LX Platform Splitter Guards and other weird automotive style trends

[Max Rockatansky]

The latest generation Challenger and Charger have shipped with splitter guards.  The original splitter guards were yellow in color and people were beginning to keep them on out of naivety or because they liked the look.  The new splitter guards are colored pink from the factory to deter customers from keeping them on.  Apparently it is FCA policy to remove the splitter guards at the dealer but a lot of them ignore the edict.  I'm to understand that somehow the splitter guard controversy is hitting mainstream automotive news sources:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a30516457/dodge-charger-challenger-splitter-guards/

Personally I kind of like the idea of a contrasting splitter color but I would probably do actual vinyl in body color.  I bought a 2016 Challenger back in Florida and the dealership there removed the splitter guards, it wasn't really apparent to me that it was even a thing until I moved back west. 

It kind of has me wondering if this fad with keeping splitter guards will start popping up on non-LX platform cars?  The Corvette Grand Sport hashes got similarly popular about a decade ago and have appeared numerous other cars (mostly FCA).  I seem to recall the Corvette C2 split window is similarity debated in collector car circles.  What other examples of weird automotive fashion trends has anyone else seen out there?

[formulanone]

The latest generation Challenger and Charger have shipped with splitter guards.  The original splitter guards were yellow in color and people were beginning to keep them on out of naivety or because they liked the look.  The new splitter guards are colored pink from the factory to deter customers from keeping them on.  Apparently it is FCA policy to remove the splitter guards at the dealer but a lot of them ignore the edict.  I'm to understand that somehow the splitter guard controversy is hitting mainstream automotive news sources:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a30516457/dodge-charger-challenger-splitter-guards/

Personally I kind of like the idea of a contrasting splitter color but I would probably do actual vinyl in body color.  I bought a 2016 Challenger back in Florida and the dealership there removed the splitter guards, it wasn't really apparent to me that it was even a thing until I moved back west. 

It kind of has me wondering if this fad with keeping splitter guards will start popping up on non-LX platform cars?  The Corvette Grand Sport hashes got similarly popular about a decade ago and have appeared numerous other cars (mostly FCA).  I seem to recall the Corvette C2 split window is similarity debated in collector car circles.  What other examples of weird automotive fashion trends has anyone else seen out there?

I've had two Charger R/Ts as rentals, and they left the yellow splitter guards on. I didn't want to remove them, because they might think I stole a car part or messed with it. Maybe they leave it because it's easy to scrape the nose on a parking stone or curb if you're not careful, especially the Challenger (which I've had, sans guards).

Or the reason might be because the rental agencies are lazy or inept; I've seen lots of shrink-wrap left on parts of the interior on occasion. Normally, a dealership would remove it as part of the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI).

I think the mid-1960s racing Corvette Grand Sport had similar fender stripes, though I don't recall why. So they put it on the road cars as an homage.

As a footnote, I'm loathe to return the Charger R/T Hemi after getting it as a rental.

[Max Rockatansky]

Interestingly two days ago I was at the Chrysler dealership in Clovis, all the Challengers and most of the Chargers has the splitter guards on.  Last year I got an SXT Challenger in Seattle as a rental car, it had the splitter guards too.  I think a lot of people just assume it's part of the design of the Challenger and don't bother don't taking the guards off.