The convertible car isn’t dead just yet

SUVs rule, but updated ragtops joining the fold

If passenger vehicles are dying, where does that leave convertibles?

From the 1960s to the early 2000s, ragtops were forged into the collective imagination as symbols of freedom and rebellion. But over the past several years, they have largely become status symbols that motorists consider too impractical for daily driving.

And carmakers have clearly taken notice.

As consumer behavior has shifted from cars to SUVs, automakers have increasingly reduced their droptop offerings, killing off such models as the Volkswagen Beetle, Toyota Solara and Chrysler 200 – to name a few.

At its peak in 2006, convertible sales reached 344,000 in the U.S., according to IHS Markit, but the market isn’t expected to return to those levels any time soon, according to IHS.

From 2014 to 2018, annual sales of convertibles in the U.S. dropped by more than 23%, according to Edmunds.com data provided to USA TODAY.

Fewer than 1 in 100 vehicles sold in the U.S. now comes with a foldable top.

Despite the fall in annual sales, a few automakers are holding on to the droptop, showing off a slew of modern options at virtually every price point.

From models that can lower their tops in just a few seconds to options that allow you to raise and lower the lid while the car is in the drive, modern tech has transformed what you can get out of the seasonal cars, some of which was on display at the New York Auto Show.