I'VE always been put off soft top cars since I had a beautiful Triumph Vitesse stolen by someone who ripped through the canvas roof.
Since then security has been high on my list of priorities, but I never stopped hankering for that lovely wind-in-the-hair feeling of open topped cars.
For people with similar views, the problem is now solved with the advent of the coupe-cabriolet.
These cars feature a folding hard roof which tucks itself away or raises at the touch of a button, answering security worries at the expense of restricted boot space.
And boy have these cars caught on! The have become much smarter choices than the fashion icons we first thought them to be.
And one of the most scintillating choices is the Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet which is now the country's best-selling , medium-sized drop-top with sales in the first four months of this year up nearly 200 per cent.
It now outsells rivals such as the Peugeot 307CC and Mazda MX5. Renault's success relies on sheer good looks and striking that vital chord with the car-buying public.
It is as sizzling to the eye as a true sports car, can take rear passengers and can transform from a coupe to cabrio is just 22 seconds without the driver leaving his seat.
The Renault Coupe-Cabriolet has the only folding glass roof available and is a tour de force of how pure elegance can be wrought from the basic materials that make a car.
If, of course you prefer the roof up in heavy sunshine, then Renault have provided this model with four mm thick roof glass that filters out infra-red light and absorbs most of the sun's energy.
Of course Renault was not the first manufacturer to field a folding roof in the UK. Honda did it years ago with a clever mechanism that involved something akin to a fork lift mechanism that popped up from the rear and swept the roof into the boot.
Since then the idea has been refined into the swish set-up that it is today.
There's no ignition key, just a plastic card-like device that only needs to be in proximity of the dash in order that the engine can be started by means of a button.
A rare option in this class is a diesel which accounts for an amazing 75 per cent of sales
FAST FACTS
Renault Megane Privilege 1.9 dci Coupe-Cabriolet
Price: £20,720
Mechanical: 120bhp, 1,870cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 124mph
0-62mph: 10.9 secs
Combined mpg: 51.4
Insurance group: 8
CO2 emissions: 144g/km
BiK rating: 18%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 3yrs paint; 12yrs anti-rust