Drive a convertible long enough, and it’s inevitable: sooner or later you’ll be caught with the top down in the rain.
Drop-tops like the Mazda MX-5 Miata are designed to cope with a certain amount of in-car moisture (and yes, we know this from experience), and can generally be set to right with a wet vac and a few dry towels.
Luxury convertibles, like the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe in this video, aren’t meant to be parked, sans top, in a downpour.
While the teak wood deck may stand up to a good drenching (assuming it was oiled at the last service interval), the cashmere carpeting and sumptuous, hand-stitched leather seats most assuredly will not.
We won’t even speculate on the electronics inside the Phantom, which also aren’t designed for prolonged exposure to a soaking rainstorm. As GT Spirit, via 9MSN reports, the repair bill for the rainstorm damage could top $100,000 AUS (roughly $105,000), assuming the insurers don’t write the car off entirely.
If you live near Adelaide, Australia and come across an unbelievably good deal on a “clean, low-mileage” Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, take our advice and run, don’t just walk, away.