Rear window - aerofoil or finisher strip??

[tvrslag]

A question to some of you Cerbie fanatics.

The black strip across the bottom the rear window pulled away from the screen and broke in half on an outing one day (One end was a bit loose and it caught the wind during a run down the M1, not even going particularly fast).
My question is, is this just a fancy finishing strip or is it actually an aero dynamic aid to increase load over the rear wheels (personnaly I can't see it making much difference in its position) or to aid directional stability?
To be honest I removed the whole strip at aservies when I had the opportunity (Which was worringly easy) and on the last few times I drove the car I can't honestly tell if there was any difference to high (90-100mph) speed stability.
Eventually I intend to replace the said strip but should I replace immeadiately as its a vital aerodynamic component, or leave it for a while to allow the finances to recover from Christmas and the current work being done, as its not really that important and just makes the rear window look good?

[ro_butler]

Aerodynamically this will do nothing. The best you can hope for is that it deflects the air over the gap between the rear window and the bootlid.

However it may expose the rear window and allow it to leak or something. Best to ask someone like Joolz who knows more about that kind of thing.

Rob.

[p7ulg]

Maybe its a part that my alfa 156 needs. During recent snow when you opened the bootlid the snow slid down the back window and straight into the boot ! Seriously I think it is just a finishing strip.But it will probably affect the seal of the back window.

[whatever]

My vague recollection is that it's there to help hold the car together, perhaps in some way assisting the rear window to stay where it should be. I could have dreamt it, though.

[tvrslag]

Thanks for the responses,
Have to admit the botom edge of the rear windscreen is a crap cut all wobbly, so my suspicion is its just a fancy cover made to look as if it has an alternative function, the other comments regarding stopping the rain from entering the boot could be true, currently though the boot appears to be water free but I haven't driven the car in much rain.
Does anybody know how much these little finisher strips are (probably some extortionate figure)?

[Noodles 4.2]

Hello,

I am fairly sure that these strips you are talking about are put there purely to cut down on wind noise. They are not expensive I am sure as everytime I take my car into TMS it seems to come back with new ones fitted!

Tony