Sales of coupe-cabriolet vehicles in the UK have soared over the last couple of months despite the recent bad weather.
A combination of recent hot summers and the introduction of numerous folding metal-roof coupe-cabriolets have led to a sales boom of such vehicles in the UK, which is now generally regarded as the second largest coupe-cabriolet market in Europe.
Previously the common buyers of cabriolets or convertibles were private retail customers but the introduction of the folding metal roof has become a favourite with company car fleet managers because of the added safety and security provided.
According to figures from the Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders, registrations for coupe-cabriolet models are currently more than 100,000 units per year (three times the amount from a decade ago) with a healthy demand for new and used vehicles from private buyers as well as company car drivers .
The figures also reveal that petrol engined models dominate the sector with 70 per cent of sales, although the growth in diesel models is rapidly catching up with other market sectors due to the increasing demand from the business and fleet sectors.
The five main company car sector suppliers are Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Renault and Volkswagen, which all have C- segment offerings in the emerging coupe-cabriolet market.
The desirability of coupe-cabriolet models, such as the VW Eos, Focus CC, Astra TwinTop and Megane CC, is due to their flexibility of use.
When the weather is bad the metal roof closes to give you a smart looking practical coupe, but when the sun comes out the electrically operated roof (with a push of a button) comes down and stores itself automatically in the boot in just a few seconds.
Each of these vehicles are all-year round cars with good insulation, smart looks and reasonable reliability, which adds considerably to their appeal.
