6
Tuesday, February 19, 1976
University Daily Kansan
Convertibles scarce but still tops
Staff Writer
By GREG BASHAW
With balmy spring weather, come afternoon car rides for some, night drives for others. But the springtime custom of convertible cruising may be fading.
The soft-tops are quickly becoming a bit of American history.
Cadillac, the only American company still making convertibles, will close production in its soft-top models and the dealers say used convertibles are as scarce as snow these days.
John Smith, sales manager of Dale Willey Pontiac-Cadillac, says demand has been so great for the last of the American-made convertibles that customers have offered to
pay much more than the $11,000 list price for one of the cars.
"We won't even accept orders for them because the waitlist is already so long," he said. "All the models Cadillac has planned to make are spoken for."
Cadila announced last fall that it would build 14,000 convertibles this year and then build 25,000 more.
Smith said Cadillac limited convertible production to 14,000 because that number was all of the rag tags the company could get. The firm that supplied car makers with the tops has stopped producing them, he said.
The end of convertible production won't affect Codd's overall production, and no changes to its stock mix would be needed.
“EVEN AT the height of convertible popularity in the mid '60s, convertibles accounted for only about seven per cent of the total American output,” he said. “The production kept diminishing until it was less than two per cent at Cadillac this year.”
Smith said the demand for convertibles had been eroded by auto air conditioning, a rising number of damages and thefts, air conditioning failure and the high-speed driving, with the top down.
money from stopping production, Smith said.
TONIGHT: Florida XXII-31 of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will begin registration for a BOATING SAFETY CLASS at 7:30 in the Lawrence Room of the Community Building, FAUL DAVIDOFF, urban lawyer and city planner, will be present. The Hartford Experience"* at 8 in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union.
TOMORROW: Approximately 390 high school journalists from 21 schools in northeast Kansas will compete in the Kansas Scholastic Press Association REGIONAL WRITING CONTEST in the Kansan newsroom in Flint Hall and in the Kansas Union.
PART-TIME STUDENT JOBS are posted outside 28 Strong: Food service, two;
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Events...
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Federal accident impact requirements and roll-over tests also helped to hurry the convertible's demise. Smith said, because he was already in a vehicle that didn't pass minimum safety requirements.
TERRY EDWARDS, Lawrence, has been appointed to serve as Douglas County coordinator for the President Ford Committee.
Wally Workman, salesman at John Haddock Ford-Fiat, agreed. He said the convertible Flat Spider was a popular commodity in Lawrence.
State Sen. Arden Booth, R-Lawrence, will sponsor a BICENTENIAL POETRY CONTEST. The work must be original and deal with the country and the Bicentenial. There are no length, form, or composition requirements. The three age groups are through 15, 18 through 64, and 63 and above. A $100 prize will be awarded.
Sims said new Volkwagen convertibles cost more than regular models because the convertible bodies are handmade. The smaller cars would always be a market for soft tons cars.
"The convertible's a recreational vehicle that gives you that great open-air feel," he said.
The regional deadline for submission of films for this year's THIRD ANNUAL STUDENT FILM AWARDS is April 15, 1976.
"THE SPIER'S a real hot item here, he said. "It's one of the moves we've run."
buy them usually buy them to keep and take good care of them."
Announcements . . .
In coming years, car makers will build models featuring open air roofs, Smith said.
"The future holds promise for sun roofs, moon roofs, astro roofs, whatever the different dealers want to call them," he said. "They're safer than convertibles and their rigid roofs can stand up to the federal standards."
FOREIGN CAR makers, including
followers and Flat, still produce comp-
panions and other vehicles.
Painting exhibition opens this weekend
Allen Sims, salesman at Jayhawk Volkswagen, said that buying a new convertible was about the only way to get one. The company had only used soft toy cars available.
The Lawrence Arts Center will have its second annual painting exhibition this weekend, and two $100 awards will be given for the best entries.
Workman said the convertible option added about $100 to the cost of the car but customers seemed to be willing to spend the extra money to get the feature.
Entries, which will be accepted through tomorrow, will be judged Saturday.
Ann Evans, Lawrence Arts Center director, said Charles Sanderson, a Wichita school professor.
The contest is open to Douglas County residents who are over 18 and to Lawrence Art Guild members, Evans said. Entries in water colors, acrylics, oils, encaustic will be accepted, she said, and all entries must be framed and ready to be hung.
The entry fee is $3 for gold members and
the entry fee is $10 for non-members will be
charged a $2 entry fee.
The awards were contributed by the
Award Arts Center and the Lawrence
Art Gallery.
Fiat may install roll bars in next year's models to ensure compliance with federal regulations.
"The're confusion now over whether the roll bars are required by law," he said. The "78 models don't have roll bars but they may be installed on all of next year's cars."
"We get very few trade-ins on convertibles," he said, "because people that
Frank Everett, salesman at Turner Chevrolet, said his dealership rarely got convertible trade-ins and, when they did, the models were usually sold within a week.
"they used to be rare, but now it seems like just everybody wants them," he said. "I don't care."
Business Discount
| Make | Daily | Weekly | Week-end Rates | Overtime |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Plane | 9.00 plus 1K a mile | 80.00 plus 16 per mile | 7.00 plus 16 per mile | 1.58 per hour |
| Maverick | 8.00 plus 10c per mile | 80.00 plus 16c per mile | 7.00 plus 16c per hour | 1.58 per hour |
| Moutang Torion | 11.00 plus 11c per mile | 70.00 plus 11c per mile | 7.00 plus 11c per hour | 1.58 per hour |
| Granada Pick-up | 17.00 plus 12c per mile | 70.00 plus 12c per mile | 7.00 plus 11c per hour | 1.58 per hour |
| LTD | 13.00 plus 12c per mile | 75.00 plus 12c per mile | 10.00 plus 12c per hour | 1.58 per hour |
| Station Wagon | 13.00 plus 12c per mile | 80.00 plus 12c per mile | 11.00 plus 12c per hour | 1.58 per hour |
Above Rates Include Insurance
Insurance Laws Require You Must Be 21
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Buy a large Coke and keep the glass.
Collect your set of 6 or 8.
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