It’s amazing the level of detail you can get from vehicle registration statistics.
Sweden’s national number-crunching agency Statistics Sweden has analysed the demographic data on who owns convertibles in the country and found that 1,436 men named Anders own a car with a folding roof.
The first female name, Eva, only makes it to number 18 on the list of most common names among convertible owners.
Women under 29 are the least likely demographic to own a convertible, with only 419 registered.
That’s compared to a whopping 32,139 men over the age of 50 who like to feel the wind in their hair while they drive.
According to the data, their most common profession is salesperson or CEO.
“But the interest in engines also seems to play a role in the tendency to own a convertible,” said Håkan Sjöberg, a Statistics Sweden analyst, in a statement. “Vehicle mechanics are also among convertible owners,” he said.
Statistics can only tell us so much, but it seems that the old cliché still holds true. Once middle-age hits, you’re best off buying a convertible and owning it.
I’ve owned my hard-top convertible (in Southern Sweden) since I was 46, ten years ago, and would never have a non-convertible again by choice. The summer is best enjoyed with the roof down.
Of course they are more likely to be owned by older drivers, they cost considerably more than regular ‘saloon style’ cars.