30 Affordable Roadsters & Convertibles

2. Chevrolet Corvette C5

The fifth generation of Chevy’s popular Corvette was introduced in 1996 and stayed on the market until 2005. It sold in big numbers and became a popular choice of sports car fans all over the world. The C5 boasted a 350 hp 5.7-liter V8 in the front.

The gearbox and rear suspension are also together (transaxle system), which gives the C5 perfect weight distribution for sharp handling. That coupled with its lightweight and aerodynamic body to give it some great performance numbers. You can also get it in convertible form. With those 350 HP under the hood, this is one very fast, but still affordable, automobile.

3. Austin Healey Sprite Mk1

If you look at the Austin Healey Sprite Mk1, you’ll see how the auto industry has advanced in the last 50 years. The small, bug-eyed Sprite Mk1 is a tiny roadster with two seats, cramped interior, and a small trunk. It weighs 1500 lbs and it is powered by a 943 ccm engine with 45 HP. Yes, we know it sounds like a joke.

But the Sprite Mk1 was an immensely popular roadster back in its day. Austin Healey sold over 350,000 units, most of them in America. People in America loved it for compact size, peppy engine, driving dynamics, and pure feel for the road. When you drive a Sprite Mk1, there’s really nothing between you and the road, just a little tin can with a small windshield. Not surprisingly, Sprite Mk1 was a favorite car in amateur racing on the West Coast. Many later racing champions started behind the wheel of this small roadster. For around $20,000, you can find a nice example to introduce you to the basics of open-top motoring.

4. BMW Z3

Roadsters became pretty popular in the 1990s with Mazda Miata making the way. Many car companies wanted a piece of the action. BMW did produce numerous convertibles before, but no roadsters. The Z3 was their first. Despite this being a relatively modern car, it possessed a classic concept and analog driving feel. Using the E36 Compact 3 Series platform and rear suspension out of the old E30 model and covering it with a sexy new open-top body, BMW had a success on its hands.

The Z3 was a stylish convertible with two seats, a lineup of potent four and six-cylinder engines, and great driving dynamics. The car was significantly more expensive than the Miata but also much better, faster, and more luxurious. It was released in 1996 in the middle of the roadster renaissance to an eager audience. The car was one of the bestsellers in its class and a benchmark model in the performance and handling department. It was especially popular in America and interestingly enough, the first BMW solely produced there.

Also, the Z3’s appearance in the James Bond movie “GoldenEye” helped popularity, too. BMW made close to 270,000 examples until 2002. For around $10,000 you can find a nice six-cylinder Z3 with luxury options such as leather interior, climate control, and ABS to make cruising down the coast much more enjoyable.

5. Honda Beat

The spiritual successor of the classic Honda S600 roadster is the 1990s Honda Beat. Introduced in 1991 and sold until 1996, Beat was a small and nimble roadster with just 660 ccm displacements and 63 HP.

In typical Honda fashion, the car was naturally aspirated and equipped with five-speed manual transmission. With just 1,656 pounds it was immensely fun to drive. 33,000 were made in its five-year production run.

6. Triumph Spitfire

The Spitfire was the second definitive British roadster from the 1960s. Despite having similar mechanics, similarly modest power and performance, Spitfire got its name from World War II fighter plane. This legendary roadster was introduced in 1962. It was powered by a diminutive 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine with 63 HP.

Over the years, the power grew to a 1.5-liter engine with 71 HP and more torque, improving the driving dynamics. Like other British roadsters, the biggest market was the US. Out of 314,000 made, most of them ended up in America. This means the Spitfire is easy to come by and relatively inexpensive to buy. Decent examples cost below the $10,000 mark. For $15,000, you can find perfect late models.

7. Mercedes SL R129

When you think of the best cars of the 1990s, the famous Mercedes SL R129 stands out. The SL roadsters were always fantastic driving machines. But the R129 was the symbol of the decade and the automotive personification of success, power, speed, and quality.

The mid-`90s SL 600 with a V12 engine had an MSRP of over $120,000, around $200,000 in today’s rate. Today, these cars are significantly cheaper. But that may not last for long since more and more people are realizing how good the SL 600 really is. If you want a bit lower price and maintenance costs, look for the V8-powered SL 500.

8. Mazda Miata

One of the most successful stories on the car industry is the tale of Mazda’s Miata roadster. This little car changed the world and became the best-selling open-top model in history, passing 1 million sold in 2013. Nobody expected that the Miata would become so successful and influential when Mazda announced it in the late 1980s. Very soon after the introduction, the industry realized roadsters were coming back in a big way.

The Miata’s secret was simplicity and balance. Mazda didn’t try to invent anything new, they just improved the basic concept of a classic British roadster. They added modern materials and design while making the car dependable and agile. While116 HP from a twin-cam 1.6-liter engine may not sound like much, in a 2,200 lb car, it was more than enough. If you’re looking for the most affordable examples, the first-generation Miata can provide many memorable moments for just a few thousand dollars.

9. Triumph TR6

If the Spitfire was Triumph’s roadster for the masses, the TR6 was a car for the serious lover of open-air driving and speed. The Spitfire could be considered underpowered even though it weighed only 1500 lbs, but the TR6 had decent power straight out of the box. The TR6 was a successor to TR5 and US-market only TR250, which all shared basic construction, dimensions, and design. The TR6 was introduced in 1968 and featured disc brakes, independent suspension, and a 2.5-liter straight-six engine with 145 HP.

Thanks to a weight of just under 2200 lbs, the TR6 was pretty agile and was amongst the fastest power roadsters on the market in the late 1960s. Production ended in 1976 after more than 90,000 were made. Today, the TR6 is a popular choice for classic roadster fans who want old school looks and feel with solid performance and speed. Decent examples can be found for around $20,000.

10. Datsun Fairlady Roadster

One of the most interesting Japanese copies of European cars was the compact Datsun Fairlady Roadster built from 1959 to 1970. The design and feel were directly borrowed from British roadsters, especially from Triumph and MG. However, Datsun did more than just copying the British.

It gave the little roadster some significant power with the 2.0-liter engine and better handling. Most importantly, it guaranteed the quality of the cars. Datsun made over 40,000 of these over an 11-year production period, with most of them sold in the USA. Today, you can find a decent example for just over $15,000. Many say this cool sports convertible is better than any roadster coming from the UK.

11. BMW M3 E36 Convertible

Built from 1992 to 1999, the E36 M3 featured a newly designed six-cylinder engine. Earlier models had a 3.0-liter engine with 291 HP. But from 1995 until the end of production, the bigger 3.2-liter with 321 HP was installed. Unfortunately, in America, the E36 M3s had only 240 HP due to emissions regulations. That crippled the otherwise powerful BMW engine.

Available as a sedan, coupe, or convertible, the E36 M3 was pretty popular. It introduced new standards in handling and performance. The 0 to 60 mph times were around 6 seconds, a solid number. Thanks to a good chassis, sharp steering was guaranteed. The E36 M3 is probably the cheapest M car you can buy these days.

12. Alfa Romeo Spider

Introduced in 1966, Alfa Romeo Spider was the Italian answer to the popularity of British roadsters. Initially called the Duetto, the Spider was built on Alfa’s 105 sedans/coupe base. It had a Pininfarina-designed body, alloy twin cam engines, and rear-wheel drive. During the late 1960s, the Spider became very popular after it was featured in the movie “The Graduate.” In it, Dustin Hoffman drove a red example.

While the rest of the roadsters vanished from the American market, Alfa managed to sell Spiders until 1994, which just shows how popular this car was here. The engine choices ranged from 1.3 to 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 105 to 130 HP. Earlier models had carburetors and later models had fuel injection systems. Alfa made over 124,000 of elegant Spiders and most of them were sold in the States. The final model year was 1994 and there were four generations of the model. For less than $20,000, you can pretend that you are a young Dustin Hoffman. But pay attention to rust issues, since classic Alfa Spiders were very rust-prone.

13. Porsche Boxster

Although the third generation of Porsche’s Boxster is currently in production, we’ll tell you about the first-generation model here. It was introduced in 1996 and discontinued in 2004. It’s safe to say that the Boxster revolutionized the concept of the open-top fun car. It also stood the test of time as a future classic that you can own today.

The Boxster’s big advantage was its layout. While most other cars have front-engine rear-wheel-drive, Boxster has a mid-mounted flat-six engine, two trunks, and sublime handling. Since the base 2.5-liter delivers a healthy 200 HP, it makes even the most affordable Boxsters fast and exciting to drive. That’s especially true if paired with 6-speed manual transmission. If you want a perfect piece of German engineering with open-air flavor, then this is the roadster for you. For around $10,000, you can find good examples from the late 1990s.

14. Fiat 124 Spider

The Alfa Spider wasn’t the only Italian contender in the classic roadster class. Fiat’s 124 Spider was also a very popular and affordable choice. It’s still an interesting proposition for lovers of convertibles and Italian charm. Introduced in 1966 and sold in America until 1985, the Fiat 124 Spider was designed by Pininfarina. It was built on the 124 Sedan platform. Mechanics were pretty straightforward with a twin-cam engine, 4-speed manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive.

Early models had 90 HP from the 1.6-liter engine while later versions got 2.0-liter engines with fuel injection and 102 HP. The 124 Spider was one of the more comfortable options since it featured a roomy cabin and a big trunk. Nice examples are sought after. But don’t worry, Fiat built over 200,000 examples and most of them are here in America. So finding one won’t be too hard. You can expect to pay around $15,000 for a near-mint example.

15. Jaguar XJ-S Convertible

Introduced in the mid-1970s, the XJS was a big step for the company. Under the hood was a 3.6-liter six-cylinder. There was also a 5.3-liter V12 engine, the better choice if you wanted the full GT experience.

The XJS was an extremely popular choice, especially in America. Jaguar sold the majority of 115,000 cars made in the States. Due to its elegance, power, and speed, the XJS remained in production for an incredible 21 years. It’s still a respectable car in every way. The coupes are more common but convertibles are better to drive.

16. Renault Caravelle

You might see other cars from our list in traffic. But you’ll have to dig in deep to find the Renault Caravelle in your daily commute. Renault managed to sell 117,000 of them during its 10-year production run from 1958 to 1968.
Based on the mechanics of Renault’s economy 4CV model, the Floride/Caravelle was a cool-looking roadster. It had a rear-mounted four-cylinder engine and 2+2 seating configuration. Renault intended to call the car Floride for sale in the USA. They later decided to call the model Caravelle for US buyers and Floride for the rest of the world.

Interestingly, most of the production did end up in the US. The British roadster invasions of the 1960s made Renault look outdated and slow. To be honest, despite looking elegant, the Caravelle was pretty slow. The biggest engine was a 1.1-liter four-cylinder with 55 HP. However, if you’re in love with the French charm of this little convertible, then the Renault Caravelle could be the thing for you. You can find them for around $10,000, pretty affordable for such a rare model.

17. Honda S2000

Introduced in 1999 and discontinued in 2009, the S2000 could be considered a 1990s model even though it was presented at the end of the decade. This model was a true driver’s car with features like lightweight construction, ideal weight distribution, power, and razor-sharp handling. It as all wrapped up in an elegant open-top package.
Under the hood was a 2.0 or 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with 240 HP. That was the main selling point of the car. This gem of an engine featured a 9000 rpm redline, four valves per cylinder, and Honda’s V-Tec system.

Thanks to intelligent engineering, the S2000 had respectable performance and perfect handling, for which it was universally praised. During its decade-long production run, Honda sold over 110,000 of these roadsters. You’ll be pleased to know that you can find one today for quite cheap around $6,000. However, there’s one thing you should know. The S2000 is a very small car with very limited interior space. If you are over six feet tall, you’ll probably have problems fitting inside.

18. Mercedes SL R107

This generation was in production from 1971 to 1989. The engine choices include one six-cylinder engine and several V8s with a range-topping 560 V8. We recommend you find a 450 or 500 V8 engine since they are the most popular and offer the best combination of power and efficiency.

Mercedes sold over 237,000 of those elegant convertibles during its 18-year old run. Believe or not, almost two-thirds of the whole production was US-spec cars. You won’t have any problems finding the right example. Be ready to pay around $25,000 for decent examples of this Teutonic power roadster.

19. Sunbeam Alpine/Tiger

One of the most interesting but forgotten models in the classic roadster class is the Sunbeam Alpine. It was an English two-seater convertible built from 1959 to 1968. The Sunbeam is a classic English brand, long gone from the market and remembered by only a handful of car enthusiasts.

But the Alpine is a very nice-looking car with dependable and conventional mechanicals. It comes with a small 1.5 or 1.7-liter four-cylinder. Over the years, Sunbeam built over 60,000 of Alpine roadsters. Finding one shouldn’t be a problem. For under $20,000, you can usually find a clean version of this interesting car.

20. Buick Reatta

It seems like everybody forgot about the sleek Buick Reatta. Introduced in the late 1980s, the Reatta was Buick’s halo car. The Reatta was a cool-looking two-seater coupe or convertible.

Under the hood was a 3.8-liter V6 with independent suspension and disc brakes all around. All Reattas were highly-optioned cars. Despite dating back to the late 1980s, they featured onboard computers and modern electronic systems. The production lasted four years, where over 21,000 were made.

21. Cadillac Allante

The Allante was envisioned as a competitor to the Mercedes SL convertible. It was a two-seat luxury convertible with Italian styling by Pininfarina, a Northstar V8 engine, and front-wheel drive. That was quite an unusual combination, yet the car looked and performed very well.

Even the production process was specific. Actual fabrication was done in Italy in the Pininfarina factory. The cars were then shipped to the States by jet, which affected the cost of the final product. The Allante stayed in production until 1993. Just over 21,000 were made. The car proved too expensive to produce and the factory allegedly lost money on every example they made.

22. Chrysler Crossfire SRT6

Do you remember the Chrysler Crossfire? Introduced in 2004, Crossfire was a Mercedes SLK in a different body. It had the same mechanics and drive train. Chrysler introduced the Crossfire concept in the early 2000s and the car public went crazy for its aggressive lines and stance. However, when the car premiered, it was obvious Chrysler cut corners and made the American version of SLK.

But even though the press didn’t like the car, there was one version with proper performance credentials. It was the Crossfire SRT6. The SRT6 was, as expected, an SLK. But this time it was equipped with an AMG-prepared V6 engine delivering 330 HP, performance-tuned suspension, brakes, and other components. The SRT6 came as a coupe or convertible.

23. Jensen Healey

In a desperate attempt to save the company, Jensen launched the Jensen Healey roadster in 1972. The initial response from American buyers was good. The car was a modern take on outdated MG and Triumph offerings.

Under the hood was a 2.0-liter Lotus engine with around 100 HP and modest performance. However, modern design attracted buyers. As all British cars from the 1970s, the Healey had problems with rust and electrics. That’s why they are cheap today. However, if you’re looking for an interesting, rare car with a Lotus engine, this could be it.

24. Fiat 850 Spider

Respected automaker Fiat was always one of the best producers of compact cars, often making sportier and open-top versions for buyers. That’s exactly what the 850 Spider is. Presented in 1964, the 850 Spider was a cool roadster version of the regular 850 compact family car.

Despite looking like a toy compared to other full-size cars of the period, the 850 Spider was a capable driving machine due to it being so light and nimble. With just 49 HP, the car wasn’t exactly capable of outrunning any Porsches. Since it was so small, it still provided driving excitement.

25. Pontiac Solstice

Although the Solstice roadster wasn’t able to save the company or become a sales hit, this is still one of the best Pontiacs ever made. The Solstice was a very competent little car with great potential.

Imagined as a small sports convertible to fight the Audi TT and BMW Z4, the Solstice was, in fact, faster and nimbler than most of its rivals. With a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine and 260 HP, the Solstice had vivid performance and competent handling. Unfortunately, not a lot of people understand the values of this great model.

26. Toyota MR2

One of the most compact and affordable sports cars with an open-top is the Toyota MR2. Toyota introduced it in 1984 and sold it until 2007. There were three generations. The MR2 was always a great handling, lively performing two-seater model with great driving dynamics.

The last generation was known to be tricky to drive. But they were still enormous fun and provided owners with endless hours of open-top driving. It’s not your typical Japanese convertible or Toyota, but still worth considering.

27. Ford Mustang GT Convertible

The automotive world was stunned when Ford introduced the fifth generation of Mustang in late 2004 as a 2005 model. The retro-futuristic design was perfect for the times. It not only it captured the essence of the legendary first generation but also presented a sporty shape which is still modern even 15 years after the unveiling.

The new Mustang featured a lot of new technology. Buyers went crazy for the car and during its 10-year market life. Ford introduced numerous special versions and extremely powerful Shelby models. But the sweet spot in the range was always the regular GT model in convertible form. It first featured a 4.6-liter 300 HP V8 engine. Later it had a 5.0-liter 425 HP V8 engine from the 2011 to 2014 model year. The GT was a very capable car.

28. Jeep Wrangler

No list of interesting convertibles would be complete without the Jeep Wrangler. A direct descendant of the famous original Jeep Willys, the Wrangler is the evolution of an everyday usable all-terrain vehicle. The Wrangler was introduced in 1985 and replaced the Jeep CJ model.

The Wrangler endured all market changes and never compromised the characteristics that made it legendary. Despite necessary improvements in design, safety, and fuel efficiency, the Wrangler is still the rugged and dependable Jeep it has always been. This makes it one of the rare models that didn’t crumble under a wave of plastic SUVs.

29. Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible

After a few years of showing concept cars and design renderings, Chevrolet was finally ready to introduce its modern interpretation of the classic Camaro with a brand-new, highly advanced chassis and engine. The 2010 Camaro was a triumph of retro-futuristic design and engineering. GM’s Zeta platform was highly sophisticated. It allowed this new model excellent road holding and driving dynamics.
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he base engine was a V6. But right from the start, Camaro buyers loved the option of an SS model with a 6.2-liter V8 engine and 426 HP. That made the 2010 Camaro SS one of the fastest domestic cars at the time.

30. Suzuki Cappuccino

The Cappucino was a tiny roadster built out of aluminum with rear-wheel drive. It predictably has a cramped interior and small trunk. The engine only has 64 hp from 670 cc three-cylinder unit, but it likes to rev. Thanks to only 1400 pounds of weight, the car still had lively performance and unbelievable driving dynamics.

Produced in a right-hand-drive configuration only and sold in selected markets in Asia and Europe, the Cappuccino is quite a rare car with a total production of only around 28,000 examples.