If you're looking for an excuse to blow your scrappage allowance, the Fiat 500 Convertible has now officially hit our shores.

In effect, it's more of an open roof than a conventional open top - the canvas ceiling recedes in three stages via two buttons above the rear-view mirror, a direct update on the original 1957 Nuova 500 which similarly featured a roof and rear window that folded all the way to the rear-mounted engine. 

Retaining the central pillars is good news for stability as the tiny 500 feels more robust than it should without a lid and potential problems like wind noise aren't an issue. The 1.2 litre entry level 'Pop' edition starts at £11,300 - £3,000 more than the standard model - and for that you get aircon, better interior trim and, of course, the very big sunroof.

With just 68bhp, this is a car for pootling not posing, but for that job it's pretty well suited. www.fiat.co.uk