Romance of the Roadster

1917 Ford Model T Runabout

1916 Stanley Steamer 726 Roadster

1926 Packard 326 Roadster

1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport

1932 Auburn 12-160A Speedster

1932 Ford Roadster - Driven by Ricky Nelson

1938 Jaguar SS100

1939 Ford Convertible Coupe

1956 Austin Healey 100M

1956 Jaguar XK 140 MC

1956 Lancia B24 Aurelia

1960 Porsche Super 90 365B Roadster

1961 Daimler SP250

1961 Mercedes Benz

1966 Corvette 427 Sting Ray

1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder

Two people, two seats, unbridled horsepower to burn and a winding road ahead -- what better way to escape from life’s petty annoyances than by taking a great drive, with a lovely companion, with the top down, in a perfectly-tuned sports roadster?

In his classic book, “The Kings of the Road,” the late Ken W. Purdy, considered America’s finest motoring writer, wrote about “...Stutzes, Cords, Auburns and regal Duesenberg roadsters that used power normally apportioned to a couple of trucks to move two passengers in utter glory.”

While many of today’s models are certainly high-tech wundercars, their ultra-sophistication and mindless electronics have excised much of the skill level and sheer fun out of driving. These old roadburners insist that you do the driving, then reward you with countless aural, tactile and visceral delights. The throttle linkage is directly attached to the carburetors; you must shift these gears and shift them well. Steering is right here, right now. Your skilled input is rewarded with the quick response of a thoroughbred.

Roadsters like these help us relive our favorite memories. They complete our four-wheeled fantasies. They’re universally admired, and as investments, they may just appreciate in value. Let’s face it, you can’t take a preferred stock or a bond out for a glorious Sunday drive.

The “Romance of the Roadster” is comprised of seductive models that turn heads like an exquisitely lovely woman crossing a lobby in a fine hotel. They’re all convertibles, because roadsters have always been the definitive sports cars -- and hot rods, too. The greatest ones are supremely capable, fast and flashy, packed with performance and highly desirable. Roadsters have long been the choice of many celebrities for their personal cars.

Sure, a two-passenger car is selfish, but it’s eternally sexy.

To some purists, roadsters are defined only as a two-seat convertible with a folding soft top and detachable windows. But to be fair, by the mid-1930s, many carmakers bowed to progress, and added the innovations of roll-up windows and automatic tops

We’ve chosen fifteen examples to tempt you. They’re all cars that represent improvement in the breed. Each comprises a noteworthy step in the evolution of sporting automobiles. These two-seaters all bowed in an innovative period in motoring, and they have an indefinable appeal, even years after they ceased production.

Great rides like these feed our automotive alter egos. Not surprisingly, some choices have appreciated substantially over the years. But that’s not the point. These roadsters aren’t the most valuable of all time, but they are among the most desirable. The cars we present here aren’t trailer queens and concours winners; they’re honest drivers, proudly flaunting their chipped paint and road scars. They’re the real thing.

Naysayers will note that old cars can be expensive to own and maintain; they need occasional spirited exercise, or expensive mechanical maladies will surface. If a vintage car needs extensive restoration, and you don’t choose a restorer wisely, the process can turn into a money pit that makes owning a private plane or a small yacht look like a walk in the park.

This much is certain: vintage sports cars and hot rods possess a special, timeless attraction, even to people who aren’t certain exactly what they are, or where they were made. The sight of glittering wire wheels, the throaty rumble of a powerful engine, the perfection of a louvered hood that stretches forward endlessly, the coziness of a selfish cabin limited to two lucky people, the ability to attack a twisty road with an exhaust note booming off the hillsides -- that’s our definition.

That’s why we want these cars, and we always will.

Visit Video of exhibit change!