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Sun and fun surrounded by palm trees and sand is the typical South Florida postcard. In my opinion, the picture is not complete unless you are going topless. …well, the car is “topless” at least.
Even the earliest automobiles needed a way to shelter their passengers from the outside elements. Protection from the rain, blazing sun or falling snow was a must. Ironically, as soon as we had a rolling roof over our heads, some felt a bit trapped and confined. They missed the open air and feel of the wind blowing through their hair as they rambled down the road. The solution – a convertible top. With the flip of a lever or push of a button, a normally boring commute, trip to the grocery or driving the kids to soccer becomes a stress-relieving, recreational activity.
This year’s Father’s Day brought return of the annual car show to Mizner Park in Boca Raton. Numerous classic, custom and exotic cars lined up to be judged by a panel of a few and admired by all. Many of those on display were convertibles. They came in all sizes, shapes and colors. Some owners were younger, while most had navigated much of life’s experiences. Whether they dreamed of them as children, had a rusted out version as their 1st car or simply admired the unique lines of designs of the past, this was their time to relive some of their youth by owning and showing one of these classics today. With a little more time on their hands and a few more dollars in the bank, the current owners are able to restore cars that were common over 50 years ago to a better than showroom shine. Not only is this a goal realized to them, but it also preserves a little bit of history for the rest of us to enjoy.
This particular image is of a 1956 (I believe) Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. I was struck by the simple and colorful lines of the interior. I was drawn to the shine of the chrome to contrasting fun of the fuzzy dice. Rather than making the same exterior image that I had seen countless others snap, I chose an angle that uses the retracted convertible top as a base frame and allows the viewer to see the interior beauty as I saw it that day. The shallow depth of field makes the dashboard pop while allowing the Florida palm trees to fade into the background.
The current owner may have a little less hair now than when this model first drove off the assembly line, but it’s clear their choice is to still roll “topless” under the warm Florida sun.
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