the assembly line. It was too com-
plicated and complex. We do it for
them. Usually we put up a small plant
next door to the manufacturer's
assembly plant and handle the work
there. We now have 32 facilities
around the world."
The ranks of convertible buyers in-
clude more women than men. Buyers
average about 33 years in age. Many
were high school students back in the
1970s. Their dream was to someday
own a convertible although, at that
time, the topless breed was nearly
extinct.
Today, they can choose from 32
models offered by 25 manufacturers
from the United States, Japan, Ger-
many, Italy, Sweden, England and
Yugoslavia. Yes, there's even a Yugo
convertible, at $8,995 the least expen-
sive ragtop. The top sellers in the
1990 model year — the Chrysler
LeBaron and the Ford Mustang — are
priced in the mid-range, $15,925 and
$16,222 respectively.
For 1991, new entries will be the
Dodge Shadow, Toyota Celica GT,
Nissan's Infiniti M30 and the same
firm's sporty 240SX. Pontiac is com-
ing out with a convertible Firebird, ex-
pected in dealer showrooms in early
spring.
The soft-tops that arouse the most
excitement are the glamorous, expen-
sive models. Among the hottest
sellers are the sleek Mercedes-Benz
300 SL ($77,500) and 500 SL
($89,300). The 300 is powered by a
3.0-liter incline six, while the 500
relies on a 5.0-liter V8. Both engines
have four valves per cylinder with
horsepower outputs of 228 and 322
respectively
Both models are sporty two-seat
coupe/roadsters with fully automatic
soft-tops. Among their other niceties,
they can be ordered with ADS, the
Mercedes adaptive damping suspen-
sion system that automatically varies
shock absorber settings according to
road surface and driving style. It pro-
vides firm control on bad roads and
taut responsiveness for emergency
maneuvers.
Personally, we like the feeling
behind the wheel of the front-wheel-
drive Buick Reatta convertible
($35,965). It's a two-passenger with
styling that says fun. A front-wheel-
drive vehicle with a 3800 V-6 engine,
Continued on Page 5 5
. .,_
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
,-..,..... • ._.„_. •
*RE APPLEGATE SQUARE APP
EG;
EGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE
QU.
in
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLE1
ATL —{,---- -- jL
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APP
EGATE SQUARE APT
GATE SQUARE APPLY irE
QUARE APPLEG A
)PLEGATE S"T TARF PPLEI
ATE SQUARF
T A ryci. APPI
APPLEGAT -
PPL SATE SQUARI
APPLEGATI_
SQUARE APP
EGATE SQUARE As-r
_CE APPLEGATE
PPLEGATti
QUARE APPLEGATE
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLE(
ATE SQUARE APPI
'QUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE SQT"
QUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE SC
APPLEGATE SQUARE APP
EGATE SQUAT?
GATE SQUARE APPLEGATE
QUARE APPLE
PPLEGATE SQUARE APPLE1
ATE SQUARE ,
TARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE S
`RE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE
PLEGATE SQUARE APP
'PLE(
EGATE SQUJ
SQUARE APPLEGATE
:E SQ
QUARE APPI
GATE SQUARE APPLE(
?LEGA
ATE SQUAB -
APPLEGATE SQUARI
JARE I
APPLEGAT
PPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGA' /DARE
SQUARE APP
EGATE SC CE APPI
LTE b,_ ,ARE APPLEGATE
QUAr - ' _,EGATE
'LEGATE SQUARE APPLE1
_11,E APPLE(
ATF _
ARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE SQUARI
TARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE SQUAR
APPLEGATE SQUARE APP
EGATE SQUARE APPS
_kTE SQUARE APPLEGATE
QUARE APPLEGATE S
'PLEGATE SQUARE APPLE1
ATE SQUARE APPLE(
/UARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
:GA'
APPLEGATE SQUARE
4UARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
EG/
APPLEGATE SQUARE
,E APPLEGATE SQUARE APP
'E
EGATE SQUARE APP'
JGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE
-RE
QUARE APPLEGAT'
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLE1
.E SQ1
ATE SQUARE AP-
APPLEG SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE SC
APPLEG SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGATE F
EGATE SQUA ?PLEGATE ARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APP
QUARE APP' 1TE SQUARE PLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE
ATE SQUAB 'PLEGATE SC kRE APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEI
4UARE APPLE ATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
APPLEGAT
APPLEGAT SQUARE APPI ATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
EGATE r kRE APPLEGA' QUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APP
''LEGATE q (11- T APE APPLEGATE
LEGATE SQUA
QUARK
RE APPLEI
‘E APPLEGATE ► J 4(4 uARE
ATE SI
SQUARI
APPLE, 'E SQUARE APPLEGATE
- )UARI
APPLEG 'SQUARE APPLEGAT
APP
EGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE 512
v on TE
QUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE 14
LEI
ATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQI
M
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEG
SRI
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEG
Northwestern Highway
LPP
EGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE
Between 12 & 13 Mile Rds.
TE
QUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE
ATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLE1
APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARE APPLEGATE SQUARI
7 ■
'11^, W 1r, 4,-"V • IM, 7
■ e- Na ,^, ■ ■
Yourself In
"
'A i 'LA A- 1 jL LJ
■■ J
NLX V_itW
"
porE
SPRING '91
13