Mackenzie lives in Texas and is looking to buy a fun drop-top with classic ’60s European style, but it needs to seat four comfortably and have some level of modern amenities. She is prioritizing style over speed. With a budget up to $40,000, what car should she buy?
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Here is the scenario.
I’m in the lucky situation to be considering purchasing a for-fun car, something to leisurely drive around town on the weekends and show my daughters (5 and 7) that a car can be fun and understandable, not just a utilitarian tool with a black box under the hood. But… all my dream cars (think little, zippy, drop top, European, 1960s) are two-seaters and I need something our family of four can ride in comfortably. So I’m looking for the four seat version of… that. I’m more interested in the design and shape of a car than power and speed, I like quirky and weird cars that look zippy even if they aren’t. My tastes are pretty 60s Euro but I’m happy to discover something different and/or more modern, but honestly there just aren’t many domestic cars that interest me. Convertible is preferred, targa/t-top/sunroof would be great too, something that isn’t one of those would have to be pretty special to catch my interest.
For use: it will mostly stay around town or maybe get us an hour up the road to hill country or a lake for the day, it won’t see much freeway driving.
It should come road-worthy, I can change spark plugs and oil and maybe a belt but I don’t have the time/knowledge/patience/skill to do any real in-depth wrenching. It is going to have kids doing kid things in and around it, so it doesn’t need to look perfect. I can spend in the $40,000 range, but know a smaller initial investment with some money saved to keep it on the road might be a good idea.
Quick Facts:
Budget: up to $40,000
Location: Austin, TX
Daily Driver: No
Wants: Style, 4 seats, retro-looks
Doesn’t want: Something boring
Expert 1: Tom McParland – Retro Looks Modern Package
Mackenzie this one was certainly a challenge as most convertibles are only suited to seat two people, and most four-seaters seem to be mass-market rental spec models. Also, there aren’t too many modern cars that retain that retro-classic look and most of the choices are more American classic focused like the Mustang and the Bronco. If you prefer more of a European style, you have essentially two choices a Porsche 911 or a Mini Cooper.
At sub $40,000 your 911 options are going to be limited and somewhat risky, that leaves the Mini. There are several to choose from in a variety of spec, and the later models have plenty of warranty remaining. Back seats are tight, but usable for kids under 10. These little cars are fun to drive and offer that classic feel without having to worry about finding a mechanic who knows their way around a carburetor. Here is a 2024 Sport model in not the most interesting color, but at this price you could jazz it up however you like.
Expert 2: Andy Kalmowitz – May I Offer You A Different (Better) Continent?
Mac, I hear what you’re saying. You want a reliable droptop that seats four, is fun to drive and has European, ’60s-inspired styling. Well, as Tom said, there aren’t too many options. Don’t fret, though, because I’ve got something better. Something American. What you need, my dear Mackenzie, is an S550 Ford Mustang GT. This car will have *nearly* everything you’re looking for. Hell, it’s even got ’60s-inspired styling.
Buddy, you live in Texas. You need a Ford Mustang. It’s sort of a right of passage. Also, a V8 Mustang is going to be infinitely more fun and reliable than anything you’re going to get from Europe. Basically, it’s the perfect car for what you’re looking for, and your kids can come along too!
Because I’m such a great guy, I found you the perfect Mustang GT, located only about 30 miles outside of Austin. It’s a very clean 2021 model-year black-on-black on-black car with just one owner, a clean CarFax and just 32,000 miles on the clock. My only gripe with it is the automatic transmission, but there are plenty of manual options available as well if that’s more your style. Anyway, all of this V8 goodness can be yours for a hair under $34,000. That gives you some money to play with if you want to make your Mustang even more fun. Mackenzie, go with America. Go With the Mustang.
Expert 3: Bradley Brownell – You Can’t Turn Down A Baur
Allow me to apologize for the absolute foolishness of my colleagues. Mackenzie, the would have you driving around with your daughters on the weekend in boring regular cars that any old boring self-indulgent wiener can buy. If you were driving a one-of-2317 built 1973 BMW 2002 Baur Cabriolet, however, you would not be a self-indulgent wiener, you would be a connoisseur.
This gorgeous Fjord Green example appears to be a really nice and unique classic machine. The bad news is that these rarities don’t come up for sale all that often, but the good news is that this cherry example recently sold on Bring A Trailer within your budget at $39,500.
The 2002 is a vintage car that drives way better than a 1970s car has any right to. The 2-liter M10 is one of BMW’s best engines and parts are reasonably easy to come by. The folding soft top and targa bar make for a smart looking cabriolet with the top up or down. Go looking for one of these, you won’t regret it.
Expert 4: Amber DaSilva – Don’t Overthink It
Mackenzie, I envy your vehicle search a little bit. You want something a little unique, sure, but something that exists in a market automakers have long sought to capture. You want something that already exists, without compromise, and can regularly be found for half or less of your budget: A Fiat 500 Abarth convertible.
Let’s go through the list. European? Check. Styled after ’60s cars? Check. Convertible, or at least some sort of targa? Check. Room for a five and seven year old? Listen, the back seat of a 500 may be small, but it’s not “can’t fit a five-year-old” small. Probably.
You want something to teach the kids that cars can be more than just transportation, and the Abarth’s turbo engine should do that handily. Fiats may not have the greatest penchant for reliability, but with a budget of $40,000 you can pay someone with greasier knuckles than you to keep it on the road for plenty of time to come.
Here’s a 500 Abarth convertible out by you in a neat retro gray color for $21,000. Pile the kids in it, let them feel the wind in their hair and hear that exhaust burble, and you’ll have a new generation of enthusiasts before you know it.