A convertible is a car with a retractable roof. Press a button, and the roof folds away, turning a closed coupe into an open-air machine. The design is old. Early cars had no roofs at all. The first practical retractable roofs appeared in the 1920s, and the style has never gone away.

There are two main types. A soft-top uses fabric stretched over a folding frame. It is lighter and cheaper, but noisier and less durable. A hardtop uses metal or plastic panels that fold or retract into the trunk. It is quieter and more secure, but heavier and more expensive. Some convertibles use a targa design, with a removable roof panel and a fixed rear window.

Convertibles have compromises. Losing the roof reduces structural rigidity, so engineers add reinforcements, which adds weight. Trunk space shrinks when the roof is down. Visibility can be poor with the top up. And they are less safe in a rollover, which is why some have pop-up roll bars behind the seats.

None of that matters to buyers. A convertible is about feeling. Wind in your hair, sun on your face, engine sound filling the cabin. It is impractical and irrational. That is the appeal.