MSN Autos says vinyl tops and "branded decals" are among the top ten worst fads

[bull]

Good thing my 68 had neither. http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1069499

Also among the top ten: automatic seat belts, spinners, carbon fiber accents and fake intake scoops...

[Brock Samson]

 thought provoking for sure,.. i would have included fake wire wheels and fake spinners (knock offs) and Opera Windows... how about stand up hood orniments?.. 
I*'m sure glad my Charger hasn't got any fake air extractors... 

[Foreman72]

i kinda dig my vinyl top...i think it completes the look

[Ghoste]

Me too, sometimes I think "top ten lists" should be on a list of ten worst ideas. 

[bull]

I have to agree with the auto belts at least. Those things are dangerous. I got more injuries from my friend's car with the auto seatbelts (running my hand over or damn-near choking me) than I would have gotten had I not worn seatbelts at all. Automated movement with no safety stops in close proximity to human body parts is a bad idea in general I think.

[Charger_Fan]

Wasn't the automated belt idea the result of some lame government mandate at the time?

I'm definitely in agreement on the stupid stick-on fake hood scoops. Spinners...real or fake, are also right up there on the 'ol gag-o-meter.

[MichaelRW]

I take exception with the vinyl roof. The author is way off the mark on that one. He states that the vinyl rook had all the problems of the convertible with none of the pleasures. I guess he forgot about how many of the convertible tops leaked when it rained and how cold they were in the winter. Not so with the vinyl roof. He also forgot to mention that government regulations and the growing popularity of A/C pushed convertible sales down. The invention of the T-top also influenced this.