As to what constitutes the "malaise era" in the auto industry, that strikes me as open to debate. If you don't like government regulation, then tightening emissions standards and the infamous five-mile-per-hour bumper standards are reasonable benchmarks. I'm not knowledgeable enough to pinpoint a year when emissions standards became overly onerous, but the bumpers were required an almost all cars beginning in 1974.

The Pinto/Vega/Gremlin were a response to a dramatic increase in import sales in the late 1960s -- which were further enhanced by a recession in 1970. That recession -- and soaring car insurance rates -- knocked the wind out of "muscle car" sales in 1970-71. Might sales have rebounded in the absence of tighter emissions standards and the first oil embargo of 1973? Possibly. But let's also remember that muscle cars were the 1960's version of SUVs -- they were a fad that would inevitably fall back down to earth.

The reason: A typical muscle car wasn't a terribly good daily driver even for most gearheads.

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Also, I see all the stylistic geegaws displayed here as trademarks of Malaise- and this car is really just a minor tweaking of the horrors already being perpetrated by the big 3 by '71-'72 or so.

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But we're on the interwebs so I have to say...PICS OR DIDN'T HAPPEN (besides I just want to see it).

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From 1992 through 1994, many dealers turned the more dignified Topaz and added vinyl roofs with excessive chrome trim and "coat of arms" badges. Ford Motor Company themselves acknowledged the popularity of the vinyl top Topaz and made a rare, limited production version of the Topaz GS Sedan called the Premier.

The only true loss was the lack of opera windows. Synthetic vinyl tops, excessive amounts of chrome, coat of arms badges, all this was to be had through custom dealer creations of the Tempo and Topaz.

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