Seemingly half a block long, the sleek, big car was as American as the Fourth of July. It captured Americans' expansive post-World War II mood and satisfied dreams of affluence. But demands for fuel efficiency and changing tastes have sent the regal road cruisers the way of the buffalo. General Motors shrunk its Cadillac Eldorado from 5,321 lbs. in 1976 to 3,897 lbs. by 1979. The Coupe De Ville also sweated off 900 lbs.; Chrysler stopped making any cars heavier than 4,000 lbs. last year. But Ford hung tough. Its 1979 Lincoln Mercury Continental Mark V weighed a...
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