Business Notes

Think of the classic convertible cars: long, sleek, sporty, maybe even a bit impractical. All in all, not the kind of vehicle that would lend itself to a gun rack behind the driver's seat or a load of cargo bouncing around in the back. Think again: Chrysler, the No. 3 U.S. automaker, plans to introduce in early 1989 a Dodge Dakota pickup truck with a removable, manually operated vinyl top.

At about $13,000, the model would be one of the lowest-priced convertibles in the American market. Ford and Toyota are said to be mulling their own moves into convertible pickups.