At home with an open roof

We were very quickly made feel at home in the Algarve. Ten minutes out from Faro Airport the balmy late February sunshine disappeared behind a black cloud and then big blobs of raindrops spattered the windscreen.

So?

So, there was no roof up to stop them spattering us too. The choice was simple ... keep moving at over 40mph and we were likely to remain dry, or pull over and put up the roof of the Astra Cabrio and be sure of it.

There were traffic lights ahead. The possibility of keeping going wasn’t good. So we pulled over.

Now, before driving a soft-top it is wise to check out the various exertions that are usually necessary in the process of putting up its roof. If only for the sake of one’s knuckles and fingernails.

We hadn’t.

But we found a button on the dash with a soft-top drawing on it. Pressed it. A “beep” ... and ...

... nothing.

Gulp!

Splat! Splat! Splaaaaatttttt!

Desperation. Hold the button in.

Sounds of whirring and clicks and the raining cloud above us was itself obscured by the blessed black fabric that appeared from aft of the back seats.

And, mercy, no skinned knuckles or broken nails needed as it settled snugly into the windscreen surround.

The Astra Cabrio is a truly civilised car. One for any climate, because it is also insulated against the kind of climate we’re used to far north of the Algarve or the Mediterranean.

And there’s a great deal of sense in that, because you might be surprised to learn, as I was, that the biggest market in Europe for convertibles is ... Germany.

Not the golden boulevards of the South of France, not the promenades between the tourist towers of the Costa del Sol. But Germany, with 40% of all European soft-top sales. And the second-biggest is ... the UK, with 19%.

It rains in both countries. Almost as much as here in the Emerald Isle. So there may well be, in this land of Celtic hunting cats, a market for a truly practical ragtop.

One which comfortably holds four people (and a reasonable amount of luggage), looks very smart, and has the underpinnings of one of the more popular small family cars. And which can still allow the owner a certain amount of jealousy-making when the clouds are not actually dumping their loads. Without the jealous being able to mutter he’s a male-menopaused MX-5er trying to match the young solicitoresses and accountantesses who mostly buy such baby ragtops.

(Oops. I may have stepped on a few shapely young corns here.)

Time to go to the detail: the Astra Cabrio is based directly on the Bertone-fettled Astra Coupe, a nice and unflamboyant example of that particular genre in this part of the world. I’ve written about it positively before.

If I need to describe the essential Astra to you at this stage, where have you been these last few years? If you’re concerned about the pedigree, I remind you that most commentators have matched it with the VW Golf in dynamics and build quality. Plus, it looks better.

The Cabrio looks better still. By a seriously long golfing shot. In fact, I think it even makes an earnest challenge to the longtime European cabriolet leader, the Saab Convertible. The Astra is quite gorgeous. Designer Bertone has the happy knack of bringing out the best possibilities in any basic car he is given the brief to enhance.

The only other one in the Astra’s class is the Renault Megane Cabrio, and while I saw quite a few of those around the Algarve and on the Costa del Sol, I don’t think it’s available here. And maybe more Astras will be seen down there once it goes on sale.

A brief enough run at the launch showed me a very easy car to drive, and one decently draughtless with the rear deflector up. A conscientious colleague mentioned “scuttle shake”, the traditional bane of a roofless car, but I have to confess not noticing it. I reckon by now the engineers have sorted such things.

The engines available are Opel’s excellent 1.6-, 1.8- and 2.2-litre units. For Ireland we don’t know yet how many of these will come in. Nor have we real prices yet.

But I’m looking forward to the 360-degree view as I motor around my own places sometime later this year. Then I’ll tell you just how well or otherwise this car suits our country. Particularly if I get it, as is likely in my convertible experience, around November.

Or maybe I’ll get lucky.