I buttoned up a few projects on my Buick last weekend and declared the big boat ready for summer cruising. Excited as much for the weather as I was for having completed the work, the moment I set my tools down I pulled the car out of the barn, dropped the top, and my wife and I went for a ride through the little wine region we live in before heading up to the shores of Lake Erie. The Buick’s the perfect ice-cream getter and lazy-evening-cruise-till-sunset machine.
By now, even those of us who reside in the top of The Mitten State have visions of summer in our heads. We let ourselves daydream a bit and envision what the perfect summer car would be. What’s yours?
I’ve been giving this some thought lately. The real-world application of a perfect summer car for me is one that gets me to trailheads, most of which live at the end of forest roads, which come after some amount of highway driving. So, I want OK gas mileage, cargo space, and clearance. My choice (because I can’t get them out of my head lately): A 1980s Subaru GL wagon with a manual transfer case and a sunroof. I’d also happily consider a 1983–88 Toyota Tercel 4WD wagon.—Stefan Lombard
With summer seemingly being the shortest season here in northern Michigan, what I want from a summer car more than anything is reliability. I love working in the shop on a project, but that is for winter, when there is nothing else to do. Summer is for driving. My ideal summer car would have 400 horsepower, a targa top, manual transmission, and working air conditioning just in case. My 1985 Corvette covers a few items on that list, and in due time it will check all the boxes.
If I had to pick something besides the Buick, I’d aim toward a car with a little more versatility, but still with the opportunity to see the sky overhead. For only six of the 30 years that I’ve been driving have I gone without a car that had some form of removable roof. Most of them have been convertibles; some have had a T-top. The latter is the best solution for me, though: a hard roof over your head for swelteringly hot days and heavy rain (you can get away with no water in the car if you drive fast enough and it’s not a torrential downpour), and open air for the rest. Add in a tan cloth interior—let’s face it, if you’re driving and parking with an open roof, it’s gonna get dusty and hot, so might as well pick the color and material that never looks dirty and stays cool.
Did I just talk myself into buying another third-gen F-body?—Eddy Eckart
I had the perfect summer car and only kept it for two of them—more fool me. A Caterham Seven Roadsport 140 had plenty, but not too much, power for its feather weight, and you could shed a few more pounds by taking the doors off as well. Even took it camping. Miss that car.—Nik Berg
Northern Michigan is about as good as it gets in the summer, but one thing that I’ve found that really takes your seasonal enjoyment to the next level is the ability to haul toys and gear with ease. As much as I wanted to say a Miata or something like that, I think that a pickup is an even better option here, so that I can haul bikes, kayaks, golf clubs, etc. without having to string up fancy racks or play Tetris while packing. (Trust me, the rack thing is very familiar to me of late, and I can’t say that I’m off to the greatest start.)
Make mine an early ’90s Ford F-150, ideally with the 300-cubic-inch straight six. I’m in no hurry, so you can take your pick of manual vs. automatic. Slow, steady, and stuffed with the things that make summers great—that’s just what the doctor ordered.—Nate Petroelje
Bless y’alls hearts. When everyone thinks of cars for the summer they go to sports cars, convertibles, or something with terrible air conditioning. Too bad my summer is your winter.
Here in Houston, I need a “beater with a heater,” except that means having fantastic air conditioning instead. And features that make it resistant to heat, like white leather seats and an insulated roof upholstered in this most reflective color.
Give me a Jack Nicklaus Town Car Signature Series with ceramic-tinted windows for the summer, or I might never leave the air-conditioned comfort of my home!—Sajeev Mehta
Measured in hours, the vast majority of the time that my husband and I have spent in a car together has been in his Bronco Sport, on the highway, driving between Michigan to and from his home state of Virginia. We could do with a lot more chill cruising—Michigan summers are lovely, even in the southern part of the state—so I asked him what classic car he’d be excited about driving around. (Like Nate, I was already defaulting to Miata.) Grayson said a VW Beetle convertible. Then I saw Nate’s pickup, and I remembered that beach chairs and cold drinks make a lake day much more fun. Final vote: Vintage VW Bus. They look happy all the time, and you never have to worry about how much stuff you bring. They’ve also got enough ground clearance to handle some mild off-pavement duty in a state park. And you can get camper versions! So what if those old Buses aren’t fast? Summers should be slow.—Grace Jarvis
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