When the economy bites consumers tend to withdraw into their shells and revert to "safe bet" car purchases by sticking with more well-established brands.
But plummeting car sales have done little to dampen the enthusiasm of motor companies for launching low-volume specialist models and the recently-introduced Peugeot 308 CC is about as niche as they come.
At R336 500 this coupé-cabriolet is Peugeot's blow-your-hair-back-and-forget-the-recession car - a 308 hatchback that's swopped its working clothes for a bikini and can drop its top quicker than a Teazers girl.
The electrically-operated folding hard top opens and shuts with impressive speed at the press of a button at up to 10km/h.
Our drive in the 308 CC coincided with the onset of spring's warm weather and travelling in suntan mode made a pleasant change after months of cocooned winter confinement. The Peugeot's wind protection is good; my wife remarked that her long hair got less messed up than in most convertibles - score one for girl appeal.
The CC's styling is suave and sporty in a predictable, paint-by-numbers sort of way without really blowing your socks off - but it gets a gold star for the front bucket seats which, aside from being very supportive, are visual works of art. They come with heaters too so you can drop the top in cooler weather.
The boot's a decent size for a coupé-cabriolet but the cramped rear seat is only suitable for pre-teens.
Only one derivative is available - a turbocharged 1.6-litre with six manual speeds. It's a a detuned version of the 128kW/240Nm engine that powers hot stuff such as the Peugeot 207 GTi and Mini Cooper S, rated in this application at 110kW and 240Nm.
It's adequate at Gauteng altitude, sprightly without quite moving into boy-racer territory, but I can't help wondering why they emasculated it. The roof mechanism makes the CC quite heavy and the extra kilowatts would have come in handy.
The gearshift moves smoothly through its gate and the power steering's light, making this a fuss-free car to drive, but there's an annoying hesitation in the power delivery - as if the engine is momentarily starved of fuel - particularly when changing from first to second
Our fuel consumption, according to the trip data computer, was 9.7 litres/100km.
What puts a lot of people off roofless cars is their structural integrity, or lack thereof, but the 308 CC is impressive in this respect with very little body flex even over Gauteng's roadwork-scarred streets. The suspension's a bit firm, however, and this Peugeot doesn't have the superb ride quality French cars were once renowned for.
The upside of that, of course, is agile handling and the CC dances through fast turns with little body roll.
VERDICT
A pleasant way to get a suntan on the move. This French mam'selle delivers her topless charms with pleasing vigour thanks to her turbocharged engine.
Not to mention exclusivity, as it's unlikely that anybody else in your neighbourhood (or province) will be driving the same model.