Britons love to go topless

In our miserable, soggy climate, the opportunities for driving al fresco are few and far between.

Yet Britain has a continuing love affair with the convertible car.

A far higher proportion of the population buys cabriolet 'soft tops' than in neighbouring continental countries with much better weather, says a report by the car insurer Privilege.

So why do so many motorists insist on paying a premium price for such a little-used facility?

The answer, say psychologists, lies with the very weather that curses the would-be open-air driver. They believe that when the sun does put in a rare appearance, Britons are so grateful that they instantly shift into holiday mood.

This is greatly enhanced by bowling along with the top down.

The psychologists challenge the view that convertibles are purely a fashion accessory for the image-conscious.

They point out that while the average sunshine hours enjoyed by Britons each year add up to a mere 51 days, 60,000 convertibles a year are sold - four per cent of the entire market.

That is more than ten times the total of 5,800 soft-tops sold in Spain, where locals and holidaymakers enjoy twice as much sunlight, at around 137 days.

The UK also buys more than double the number of soft-tops sold in Italy, which has 136 days of sunshine and in 2001 sold 26,178 cabriolets.

Only Germany buys a larger overall number - with sales of convertibles exceeding 120,000.

But this figure constitutes a mere 2 per cent of the country's total car sales. That means Britons buy double the proportion of cabriolets compared with the Germans.

Explaining Britain's role as 'king of the convertibles', Oxford psychologist Dr Guy Fielding said: 'In the UK sunshine is a rare commodity - something that as a nation we are obsessed about - and we will go to great lengths to take advantage of every little ray, such as buying a convertible car.

'For many there is strong association between being in the open air, being exposed to sunshine and being on holiday. Driving softtops plugs directly into this, helping individuals to create a more relaxed and less stressed state just as if they were on holiday.'

He said: 'This obviously has a significant positive effect on self-esteem and psychological well-being - perhaps a healthy strategy for dealing with what is considered by some to be a tedious and stressful task.'

In the light of the convertible boom, Volkswagen has just launched a £15,395 soft-top version of its new Beetle. And BMW announced last week that it is to sell a soft-top version of its UK-built Mini from next year. Catherine Alty, business manager for Privilege, said: 'We have noticed a 15 per cent growth in the convertibles segment of our business between 2001 and 2002.

'It just goes to show that Britons' love of convertibles isn't dampened by the great British weather.

'Not only does the soft top put the fun back into driving, but it's a great way to relieve the stresses encountered in everyday life and helps clear the head.'