A soft-top census

Sir,
I couldn’t help smiling when I read D. J. Dee’s letter about the drivers of soft-topped cars who persist in driving in blistering heatwaves with hoods up and, sometimes, windows firmly shut. For reasons of finance, I run a trusty Morris Minor convertible, but I’ve noticed that my hood is down a damn sight more than the majority of “sports’ car owners” (one wonders what the “sports” refers to!).

I decided, just for the hell of it, to conduct a soft-top census yesterday, a day of bright sun and beautiful views, after two days heavy rain. As usual, unless it’s too cold or wet, I had the hood down on the Morris, but out of 11 soft-topped cars I saw, only two others were of similar inclination. Five Spridgets, three Spitfires and one Alpine all spurned the fresh air and sun for their smoke-filled compartments. The two with hoods down were a very nice white Morgan and a fellow Minor driver. Both were middle-aged and had their ladies with them, obviously enjoying every minute of it.

It makes me feel as if I’m a very old 22, or a very crazy one!

Steve Russell.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.