Five of the best convertible cars for fun driving in Hong Kong
Open-top cars put you right in the outdoors with the wind in your hair, and there are plenty of choices for all budgets
Convertibles reveal more of Hong Kong, but they can also wreck your hairdo, fry you in the sun and expose you to lots of exhaust fumes.
If you insist on getting one, buy second hand to avoid the costs of depreciation and first registration tax. There is much open-top choice in increasingly polluted Hong Kong.
A 2008 vario-roofed Peugeot 207cc was advertised online for HK$60,000, and there are lots of pre-2005 206cc online for less. These little Peugeots are fine drives, but check that their roofs still work, and be prepared to look hard for spares.
A 2007 two-litre BMW 320i might offer four seats in the sun for about HK$75,000, and a sweet two-litre 2010 yellow Volkswagen Beetle looked attractive at HK$125,000. Convertible Volkswagen Golfs range from HK$20,000 for a 1997 model to HK$249,000 for a 2013 version, and a 2011 Smart ForTwo was offered online at HK$69,000.
Any MX-5 is good, but have at least HK$40,000 ready for a so-so 1991 Mark 1. The 660cc Daihatsu Copen is still a pretty, stylista drive and a 2005 version was offered for HK$95,000 online.
Alternatively, you could risk one of the many “money pit” luxury convertibles that are offered cheap but may involve costly spare parts and servicing. A 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL 320 was advertised for HK$60,000; a yellow 1997 Saab 900S was stickered at HK$20,000, and a star-grilled 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 wanted HK$68,000. A 1998 four-litre 1997 Jaguar XJ8 looked seductive online as Money Pit of the Week, at HK$55,000.