Vintage cars

Put the roof down on these 3 convertibles

By Brandy Hudson

Editor’s note: The beach. She nods. Answer the call this summer, but first make sure the vehicle you choose is beach-approved. In this limited edition, we’ll reveal our favorite beach cars; in this edition, vintage gold to scratch your craving for retro.

Given the boom in the used car market over the past year and the countless Instagram feeds dedicated to curating glamorous photos of retro cars on the streets of New York and Los Angeles, this summer could finally be the moment to pull the trigger on the vintage car you were looking at. Not your grandparents’ beige van or the Griswold family station wagon – we’re talking about the tough, glitzy stars of the 60s, 70s and 80s, aka the days before planned obsolescence. They were built to last and to look good. Driving one of these to the beach means you’ll almost certainly have people stopping for photos. And who knows, it just might end up on one of those Instagram feeds.

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The 450SL is the car that brought vintage cars back into fashion. It’s the convertible of convertibles, and it looks just as good in the movies (think Richard Gere’s car in American Gigolo), as it does in Malibu. This showtopper screams vintage luxury, especially when you have the top down. Right now, prices appear to have bottomed out – a good opportunity to grab a lead for some good value.

Also consider: Porsche 914, Pontiac GTO convertible (Gen 1)

Further reading: The 50 Most Influential Cars

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Ford Bronco (first generation)

If you’re heading to the dunes of Ditch Plains, the Ford Bronco should be your car of choice. Spiritually, it’s part Jeep, part Range Rover. Because Ford stopped making them in the 90s for a while, you’re unlikely to see any more on the road, and finding one will be even harder. The Broncos are known for being easy to work with and turning heads. The OG Bronco was designed by the same maker of the first Mustang and endorsed by Lee Iacocca himself to compete with similar vehicles from Jeep and Toyota. The new Bronco is great, but it can’t compete with old-school cool.

Also consider: International Harvester Scout, Toyota Land Cruiser

Further reading: Here’s how the Ford Bronco has changed over the decades

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If there’s ONE car actually designed for getting to and from the beach, it’s the Fiat 500 Jolly. With no doors, wicker seats and an engine barely bigger than a lawn mower, this is the car for short trips to the beach with, perhaps, a brief stop for an ice cream on the way to the return. The perfect range for these perfect cars? Somewhere in Italy of course. Portofino? Amalfi? Island of Elba? You decide. Or, maybe you don’t need a beach at all – legend has it that when the Jolly was put into service, Fiat’s then manager asked for something he could drive to. and on his personal yacht.

Also consider: Volkswagen thing, Mini Moke

Further reading: Hertz breathes new life into old-school Fiats in Italy

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Brandy Hudson
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