Tag Archives: convertible

Hemi GTX Convertible

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1969 Plymouth GTX Hemi Convertible

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | May 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

The GTX was the “fancy” muscle car. Or the “gentleman’s muscle car.” Basically, it was a better-equipped Road Runner. It was a good-looking car and was only offered as a two-door hardtop or a convertible.

And the convertibles were rare: just 700 were made in 1969. Of those there were 16 Hemi-powered cars, five of which went to Canada (including this car). That 426 (7.0-liter) Hemi V8 was rated at 425 horsepower. As this was a gentleman’s car, it also has a TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

This car was restored around 2015 and is finished in a very 1969 color combination of bronze and black over a tan interior. This is one of the better muscle cars – and one of the top convertibles of the era. You can check out more about this car here.

Peugeot 190S

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1928 Peugeot 190S Convertible

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 6, 2023

Photo – Brightwells

The 190 was Peugeot’s smallest car while it was sold between 1928 and 1931. Okay, so maybe it was the second-smallest, as the 5CV was sold alongside it, and some 5CVs had a 50cc smaller engine.

The 190 was powered by a 695cc inline-four that made 14 horsepower. Compared to the 5CV, which was based on an early ’20s design, the 190 was much more modern. It was available as a two-door sedan or a convertible. It was one of the last Peugeots to feature a wood-framed body.

No history is listed in the catalog, but if this car runs, it could be a good deal for someone. Having a little runabout like this for an estimated $5,000-$6,000 could be quite fun. Click here for more info.

Mercedes 170H Convertible

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1938 Mercedes-Benz 170H Convertible Sedan

Offered by Bonhams | Brussels, Belgium | May 13, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Not a Volkswagen. But not all that different. Mercedes-Benz introduced the W23 130H in 1934. It was their smallest car to date. The related W28 170H debuted in 1936 and was produced as the rear-engined alternative to the front-engined 170 V.

The 170 models shared an engine: a 1.7-liter inline-four that was rated at about 37 horsepower. The 170H was produced until 1939, with just 1,507 built – only 250 of which were made in 1938. Low demand was due mostly to the fact that it cost more than the 170 V but had less room and was altogether a worse car.

The restoration on this convertible version was completed in 2020. These rear-engined Mercs are a rare sight, and this one is about as good as they come. The estimate is $66,000-$100,000. Click here for more info.

Dodge Custom Royal Lancer

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1956 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 12-20, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Dodge’s 1956 model lineup went like this: at the bottom there was the Coronet, which was topped by the Royal. Above the Royal, and at the top of the heap, was the Custom Royal. The Custom Royal line was only offered from 1955 through 1959.

A total of 49,393 Custom Royal cars were produced for 1956 across four body styles, with the convertible being the priciest at $2,878 when new. No breakout for convertible production is available. This one is powered by a 218-horsepower, 5.2-liter Super Red Ram V8. It also has a push-button transmission, power steering and brakes, and a record player.

The car was restored in 2001, with paintwork finished in two-tone Wedgewood and Royal Blue. Since then, it’s garnered a pile of AACA awards. You can read more about it here.

Waterhouse-Bodied Packard

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1930 Packard Deluxe Eight Series 745 Convertible Victoria by Waterhouse

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Amelia Island, Florida | March 4, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Packard’s eight-cylinder line of cars was their bread and butter for decades. In 1930, at the dawn of the Depression, Packard offered four takes on the Eight: the Standard, Speedster, Custom, and Deluxe. The latter was their top offering, available in Series 745 form only.

This specified a 145.5-inch wheelbase and a 106-horsepower, 6.3-liter inline-eight. Eleven factory body styles were offered in addition to whatever you could get an independent coachbuilder to whip up for you.

This car was bodied by Waterhouse, who were based in Massachusetts. It was restored in the 1980s, purportedly in colors found under layers of newer paint. It’s a striking combination that, coupled with Woodlite headlights, really grabs your attention. No estimate is yet available, but you can read more about it here.

Packard Caribbean

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1955 Packard Caribbean

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Tasty. And not just because of the dessert-y paint job. The Caribbean (or “Carribean” as Mecum calls it) was the sort of halo car for Packard from 1953 through 1956. The models were restyled for 1955 (which carried over to ’56), and looked just like this. Convertibles were the only body style offered for three of the years, and a hardtop joined for the final model year.

Two-tone paint was an option in 1954, and two- and three-tone paint jobs were offered in 1955 and 1956. It’s an iconic look. The 1955 Packard Caribbean is one of the most slyly iconic and fantastic American cars of the 1950s.

Just 500 were built for 1955, all of which were powered by a 275-horsepower, 5.8-liter V8. This one was restored 30 years ago, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Not sold.

ZL1 Corvette

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1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL1 Convertible

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 26, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

It can be tough to remember which Corvettes are supposed to be the king of them all. Around this time you had L88s, ZR1s, ZR2s, and ZL1s. The ZL1 was sort of a step up from the L88. It designated an aluminum-block 7.0-liter V8 with a aluminum cylinder heads, a redesigned crankshaft, improved connecting rods, revised pistons, and larger exhaust valves.

It required that you order a base Corvette – which was about $4,400 for a 1969 convertible. Then you had to add on the L88 option, which was just over $1,000. The ZL1 option could then be had on top of that for another $3,000. And that blacked out the options for A/C, power steering, a radio, a heater, and power windows. Pay more, get less.

But you also got more, horsepower anyway. Output was somewhere around 460 horsepower. Apparently only two were ever ordered, with this one being the only one delivered to a retail customer. RM estimates this one will bring between $2,6000,000-$3,000,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $3,140,000.

DeSoto Firedome

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1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 4-15, 2022

Photo – Mecum

The DeSoto marque was founded by Walter Chrysler shortly after he took over Maxwell and founded Chrysler. DeSoto was set to compete with the likes of Pontiac and Willys in the mid-price range. Well, they did so for the next 30 years, but the brand was wound up in 1961.

In the late 1950s, Chrysler’s brands were competing against each other, which was a major reason DeSoto was axed. DeSoto introduced a few upmarket, expensive cars during that time, including the Firedome and Fireflite. DeSoto’s 1957-1959 styling was one of Chrysler’s great ideas of the 1950s. In 1958, The Firedome was powered by a 5.9-liter V8 rated at 295 horsepower. The Firedome slotted in the lineup below the Fireflite and Adventurer.

Convertible production in 1958 totaled just 519 units for the Firedome, making the body style rarer on this platform than in the upmarket Fireflite. This one is finished in a lovely ’50s two-tone green paint scheme with a matching interior. You can check out more about it here.

Update: Sold $198,000.

Continental Mark II Convertible

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1956 Continental Mark II Convertible by Derham

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

When Lincoln (well, Ford), spun Continental off as a separate marque for 1956, the new company’s goal was to build the best car in America. And they did. The price reflected it too as the two-door Mark II cost $10,000 when new. In 1956. Which made it the most expensive American car you could get at that point.

Because they were so expensive, the product line made Ford rethink the whole thing pretty quickly. The model was only around for two years, with a combined production of just 3,005 units. And only one of those was a convertible. This one.

Ford sent this Mark II to Derham in Pennsylvania to figure out how to make a drop-top out of the car, as the range was supposed to expand to other body styles. But never did, which is a shame as this car looks GREAT with the top down.

After the show circuit, it became the personal car of Martha Firestone-Ford, wife of Continental head William Clay Ford. Before she received it, the mechanicals were updated to 1957-spec. The unrestored-but-repainted car is powered by a 300-horsepower, 6.0-liter V8.

Post-Ford ownership included a brief stint with a Ford employee before remaining with one family for over 60 years. It’s now offered without reserve. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $296,500.

1934 Hudson Convertible

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1934 Hudson Deluxe Eight Convertible Coupe

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 18, 2022

Photo – Mecum

The Hudson Deluxe Eight first appeared under that name in 1934 and would continue to be produced through 1938. This first-year model was a Series LU, and nine body styles were offered that year.

Power is from a 4.2-liter inline-eight was rated at 108 horsepower when new. The Convertible Coupe featured a rumble seat and a soft top, and this one is finished in cream with orange accents. Production totals for 1934 were not released.

The age of the restoration here is unknown, but it appears to have held up well. Plus, it’s got mid-1930s artillery-style wheels, which are always a plus. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $72,000.