The last real American car

 Earlier I mentioned my high opinion of the Ford Crown Vic and Lincoln Mercury Gran marquis and Town Car. These were what is called the "Panther platform" and in my opinion, in their final form,  probably the best cars ever made in the United States for their intended purpose, safe reliable long lived transportation.

 One reason Ford made these so well is the position the Town Car occupied in New York life. Cabs in New York are artificially scarce due to their medallion law, so "town car services" are heavily used by affluent Manhattanites and in particular  the Wall Street crowd. The Lincoln Town Car is in fact the only vehicle used, and its performance directly affects what Wall Street thinks of the Ford Motor Company. They therefore put a maximum effort in making these cars as reliable as is feasible.

Are the last ones better than certain earlier models? Overall, I'd say yes. I think that given regular maintenance, the Modular engine is every bit as reliable as the pushrod 5 liter and 351, although those engines are cheaper to rebuild certainly. The later electronic engine control systems, once a liability on Ford products, are now good enough that the road race crowd is adapting Ford EDIS electronic ignition to a lot of other engines, and the mileage and driveability are at an all time high. Of course, the great 9 inch rear end is history, but the current one isn't a bad one, and the E4OD transmission is proving a really good one as well.

 The line was discontinued for two reasons: creeping federal standards and the perception, as Liza said, that they are old man cars. Do the federal standards for CAFE make a damn bit of sense? No. Of course not.

 Liza's first big wreck, which shattered her pelvis and upper leg and cost her major gynecological and bowel surgery, resulted in a mid-six-figure hospital bill. I believe that if she had been driving a Crown Vic, she would not have been nearly as badly injured. How much in a lifetime of driving 40 mpg econoboxes will someone save over driving a 20-22 mpg full size car? Not enough to pay that hospital bill, I'd bet.

 Would she be alive today if she had been driving the Grand Marq this weekend? I don't know, but she would have had a better chance certainly. What price that?

 Little cars are cute and easy to park. I drive a full size car both for my own safety and to make a statement. I am not driving a S-box because some liberal or mulatto communist president who flies on a customized 747 everywhere he goes and is then driven around in a 14,000 pound armored car thinks it would be a good idea.