Sources expect Crown Victoria and sister Mercury Grand Marquis to get a 2006 "restyling", but no fundamental changes. How long these cars last beyond that is unclear. They've already hung on far longer than anyone could have guessed way back in 1979, when this basic underskin design was new. Logic suggests these cars will continue until sales and profits tail off to justify pulling the plug.

One interesting recent rumor has Ford mulling a replacement based on its Australian-market Falcon, a rear-drive V8 sedan slightly smaller than the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis. The Falcon is being redesigned for around 2008, and some believe it could come here that soon. Ford, however, says the idea is still only under discussion and would not, in any case, affect the Lincoln Town Car, which reportedly abandons the same vintage-'79 platform for an all-new design being whispered for 2009.