Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford LTD II

This is definitely a first for me; in my long history of shooting cars, and writing about my finds, I don't think I've ever seen an LTD II. Ever. I have seen plenty of other big Fords, though, and I quite like what I've seen, and this cream/yellow LTD II is no exception.
In the mid-to-late 1970s, cars from the big three shared some similar styling cues that made them all look somewhat alike-- stacked headlights, slanted rear fascias, and a choice of wire hubcaps, steelies with disc centercaps, or full-faced hubcaps that usually look rather dated today. This LTD II wears its full-faced hubcaps with pride, and from a distance, it looks incredibly clean, considering this state and what it does to cars. Wearing its yellow/cream paint with class, this big "midsized" Ford obviously looked out of place on today's streets. Knock the clock back thirty years, and I'm sure it'd be a different story; bigger cars were the norm, V8, though lacking power, were still commonplace, and wretched-but-bland paint hues were an every-car occurrence-- and that's where this LTD II shines.
Today, many customers would scoff at off-colors being offered on anything other than "trendy" cars, but this was not now; in the Malaise-era, generic colors like this were all the rage; colors like this were not only commonplace, they were likely favorites, too. I can't count how many times I see this shade of yellow/cream and equal hues of very light blue and very light green on cars in Dukes of Hazzard, and particularly CHiPs. It might as well have been law to buy a car in these colors back then.
The full-faced hubcaps are another point of interest for me; nowadays, it seems that even the cheap cars get crappy looking base wheels. While I'm sure this Ford had the option of wire hubcaps, this set of (aluminum) stockers looks pretty good, and it keeps in the vibe of the car; upscale -looking while not over-the-top in the psuedo-class department like so many offerings that plague GM and (sorry, George and Mitt) AMC. While I haven't seen too many Malaise-era Fords, I have noticed one thing with all the ones I've had the pleasure of shooting: the hubcaps actually look quite good, and go well with the general styling theme of the vehicle. I wish today's manufacturers of replacement hubcaps would take note. Too often, I see replacement hubcaps that look like absolute garbage.
It's clear this forgotten Ford is being saved by its current driver; I talked to the guy for a few minutes, and he informed me he inherited from his grandparents-- makes sense, especially considering its condition. And unlike so many classics that fall into the hands of younger drivers, this owner has no intentions of modifying this sedan or making any unnecessary changes. And that's something all car enthusiasts can appreciate.