21 delicious ’80s drop-tops

A decade of drop-tops

Car makers might have worried the 1980s would see open-top sports cars killed off by regulations.

However, these drop-top delights prove that rumours of their death were greatly exaggerated.

From stripped-out road racers to luxury convertibles, the 1980s created some superb convertible sports cars.

Here are some of our favourite classic drop-tops from this decade, presented in alphabetical order.

1. Alfa Romeo Spider

The third generation of Alfa Romeo’s sassy Spider arrived in 1982 with a number of revisions to keep it relevant despite its advancing years by that time.

Alfa extracted 128bhp from the 2.0-litre twin-cam engine using twin Solex carburettors, though US cars gained Bosch fuel injection to meet ever stricter emissions regulations.

Black rubber bumpers and the rubberised rear spoiler are the obvious exterior giveaways to the S3 Spider, while inside there was a new centre console.

All Spiders left the factory as left-hand-drive models, but many were converted to right-hand drive by Bell & Colvill in the UK.

2. BMW Z1

The BMW Z1 is a convertible that was never meant to be. The platform was initially developed to test the new Z-axle for the forthcoming E36 3 Series.

Then, BMW’s technical department added a low-sluing roadster body and the car was shown at the 1987 Frankfurt motor show as a concept. There was a rush of buyers demanding to buy a Z1, wowed by its drop-down doors and pert looks.

Even with a £37,000 list price and left-hand-drive only, the Z1 was popular in the UK, and BMW ended up making 8000 in total to satisfy demand.

The exterior plastic panels were designed to be changed quickly so buyers could swap colour easily, but few ever bothered.

3. Caterham 7

The Peter Pan of sports cars was well into its stride under Caterham ownership by the 1980s, and several new versions were launched in this decade.

As well as some rare BDR-engined models and the Silver Jubilee edition, Caterham also added the mainstay 1600 Sprint (pictured) in 1980 as supplies of the venerable Lotus Twin Cam motor were running dry. With 110bhp, the Sprint was quick and 212 were sold.

The Supersprint followed in 1984, quickly becoming the preferred choice of most buyers. It was taken a step further with the HPC version with a Cosworth BDR engine producing 170bhp. Caterham deemed this car so fast that buyers had to complete a special driving course as part of the deal.

4. Fiat 124 Spider

Fiat’s answer to the MGB was first launched in 1966, so it was already something of a classic by the beginning of the 1980s.

Unlike the MGB, Fiat stuck with its roadster until 1985, helped by continuing strong sales in the US to bolster production.

For the new decade, Fiat had brought in fuel injection for the 2.0-litre twin-cam engine in 1979, which gave the open-top the pace its looks deserved.

All were left-hand-drive and UK cars in the 1980s were all personal imports, but plenty made their way here. From 1982, Fiat handed all production to Pininfarina.

5. Fiat X1/9

The Fiat X1/9 was launched in 1972, but it matured favourably in looks and style by the start of the 1980s.

By that point, the mid-engined roadster had a 1498cc engine in place of the original 1.3-litre unit. A mere 85bhp was not enough for some, but it worked well in the lightweight X1/9 and encouraged drivers to make the most of the fine handling.

In 1982, Fiat passed production of the X1/9 over to Bertone, who had designed the car originally. From then on, the model was officially known as the Bertone X1/9, though few bothered with this title.

6. Jaguar XJ-SC

Jaguar fans had been crying out for a convertible XJ-S ever since the coupé arrived back in 1975.

Finally, in 1983, they got their wish, albeit with the targa-type roof similar to a Triumph Stag’s. It was a solution to provide open-top XJ-S driving while averting any possible crash-test worries in the US.

The XJ-SC was launched with the six-cylinder 3.6-litre engine and it took until 1985 for the V12 motor to be offered in the drop-top.

In 1988, Jaguar at last gave buyers a full convertible XJ-S with an electrically operated roof and whole new subframe to replace the strength lost by removing the steel roof sections.

7. Lotus Elan M100

This drop-top marked a huge shift for Lotus, because it was the company’s first-ever front-wheel-drive car.

Just as well the 1989 Elan immediately won plaudits for being the finest-handling front-drive car ever made at its launch.

The Peter Stevens shape was perfect for the times and the Elan should have been a good money-spinner for Lotus, but the company managed to lose cash on every one it sold.

Even a revitalised S2 version produced under Bugatti’s ownership in the 1990s couldn’t revive this Elan’s fortunes and only 800 were made, on top of 3855 S1 cars.

8. Marcos Mantula Spyder

Marcos put itself firmly in contention with the likes of TVR and Lotus when it unveiled the Mantula in 1984.

Initially only available as a coupé, it used the Rover V8 engine and improved aerodynamics on the Dennis Adams-styled body to make it fast.

The drop-top Spyder arrived in 1986 with improved independent rear suspension.

In 1989, Marcos upped the ante further for the Mantula with the addition of the 185bhp 3.9-litre Rover V8. This turned the Spyder into a 150mph convertible, with 0-60mph in just 5.4 secs.

9. Mazda MX-5

The world’s most popular roadster line, even the first-generation Mazda MX-5 sold 421,107 cars from its launch in 1989 to its replacement in 1997.

Mazda had judged the pent-up demand for a low-cost, easy-to-use, two-seat drop-top to perfection and the MX-5 was an instant hot ticket.

Where the much more sophisticated and expensive Lotus Elan failed, the Mazda blossomed thanks to its reliability, simplicity and fun rear-wheel-drive manners.

The fact it had more than a passing resemblance to the original 1960s Elan didn’t do it any harm, either.

10. Mazda RX-7

It’s surprising it took Mazda as long to offer a convertible version of its superb RX-7 sports car, but it was still welcome when it pitched up in 1988.

Based on the second-generation RX-7 coupé that arrived in 1986, it was a neat job to slice off the roof and avoid the folded soft-top from spoiling the lines.

From launch, the RX-7 convertible came with an electrically powered roof, yet Mazda didn’t bother to offer ABS anti-lock brakes on a car that could reach 140mph in 200bhp turbocharged form.

11. Mercedes-Benz SL (R107)

The 1980s was a good time for Mercedes’ R107 SL.

Even though it had been in production for nine years by the start of this decade, it became a poster car for 1980s success and wealth, helped by appearances in many films and television series.

In 1980, Mercedes updated the SL range with the six-cylinder 280 and 300 models, while the V8-powered 380 and 500 were also announced.

What’s more, there was the new-for-1980 flagship 560SL that turned out to be a big hit despite its equally big thirst for fuel.

12. Midas Gold

Harold Dermott’s Midas company had been impressing with its Bronze model since 1978 thanks to its clever design and excellent handling.

The company and car came of age in 1985 when the Gold model was added to the range. Richard Oakes’ styling was spot on and the Midas was the first all-composite car to pass European 30mph crash tests.

The Gold won many fans, including Professor Gordon Murray, who helped with the car’s underbody aerodynamics. Unfortunately, a factory fire cut short the Midas story and Dermott moved the project on.

13. Morgan

It may have been difficult to spot from the outside, but under the skin Morgan was very busy in the 1980s updating its range.

The Plus 8 (pictured) gained fuel injection as it switched over to use the Rover Vitesse’s 190bhp unit. This endowed the model with 0-60mph acceleration in just 5.6 secs and a top speed of 120mph.

At the opposite end of the Morgan scale, the Plus 4 made a return. The four-seater pitched up in 1985 using a 2.0-litre Fiat twin-cam engine, which was then replaced by the Rover M16 unit with 138bhp and fuel injection.

14. Panther Kallista

Superficially much the same to look at as its Limia predecessor, the Kallista was a very different car in almost every respect.

Rather than an MG Midget main body tub, the Kallista had an aluminium tub made in Korea and then shipped to the UK. Once here, it was mated with Ford-based suspension and engines.

The entry-level motor was a 1.6-litre CVH unit with 96bhp, which offered a dull 0-60mph time of 12.6 secs. The 2.8-litre, and later 2.9, V6 engine was much preferable with 150bhp and 0-60mph in 7.7 secs for this roadster pastiche.

15. Porsche 944 Cabriolet

It may have taken Porsche seven years to get round to making the 944 Cabriolet, but in true form it was a sensational car when it arrived just before the 1980s ended.

It was a strict two-seater, unlike its coupé sister, and the roof was operated manually.

The Cabriolet was introduced at the same time as Porsche brought in the 944 S2, so all Cabriolets have the smoother nose of this updated version.

A 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine was standard with 211bhp, or you could have the turbo motor with 250bhp that arrived in 1992.

Porsche only built 625 turbo Cabriolets, making it one of the rarest front-engined models from the German firm.

16. Reliant Scimitar SS1

Reliant hoped its SS1 would pick up where the MGB, Midget and Triumph Spitfire had left off.

The idea was sound, but the execution left something to be desired, even if the car was styled by Michelotti. Poor body-panel fit was another red flag for most potential buyers, while the Ford CVH engines all felt underpowered.

Things looked up for the SS1 when Reliant added a Nissan 1.8-litre turbocharged engine with 135bhp from the Silvia range.

It offered 0-60mph in 6.9 secs and a 126mph top speed, but few found willing buyers, and the SS1 ended production as the 1980s bowed out.

17. Stevens Cipher

One of the biggest missed opportunities of the 1980s, the Stevens Cipher rightly showed affordable drop-tops could be fun, safe and built in the UK.

It made its debut to much acclaim at the 1980 Motor Fair and early road tests were very positive, even if the Cipher was powered by a humble 850cc Reliant engine.

Unfortunately, finance was not forthcoming and the Cipher remained a what-if, with only seven cars made.

This was despite Stevens redesigning the car to use Ford engines for more performance and offering it as a complete kit for owners to assemble at home.

18. Toyota MR2

More of a pop-top than a drop-top, the Toyota MR2 was a thoroughly modern take on the small convertible sports car for the 1980s.

Gone was any notion of a front-engined layout in favour of a mid-engined design that also helped lend the Japanese car its name – Midship Runabout 2-seater.

Early models had a sunroof, but the T-bar version provided a true open-air experience as you lifted out the twin glass roof panels.

The earlier cars had a reputation for edgy handling, but this was tamed when the MR2 adopted the same suspension as the Turbo version that was never officially imported to the UK – here we made do with the 122bhp 1.6-litre motor that was a revvy and willing companion for brisk driving.

19. TVR 350i

TVR had already embraced Oliver Winterbottom’s wedge styling with the Tasmin at the very beginning of the 1980s.

However, things took a step up when Peter Wheeler bought the company, launching the 350i convertible complete with Rover V8 to give it some real muscle. The result was a simple, quick open-top at a decent price.

As the 1980s progressed, so did the basic formula for this line-up, as the 390 and 420 were added in 1985 with enlarged versions of the Rover V8.

It all peaked with the brutally quick 450 SEAC that came with a 300bhp engine, delivering 0-60mph in 5.0 secs and 165mph flat out.

Only 17 of this ultimate version of the wedge TVR were made, each with a carbonfibre body and still with open-top styling.

20. TVR S

The TVR S was a bit of a throwback for the Blackpool company. It had been focused on making its ever faster wedge-shaped roadsters and then it launched the curvy S with looks very similar to the 3000S.

It was a shrewd move on TVR’s part, because it instantly offered a cheaper way into ownership and gave traditionalists a roadster to buy. In all, 2604 S models were made between 1986 and 1992.

Early S models used the Ford 2.8-litre V6, then the updated 2.9 unit, while a handful of V8S cars were made with the 240bhp 3.9-litre V8.

These cars could see off 0-60mph in 4.9 secs and head on to 149mph, and they served as a development platform for the soon-to-be-launched Griffith.

21. Westfield SE

As a means to differentiate its cars from Caterham, Westfield came up with the SE. It took the same essential formula but in a restyled car that gave the SE a more modern appearance.

It seemed buyers agreed and sales shot up, helped along by the ease of home building and a variety of engine options.

Westfield soon started to offer complete kit packages and factory-built cars, with everything from humble Ford CVH engines to the mighty Rover V8-powered SEight.

The company continues to offer the same model, making it one of the longest-running drop-tops around – more than 13,000 SEs have been built to date.