They are unnecessary appendages that were forced on the manufacturers by a gov't that thinks it knows best. (Imagine what little they would do to soften the blow in a collision between a 5,000 lb Imperial and a Toyota Corolla of the same vintage... nothing.)
They clutter up what is otherwise a beautiful design.
What happens to a Corolla in a collision was, AFAIK, not the point of the federal mandate:
"On April 9, 1971,
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (
NHTSA) issued its first
regulation on passenger car bumpers. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 215, "Exterior Protection," was initially effective on September 1, 1972, and
imposed requirements which prohibited damage to specified safety-related components such as
headlamps and fuel systems
in a series of perpendicular barrier impacts, at 5 mph for front and 2.5 mph for rear bumper systems." (excerpt from W.G. La Heist and F.G. Ephraim, "An Evaluation of the Bumper Standard - As Modified in 1982" --
NHTSA Report Number DOT HS 807 072, February 1987;
emphasis added)
The following side picture of a '73 Imp, with the rubbers extending well beyond the bumper itself, illustrates that goal:
This being said, I agree with your assessment that
@Megawattkid 's already gorgeous car does look even better without the bumper extensions.