Which States Love Convertibles the Most?

In which U.S. state would you expect to repair more convertible tops — New Jersey or Arizona? Cars.com recently gathered the data, crunched the numbers and found some surprising results.

Despite widespread appeal, convertible vehicles only represent a fraction of total sales in today’s market.

“There are 30 models categorized as convertibles that are currently available, which is 11.2 percent of all new vehicles on the market, yet convertibles only capture 0.8 percent of sales at dealerships,” said David Greene, a data analyst with Cars.com. “When compared to a segment like minivans, which has just seven models available and double the sales market share of convertibles, it is obvious just how aspirational the convertible segment is.”

But which models do Americans most aspire to own? And in which states are they being sold?

Cars.com researchers analyzed web traffic and sales data to put together the following lists:

The top 10 most popular convertibles:

1. Chevrolet Camaro
2. Mazda MX-5 Miata
3. Mercedes-Benz S-Class
4. Jaguar F-TYPE
5. Chevrolet Corvette
6. Ford Mustang
7. Porsche 911
8. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
9. BMW 4 Series
10. Fiat 124 Spider

The top 5 convertible-loving states:

1. Nebraska
2. New Mexico
3. Connecticut
4. New York
5. Hawaii

The 5 states with the least convertible shopper interest:

1. Kansas
2. North Dakota
3. Alaska
4. Montana
5. Idaho

The top 5 states with the highest convertible sales:

1. Florida
2. Connecticut
3. Maryland
4. California
5. New Jersey

The 5 states with the lowest number of convertible sales:

1. North Dakota
2. Idaho
3. Alaska
4. Vermont
5. Montana

Of course, some of the states on the list are to be expected.

“It’s no surprise that states like Florida, California and Hawaii made the most-popular lists,” said Greene. “They’re all among the wealthiest states as determined by household income, and of course the year-round sunshine in those states makes convertibles a sensible lifestyle choice.”

But Nebraska, Maryland and New Jersey? I didn’t expect those to make the list — did you?

Auto upholstery shops can use studies like these to better understand their markets, forecast sales, plan inventory and distribute their budgets.

For example, an auto upholstery shop in New Jersey that doesn’t specialize in convertible top repairs may want to reconsider. Meanwhile, a shop in sunny Arizona should probably invest in other services.