Most of the styling cues you mentioned I've had on the cars I've owned.
Chrome window frames were a nice touch. I miss chrome. My window frames now are a greyish metallic.
The $200 Tape Pin Stripes the dealer installs in 10 minutes or less, may look nice but they crack or peel off at the ends.
Painted Pin Stripes had a tendancy to wash off after a few years. In the mid 80's Olds stopped painting the stripes on becuase of this.
All that lower body chrome trim looks nice. It be nice if every state had weather like Nevada this was we wouldn't have to worry about the body rotting out from behind all the chrome. Rust was always a problem.
Just recently removed the lower chrome trim off mothers 91 Caddy, big rust spots behind them, one area is soft enough to poke a screwdriver through it, but I'm not going to do that.
Wheel well moldings also look nice till the car next to you dents it in with his door edge, Also that was another area prone to rust, is around the wheel opening on the quarter panel panel lips.
Did you know Ford has eliminated that lip around the rear quarter panel on the 03 & up Crown Vic & Grand Marquis.
No more mud or stones to get caught up there any more.
As for body contours, some of the side styling might be rather smooth with not much contour. I was surprised at how easy it was to wash some of these new smooth bodied cars ( e.g. 02 Bonneville, Park Ave, ).
The style of the new Magnum & 05 Mustang is very good. Waiting to see what the new Charger looks like. I hope it isn't a Magnum twin with a trunk lid.
2006 is supposed to bring us a real true to form 2 door " hardtop " 300 and 300 Convertible.
Crossfire looks alright, but its so small. I sat it one at the Auto Show and it felt like somebody stuffed me into a 55 gallon drum and put the lid on. I couldn't wait to get out of that car.
As I've mentioned this before, many of todays car have women designers and they being design with the woman in mind. Ford's Thunderbird is one of them.
As you can see by my list of cars below, I've been with the General since 1980. With close to 300,000 miles on my present car I'm considering getting another one, but I really don't know what I want this time around. I have so many gripes about the GM cars that out there, I didn't have this problem when I was car shopping in 1990.
I love the Park Avenue, but for $36,000 its a very nice over priced and under powered car. Great engine, but with only 200HP you'll be passed by by a Honda Odessey mini van with 255 HP. For a $36,000 car it should be a little bit faster without the need for a supercharger.
The new 2005 300 HP Mustang GT is enticing for only $23,000 but where am I going to put my 280 pound fatties at?
Great car for 2 people, not 4 or 5. Can't wait to see what the new convertible looks like with the redesigned top.
The 302 HP Mercury Marauder is alot of bang for the buck for about $3000 less than a Park Avenue, bigger, way faster car, less money, but Ford pulled the plug on it this year.
Now a used low mileage 03 - 04 Marauders are down to $20,000 - $22,000 which is something I'm considering.
Right now I'm sitting on the fence that divides the car companies into thirds, not sure which side I'll jump to when I get off.
========= Harryface =========
1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE 3800 V6 ( C ), Black/Slate Grey _~_~_~296,274 miles_~_~_
~_~_~_~_U.S.A._~_~_~_~_~_
~~~The Former Fleet ~~~
89 Cavalier Z 24 convertible
78 Holiday 88 coupe
68 LeSabre convertible
73 Impala sedan