The number of fleets offering their employees the choice of a convertible as a company car has leapt in the last three years.

Previously a vehicle type that has struggled to make it onto choice lists, convertibles are now offered on more than one-in-ten fleets, when three years ago only one-in-25 gave their employees the chance for open-topped motoring, according to Bank of Scotland Vehicle Finance’s Company Car Driver Report 2006.

Year-to-date sales figures also back up the boom in convertible sales in the fleet industry: fleet has taken a third of all sales of convertibles so far this year, up 33.5% on the same period in 2005. The UK is one of the biggest markets in the world for convertibles, with about 100,000 sold annually.

Key to the development of this market has been the boom in metal-roof convertibles, which have allayed some of the concerns about security and year-round practicality that had previously kept convertibles off fleets.

Strong residuals and the need for firms to offer increased employee choice are also powering the sector’s fleet business.