Originally Posted by mineartg

When shopping for my MINI, I steered away from the Cabrio over winter concerns for the canvas top more than tires/handling.

I recall an incident with my older brother's Triumph TR-4 convertible on one particular winter day, after having received a minor accumulation of snow. The first bit of snow must have melted and refroze on the canvas, making it stiff and brittle underneath the overlying 2 inches of accumulated snow. My brother was innocently brushing off the snow with a foxtail brush, accidently hit the end of the handle on the canvas, and ended up punching a perfectly round, quarter-sized hole in the top just aft of the driver's seatback.

Of course, the TR-4 was several years old at the time which probably contributed to the fragility of the top, but it sure left an impression on me. BTW, for subsequent winters my brother purchased a removable hardtop which served him well for many years.