History & Spec

Jaguar E-type (33,992 sold in total)
For a car whose influence is still being felt today, the Jaguar E-type roadster sold in surprisingly small numbers. This is doubly intriguing when it was also a smash hit in the US thanks to its glamorous lines and much-touted 150mph performance, at a price that drastically undercut contemporary Ferraris and Maseratis.

Even more curious is the best year for E-type roadster sales was 1969, when 4287 of the Series 2 model found buyers even though many considered it much less pretty than the Series 1. Regardless of the numbers, the Jaguar stands as the archetypal high-speed soft-top, even if it was outsold by its fixed roof coupé sister model.

Toyota MR2 (60,000)
The third generation of Toyota MR2 was even more focused on driving fun than its predecessors. The simple formula of a mid-mounted engine, two seats and low weight resulted in a cracking compact roadster, even if some thought this was at the expense of practicality.

The simple fold-down soft-top doubled as its own tonneau cover and plenty of buyers flocked to the car. Exact sales figures are not available, but around 28,000 were sold in the US and 14,000 in Europe, plus strong initial sales in Japan, Australia and elsewhere. However, by the end of the third MR2’s life sales had dwindled in key markets and production ceased in 2007.

VW Karmann-Ghia (80,899)
After the runaway success of the Beetle-in-a-party-frock coupé, Volkswagen’s next logical step was to launch the Karmann-Ghia Convertible. The first drop-top Karmann arrived in 1958 as a nominal four-seater, and it remained in production until 1974.

Glacially slow performance did nothing to deter buyers from enjoying the good looks of the Karmann, particularly in the US. However, extra strengthening to compensate for the lack of a fixed roof made it heavier than the coupé and, consequently, even more slothful. 0-60mph took the thick end of 30 seconds. None of that has affected interest or values as the Convertible and its coupé sibling are now treasured classics.

Audi TT Roadster (110,319)
Audi found itself with an instant hit on its hands with the TT Mk1 in 1998 and the Roadster followed a year later. There was no pretence the drop-top was anything other than a two-seater and it gave Audi a solid rival to the Porsche Boxster. During its seven-year lifespan, the first-generation TT Roadster found 110,319 eager buyers and it’s just as keenly prized today.

Audi broadened the Roadster’s appeal with a front-wheel drive version and the option of a 150bhp engine where the coupé could only be had with more potent motors. Subsequent generations of TT have failed to match the sales success of the Mk1.

Honda S2000 (112,631)
In true mid-life crisis fashion, Honda treated itself to a sports car for its 50th birthday. In true Honda style, the S2000 had nothing to do with middle-age spread. Instead, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine offered the most power per litre of any normally aspirated road car at the time thanks to 240bhp. This was enough to see the S2000 from 0-62mph in 6.2sec and put the Japanese soft-top in contention with the Porsche Boxster and Mercedes SLK.

Some buyers of those German rivals would find the S2000 a little too hardcore as the Honda’s engine thrived on revs, but the sales figures over a 10-year life show plenty relished this hard-charging birthday gift.

MGF/TF (118,055)
The MGF brilliantly updated the formula for affordable roadsters used by MG dating back to the 1920s. A mainstream engine fitted into a slinky body with low weight and agile handling proved just as good in 1995 when the F was launched. Even in the face of the Lotus Elise and Mazda MX-5, the F sold well and gained praise, even if the Rover K-Series engine earned an unenviable rep for blowing its head gasket.

The TF update was a mixed bag, bringing more power but doing away with the excellent Hydragas suspension. It soldiered on until the demise of Rover and then re-emerged under the revived MG banner with Chinese owners, but only 906 TFs were made in this final phase of the car’s life.

Fiat 850 Spider (124,660)
Achingly pretty, the Fiat 850 Spider’s looks were so well judged it was almost impossible to tell how small this roadster was until you were sat in it. Its neat lines were ensured thanks to the roof folding under a panel behind the cockpit, while the engine mounted at the back, as per the standard 850 saloon.

The 850 Spider was a hit in the US and the original 47bhp 843cc engine was upgraded to 903cc and a giddy 49bhp. Then again, few worried about the performance of this roadster when it looked so gorgeous.

Porsche Boxster (160,578)
The importance of the first 986 generation of Porsche Boxster can never be understated. It really is the car that saved Porsche from being swallowed whole and allowed it to continue with its independent thinking. Sharing everything from the windscreen forward with the 996-gen 911 cut costs and delivered a brilliant two-seat roadster at a price few thought possible for a Porsche in 1996.

The German firm maintained interest and sales throughout the 986’s eight-year life with subtle styling upgrades and expanding the engine range. The original 2.5-litre flat-six was replaced by a much better 2.7-litre motor in 2000, while the 3.2-litre Boxster S variant arrived in 1999 with 249bhp. It says a lot that Porsche’s two-seat roadster outsold the Audi TT Roadster Mk1 by around 50,000 units over a similar on-sale period. We don't have definite figures for the 986 successor model, the 987, which would doubtless make the Boxster number look substantially larger.