of my favorite SLs, however, was the late model R129 that preceded the R230 with its folding hardtop. This low mileage 1998 example is almost exactly as I’d want mine kitted out, looking mean in black over black leather with the 18″ AMG alloy wheels.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500 on eBay

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