Winter might be the opposite of what convertibles epitomise.

But businesses should take advantage of this to buy a good soft-top.

At thousands off.

Car auction company BCA says winter is the perfect time to find a real bargain.

“The British love affair with convertibles definitely cools in the winter. But this makes it a great time to get a good deal,” commented BCA’s Tim Naylor.

“Soft-top values tend to rise in line with the temperature, with average prices peaking at around £15,000 in July.

“Compare this with average values of just under £12,000 in November or around £11,000 by January and it’s clear if small businesses want to get the top down in summer, they should get their wallet out in winter.”

Typical BCA convertible prices this winter

• Audi A4 1.8T Sport Conv 2004/54, 43,000 miles £12,467
• BMW 318 CI Sport Conv 2004/04, 49,000 miles £12,800
• Mazda MX-5 1.8 Roadster 2006/06, 10,000 miles £9467
• Mercedes CLK 280 A’Garde 2005/05, 31,000 miles £20,250
• MINI Cooper 1.6 Convertible 2004/54, 29,000 miles £9406

Now is the time to buy a used convertible, says BCA