When the nest empties, many boomers buy their dream cars

Pricey convertibles may be toys, but kids aren't the ones buying them.

According to TrueCar.com, which compiled a list of the 10 models sold in 2009 and 2010 with the highest proportion of buyers born from 1947 to 1965, many baby boomers are now in hot pursuit of long-delayed automotive dreams.

The 1947-65 crowd, now 46 to 64 years old -- many with empty nests and peak incomes -- are buying "their dream cars" because they can, says TrueCar.com analyst Kristen Andersson. They "can now afford the luxury vehicles they had been desiring but were unable to purchase due to priorities with raising a family," she says.

When the kids are out of their hair, many boomers want wind in their hair. Seven of the top 10 models on the list are drop-tops, from the Porsche Boxster, BMW 6-series convertible and Mercedes SL roadster at the top of the list to the No. 10 Chevrolet Corvette. TrueCar says 84 percent of the Boxsters sold in 2009-10 were to people born between 1947 and 1965.

Two other vehicles on the list are SUVs: the Land Rover LR2 and Mercedes M-class hybrid.