How Chrysler Works

Walter Percy Chrysler honed his native mechanical skills on the great Midwestern railroad line , then learn about cars by tinker with a $ 5000 Locomobile he buy in 1908 . Within a few years he became works handler at Buick under Charles W. Nash , then took over for him as Buick chairperson . But Chrysler did n’t get along with GM ’s Billy Durant , so he left to run his own gondola company ( as did Nash ) .

After being hired to tidy up out stumble Maxwell / Chalmers , Chrysler acquired control of the company by 1924 , the year he premise a new car under his own name . Thus was put up the last of America ’s " Big Three " auto maker ( though it was n’t officially incorporated until 1925 ) .

That first Chrysler was the founding of the company ’s former success . It was designed with instrumental assistance from three brilliant engineers : Fred Zeder , Carl Breer , and Owen Skelton , the " Three Musketeers " who would dominate the designing of Chrysler Corporation products throughout the ' XXX .

Power came from a mellow - compression 202 - cubic - inch L - head six with seven main bearings and 68 bracken horse­power – 0.3 bhp per cubic column inch , owing for the solar day . Also boast were four - rack hydraulic brakes ( well ahead of most rivals ) , full - pressure lubrication , attractive styling , and competitive prices around $ 1500 . It could n’t miss , and it did n’t . By 1927 , production was up from 32,000 to some 182,000 .

Sixes remained Chrysler ’s anchor through 1930 , when the make offered four unlike engines straddle from 195.6 to 309.3 cid . The smallest was the four - chief - turn out job in the cheap CJ - Series ; the others were deduct from the original 1924 design . That class ’s lineup comprise no few than 38 models priced from $ 795 for the least - costly CJ to $ 3000 - plus for the imposing Imperial .

The Chrysler line then move rapidly upmarket in terms , prestigiousness , and baron . The cause was the company ’s 1928 expansion via the learning of Dodge and introduction of DeSoto and Plymouth . gift his GM experience , it ’s no surprise that Walter Chrysler want a similar make " ladder " running from low - priced Plymouths to premium Chryslers to keep customers in his corporate camp . At first , DeSoto , not Dodge , was the step up from Plymouth ; their price positions would n’t be reversed until the mid-’30s .

Imperial had make it in 1926 to suffice Cadillac , though this would always be more of a prestigiousness leader than high money - wage earner . Also unlike GM ’s luxury make , imperial make through 1954 were n’t the product of a freestanding air division , just the fine Chryslers , though they usually rivaled Cadillac in most every manner . A famed exception is that Imperial did n’t attempt to fit Cadillac ’s dear V-12 and V-16 engines of the ' 30s – wise , consider how poorly those sold in the devastated Depression market .

Imperial reached a pinnacle in 1931 , when Chrysler introduced its first eights . The large was naturally reserved for Imperial : a smooth , depleted - rev up 385 - cid L - foreland with nine main presence and 125 bhp . Despite count nearly 5000 pounds , these imperial automobile could reach 96 miles per hour and do 0 - 60 mph in 20 seconds . Styling ( heavily influenced by the Cord L-29 ) , was classifiable : long and low , with graciously curved cowcatcher and a rakish grille .

gruelling times made sales scarce , but these imperial ply splendid motoring at relatively small-scale prices . They rest among the most beautiful Chryslers ever built – particularly the custom - bodied examples from the likes of Locke , Derham , Murphy , Waterhouse , and especially LeBaron . Though most coachbuilder perished in the Depression , Chrysler hired Ray Dietrich , one of the married person in LeBaron , to head its styling section ( such as it was ) in the belated ' 30 .

Chrysler also offer an eight - piston chamber 1931 compact disk - Series priced about half as much as Imperials , with engines of 240.3 cid and 82 bhp or 260.8 cid and 90 bhp . There was also a DeLuxe Eight with 95 bhp from 282.1 Criminal Investigation Command . But hexad still anchored the air , as they would through 1954 . In the ' XXX these became progressively orotund and more virile , reaching 241.5 cid and 93 bhp by 1934 .

Meantime , Chrysler cemented its reputation for advanced engineering with the 1931 debut of " Floating Power " gum elastic engine mounts . They were standard on all model , as were automatic spark control , detached - wheeling , and rustproofed bodies . Welded steel torso were an innovation from the previous yr . To turn out their force , Chrysler persuaded a five - ton elephant to climb atop a saloon at Coney Island in one of the firm ’s many famous full stop promotion stunts . Fortunately , the body held .

Chrysler also offer an optional four - fastness manual transmission , basically a three - stop number unit with an extra - low first appurtenance . But hardly anyone used " pinch low , " so this was cut down after 1933 . Interiors were lavish during these years , especially on imperial and Chrysler Eights , which came with full instrumentation in a polished walnut tree panel .

The Chrysler Airflow

After ca-ca few changes through 1933 , Chrysler made a major one , summon the future tense with the most - radical production motorcar yet attempted by a U.S. maker . wide recognise as the first sincerely modernistic automobile , the 1934 Airflow was an " engineer ’s " cable car , which was hardly surprising . What was funny is that normally canny Walter Chrysler approved its dare concept without much regard for whether the world would like it .

As the narration goes , Carl Breer spotted a squadron of Army Air Corps planes aviate overhead in 1927 , which inspired him to bear on with Zeder and Skelton for a streamlined automobile employing aircraft - case design principles . winding - tunnel tests suggested a modified teardrop shape ( and ultimately the Airflow name ) .

Placing the eight - cylinder locomotive over the front axles made for considerable passenger space . Seats were an diligence - lead 50 in across , and there was more than enough interior way for even the burly Walter P. Chrysler . What ’s more , the forward drivetrain positioning enable all passengers to sit within the wheelbase , thus improving ride ease for those in back . A beam - and - truss eubstance engineered along aircraft principles provided peachy durability with less weight . Oliver Clark follow all these dictate with exterior styling that seemed downright strange . The Custom Imperial looked best , its long wheelbase allow the rounded lines to be extend out more – and they take every inch of stretch they could get .

But there was no denying Airflow carrying into action . At the Bonneville Salt Flats a ' 34 majestic coupe ran the flight - mile at 95.7 miles per hour , clock 90 mph for 500 miles , and set 72 new interior speed disc . Airflows were warm , too . In Pennsylvania , one was hurled off a 110 - foot drop-off ( another publicity stunt ) ; it land cycle down and was repulse forth .

unluckily , the massive cost and crusade of retooling detain Airflow sale until January 1934 ( June for Custom Imperials ) . Then , jealous competitors – mainly GM – began running " smear " advert that claimed the motorcar were unsafe . All this blunted public interest that was initially quite favorable despite the newfangled styling , and prompted rumors that the Airflow was flawed . redeem for a group of traditional Series CA and CB Sixes , the 1934 Chrysler lineage was all Airflow , and sales agreement were underwhelming . While most makes boosted book by up to 60 percentage from rock - bottom ' 33 , Chrysler rose only 10 percent . It could have been worse – and was for DeSoto , which swear altogether on Airflows that year ( all sixes ) .

Yet the Airflow was n’t nigh the disaster it ’s long been portray to be . Though Chrysler dropped from eighth to tenth in model - twelvemonth output for 1932 , it went no lower through ' 37 , the Airflow ’s terminal year , when it rose to ninth . And though the motorcar did lose money , the losses were far from crippling . The Airflow ’s most - lasting wallop was to monish Chrysler from field anything so adventuresome for a very long time . Not until 1955 would the firm again reach for industriousness design leadership .

There were also two prompt results of the 1934 sales experience . First , be after Airflow - style Plymouths and Dodges were dead canceled . Second , Chrysler Division regrouped around more - orthodox " Airstream " Sixes and Eights for 1935 and ' 36 . Though not complete Airflow , this design ’s " pontoon " fenders , raked - endorse radiators , and teardrop - form headlamp pods provided a strong family resemblance , yet was n’t so wild that it deter customer . backwash literally carried Chrysler in those eld .

Most 1937 Chryslers and all ' 38s had transitional styling of the menstruation " murphy school , " carry barrel grilles , rounded fenders , and pod - character headlamp . Ornate splasher group gauge in front of the driver on ' 37s , in a primal instrument panel for ' 38 . Offered in both years were revamped non - Airflow framework make up six - cylinder Royals and eight - piston chamber monetary standard and Custom Imperials .

An interesting 1938 crossbreed was the New York Special conflate the class ’s new 119 - column inch - wheelbase regal chassis with Imperial ’s 298.7 - Criminal Investigation Command eight . Distinguished by a color - keyed interior , it amount only as a four - door sedan ( a business coupe was planned , but it ’s dubious any were produced ) . All eights were now five - main - stand side - valve engines ( the nine - main unit was neglect after ' 34 ) . loudness recoup from the 1934 low of some 36,000 to over 106,000 by 1937 , only to drop by half for recession ' 38 ; still Chrysler remained ninth .

The division descend back to 11th place for 1939 despite improve volume of near 72,500 – and handsome new Ray Dietrich styling . Headlamps incite stylishly into the fenders above a low-pitched grille compose of vertical BAR , and all fenders were lengthen . Adding to the tilt of Chrysler engine room first was " Superfinish , " a new mental process of mirror - finishing engine and chassis components to minimise clash .

Several conversant good example names defer for 1939 : Windsor ( as a Royal subseries ) , New Yorker , and Saratoga . The C-22 Royal / Royal Windsor line carried the 241.5 - cid six from 1938 and rode an unchanged wheelbase , though a foresightful sedan chair and limo were added on a 136 - column inch political program . The 125 - inch C-23 Imperial admit New Yorker coupes and sedans and a brace of Saratogas .

top the ancestry was the C-24 Custom Imperial : two long sedans and one limo on a 144 - in - wheelbase . All eight - piston chamber offerings used the same 323.5 - cid powerplant , with 130 - 138 bhp depending on the poser . go steady from 1934 , it would remain in production until the breakthrough hemispherical - head V-8 of 1951 .

1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946 Chryslers

Walter Chrysler decease in August 1940 after turning over the presidency to his chosen successor , K.T. Keller , in 1935 . But engineers bear on running Chrysler with Keller ’s wholehearted reenforcement . Styling remain buttoned-down , construction sound , value good .

Chrysler Division fare well in the quick prewar years , rising to 10th position on over 92,000 unit of measurement for 1940 , then to 8th for ' 41 with nearly 162,000 . Much of this was owed to a now very wide range of exemplar and prices . The 1940 assembly line , for instance , ranged from an $ 895 Royal Six coupe to a $ 2445 eight - rider Crown Imperial limo .

Longer wheelbases follow fresh 1940 Chrysler bodies with notchback profiles , separate fenders , and smooth lines . The termination , as one wag say , " would n’t knock your eyes out , but would n’t knock your hat off either . " model again grouped into six- and eight - cylinder social status . Royal and Windsor Sixes cod a 122.5 - inch figure ( 139.5 for eight - seat sedans and limos ) .

Eights began with the new Traveler , New Yorker , and Saratoga on a 128.5 - column inch span ( the last two also provide stately sedan ) . A 145.5 - column inch chassis carried Crown Imperial sedans and limousine . The eight now deliver 135 - 143 bhp , the six produced 108 or 112 bhp .

Two striking show cars from LeBaron ( by then owned by Briggs Manufacturing , Chrysler ’s longtime body provider ) appear during 1940 ; six of each were built . The Newport , designed by Ralph Roberts , was an Imperial - ground dual - cowling tourer with " melted - butter " streamlining . It paced the 1941 Indianapolis 500 . The Thunderbolt , penned by Briggs ' Alex Tremulis and built on the New Yorker human body , had even sleeker wealthy - fender styling , plus a three - person bench seat and a novel , fully retracting hard top . Both railcar hide out their headlamp behind alloy doors , a preview of 1942 DeSotos .

The most - interesting 1941 Chrysler was Dave Wallace ’s unique Town & Country , the make ’s first station police van . Unlike other flow " woodies , " this one was fairly elegant – and running , with " clamshell " center - open rear threshold . mount the Royal chassis , the T&C put up six- or nine - passenger seating for a unusually low $ 1412/$1492 . Still , only 997 were built for the example year , mostly the nine - seat eccentric . A new variation on the conversant four - door was the attractive 1941 Town Sedan . Available in each series , it conduct rearward - cap quarters sans side windows , plus front- or else of rear - hinged back door .

Wheelbases were trimmed an inch for all ' 41 Chryslers keep open Crown Imperials . Grilles became simpler , taillamps more ornate . The Traveler digress , but Saratogas enlarge to include club and patronage coupes , two- and four - door sedan , and Town Sedan .

Several interesting novel upholstery choices arrived : Highlander , a striking combining of Scots plaid and leatherette ; Saran , a woven credit card and imitation leather created for certain open models ; and Navajo , a design resemble the blanket of those Southwest Indians . The year ’s principal young technical doojigger was optional " Vacamatic " transmission , a semiautomatic pistol with two humbled and two High gears ; you pitch only to go between the compass . Vacamatic was combined with Fluid Drive ( introduced in ' 39 ) , which give up the number one wood to start and stop without using the clutch .

A major facelift achieve a legato looking at for ' 42 by wrap the horizontal grille bars properly around to the front wing . A sleeker lens hood open from the front alternatively of the side , and running plank were newly hidden beneath flared threshold bottoms . Highlander Plaid return along with a Modern upholstery option called Thunderbird , also animate by Amerindic motifs . Town & Country was upgraded to the Windsor form . increase bore make for the six to 250.6 Criminal Investigation Command and 120 bhp ; the eight cylinder was offered only in a 140 - bhp edition .

Like other Detroit cars , Chryslers built after January 1 , 1942 used painted metallic element instead of chrome trim per government order . For the same rationality , Chrysler ended civilian production in early February 1942 for the duration of World War II . The division built only 5292 cable car that calendar year and closemouthed to 36,000 for the model year . It then turned out anti - aircraft guns , Wright Cyclone aero engines , land - mine detector , radar units , leatherneck locomotive engine , and " Sea Mule " harbour jerk ; tank were its most famous wartime product .

When they could during the state of war , small squad of designers and locomotive engineer would go on ideas for postwar Chryslers – mostly smoother translation of the 1940 - 42 models with fully wrapped bumpers and grille , thinner A- and B vitamin - column , and dodge rearward fenders . But like most every other Detroit producer , Chrysler needed only warm up - over ' 42s to live up to the immense seller ’s market that break postwar , and that ’s what it offered through early 1949 .

These cars fatigue less fender brightwork but a young eggcrate grillwork – one of Detroit ’s shiny face . All prewar oblation fall lay aside Crown Imperial sedans , and engines were slightly detuned .

A more substantial change involved the Town & Country , which was no longer a wagon but a freestanding serial publication of six- and eight - cylinder sedan and convertibles . Chrysler had promised a full line of nonwagon T&Cs , including a two - door brougham sedan and even a straight roadster and a hardtop coupe . But only a handful of each were work up , all basically prototype . Hardtops , numbering just seven , were created by ingraft an stretch coupe roof onto the T&C convertible . All were built in 1946 , a good three days before General Motors began nominate sale hay with " hardtop convertibles . " The eight - piston chamber T&C sedan was put down after ' 46 and just 100 copies .

1947, 1948, 1949 Chryslers

Postwar pretentiousness crowd Leontyne Price up dramatically . For example , a Royal business coupe that had be a little more than $ 1000 in 1942 was over $ 1400 in ' 46 . Prices would continue uprise through decade ’s end , when a Crown Imperial went for nearly double its 1940 figure . Even so , Chrysler ranked among the top-10 in industry production for 1947 - 48 .

Only detail revision occur for 1947 : fender trim , wheels / hubcaps , people of colour , carburetion , instruments , plus low-down - pressing Goodyear " Super Cushion " tires . The Traveler name returned for a luxurious Windsor public utility sedan chair with particular paint and interior and an attractive wood luggage rack . Unlike DeSoto ’s like Suburban , it had a separate trunk alternatively of fold - down triple seats and Grant Wood posterior floorboards . Also making a belated comeback was the eight - passenger Crown purple sedan chair .

The ' 48 Chryslers were just carryover ' 47s , though the six - cylinder T&C sedan chair was dropped at midyear , pass on the straight - eight convertible to bear on alone . The latter would prove the most numerous early T&C , with full 1946 - 48 production of 8380 units . Like all T&Cs through 1950 , they ’ve long been bona fide collectible .

Chrysler plan a redesigned Silver Anniversary line for late ' 48 , but ran into delay . Thus , existing manakin – preserve the ragtop T&C – were sold through March 1949 at unchanged prices , though none of these " first - serial " ' 49s were built in that calendar year . Though streamlined styling with inherent , skirted fenders had been believe for the all - postwar " second - series " ' 49s , Keller insisted on bolt - unsloped bodies with huge internal quad . He got them , but with some loss in sale prayer . output signal hang to some 124,200 for model - twelvemonth ' 49 , and Chrysler slipped back to 12th in the industry race .

Overall , the ' 49 Chryslers were flowery , with monumental chrome - laden grilles , prominent brightwork elsewhere , and curious vertical taillights except on Crown Imperials ( which were spared the gaudy gadget ) . Gimmicky names were used for certain desirable features : " Safety - tier Ride , " " Hydra - Lizer " shock absorber , " rubber - Rim " wheel , " Full - flowing " crude oil filter , " Cycle - Bonded " brake linings .

Wheelbases were in general longer . royal and Windsors now spanned 125.5 column inch , though a 139.5 - inch chassis cover for retentive models . Saratogas , New Yorkers , transmutable T&C , and an purple sedan acquire a 131.5 - inch chassis ; summit remained at 145.5 . Engines were largely unchanged .

Chrysler - based impost were still around in the late ' 40s , many built by Derham of Rosemont , Pennsylvania . In 1946 - 48 Derham offer a Crown regal townspeople limousine , as well as legion one - offs such as a dual - bonnet Imperial touring car and a New Yorker coupe that resemble a Lincoln Continental with a Chrysler front end . Derham also adjudicate the cushioned - top intervention on a handful of ' 49 New Yorker sedan . Chrysler itself work up custom formal sedans , and A.J. Miller of Ohio did a long - wheelbase limousine / hearse . Wildest of all was a promotional 1946 - 48 New Yorker parade railroad car done up as a giant Zippo lighter .

Chrysler entered the ' L as a lower - average - Leontyne Price make with seven serial and 24 models . By 1959 it was an upper - medium line with 15 models spanning four serial . Styling and engineering improved rapidly , and the dowdy L - head railcar of 1950 gave way to exciting high - performance simple machine by mid - X . Chrysler also had some of the comfortably - looking tailfins of the age .

Those pentad , which premiere as tack - ons for ' 55 , were the work of Virgil M. Exner , who come in from Studebaker to steer corporal styling in 1949 . Exner favored " classic " design element : unsloped grilles , rotary wheel openings , rakish silhouettes . But the virtual , boring boxes of K.T. Keller ( then groom for retirement ) were n’t selling , and before Exner could get out anything altogether new , Chrysler Division ’s annual volume had dropped from 180,000 to barely 100,000 .

The Chrysler Hemi Engine

Predictably , the 1950 Chryslers were repetition of the all - novel postwar ' 49 good example preserve the common trimming shuffles and a broad chrome eggcrate grinning . A Deluxe royal sedan with custom interior was added , but the prominent news was Chrysler ’s first book hardtop coupe . Called Newport , it was offered as a Windsor , New Yorker , and Sir Henry Joseph Wood - trim Town & Country ( the last supercede the transformable ) .

Six - piston chamber Royals were in their last twelvemonth for 1950 , sell for $ 2100-$3100 . The T&C was no longer want to glamorise an prosaic group of cars as it had done in the early postwar period . After ' 50 , T&C would apply only to place wagons . Before leave alone , the Town & Country hardtop would pioneer a form of four - wheel disc brakes . Unlike later systems , this one employ two disk expanding inside a barrel .

Saratoga , another peripheral vendor , would depart after 1952 ( though it would be back ) . So would a revived 1950 - 51 Traveler , a Deluxe - passementerie Windsor utility sedan ( something of a contradiction ) . Standard and Deluxe Windsors and New Yorkers then carried on until 1955 ’s " Hundred Million Dollar Look , " when only Deluxes were offered sans remaining long sedans and Imperials ; the latter were new marketed as a disjoined make .

With one curious exception , Chryslers did n’t transfer much from 1951 through ' 54 . Wheelbases stayed the same throughout , as did basic styling , though a more cautious grille mark the ' 51s . The ' 52s were all but indistinguishable ; the business firm did n’t even keep disjoined production figures . rear light are the only way to severalise them apart : the ' 52s had built - in backup lamps . The ' 53s gained slimly bulkier lower - consistence sheetmetal , more chrome , and one - piece windshield . The ' 54s were a small " hopeful " still . Body and series assignments also stood pat , though 1953 - 54 brought a revived Custom majestic line with saloon and limousine on a 133.5 - in wheelbase , plus a received - distance Newport .

The above - note exception was 1951 ’s new hemispherical - head V-8 , Chrysler ’s great achievement of the tenner . Highland Park ’s early-’50s styling may have been bland , but its engineering science was still anything but . The glorious " Hemi " was simply the latest object lesson .

Still , the Chrysler six had long dominated division sales , so its complete disappearance after 1954 surprised some . But it was part of a plan inspire by Keller ’s replacement , Lester Lum " Tex " Colbert . Then , too , the Hemi impart few emptor for the six : well over 100,000 in 1950 , but only some 45,000 by ' 54 .

Colbert took over as company president in 1950 with several goals . The main ones were deconcentrate division direction , a total redesign for all make as presently as possible , and an ambitious programme of plant life expansion and funding . Giving the divisions freer reign meant that multitude close-fitting to retail sale would have more say in mapping policy .

The Hemi round Chrysler ’s image in a big way , and quickly spread to other company nameplate . First offer on the ' 51 Saratoga , New Yorker , and Imperial , it was n’t really a raw idea , but it did have special volumetrical efficiency and delivered sincerely thrilling functioning . Despite lower compression that allowed using broken - octane fuel than most other postwar overhead - valve V-8s , the Hemi produced far more power for a give displacement reaction .

And it had plenty of power even in initial 331 - cid form . An other prototype recorded 352 bhp on the dynamometer after minor modification to camshaft , carburetors , and wipe out . Drag race car would later extract up to 1000 bhp .

But the Hemi was complex and costly to build up , requiring doubly as many rocker shafts , pushrods , and rocker ; head were heavy , too . All versions were thus phased out by 1959 in party favour of more - conventional " wedge - head " V-8s . But the Hemi was too skillful to lose , and it would return in Highland Park ’s great midsize muscle cars of the ' LX .

Of course , the Hemi made for some very hot Chryslers in the ' 50s . By dint of its lighter Windsor anatomy , the Hemi Saratoga was the fast in the line up to 1955 , able to scale 0 - 60 miles per hour in as trivial as 10 seconds and reach nearly 110 mph directly - out – straight from the showroom . Bill Sterling ’s Saratoga won the Stock Class and finished third overall – behind a Ferrari – in the 1951 Mexican Road Race .

Chryslers also did well as NASCAR stocker , but were eclipse by Hudson ’s " fabulous " Hornets in 1952 - 54 . However , millionaire Briggs Cunningham began build rakish Hemi - powered sport car for European route races , and his C-5R ran third overall at Le Mans ' 53 at an average of 104.14 miles per hour ( against 105.85 miles per hour for the winning Jaguar C - Type ) .

Then came Chrysler ’s own mighty 1955 C-300 packing a inventory Hemi tuned for 300 bhp – the most ever offer in a even - product U.S. car . The 300 prevail NASCAR in 1955 - 56 , and might have proceed to do so had the Automobile Manufacturers Association not concur to de - stress racing after 1957 .

1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 Chryslers

The Chrysler 300 was part of the all - new Exner - style ' 55 line that cost $ 100 million to acquire , hence the " Hundred Million Dollar Look " advertising ballyhoo . But it was deserving the expense , boosting model - class book to over 150,000 units and bringing appearance up to equation with operation at last . develop from an early-’50s serial publication of Exner - designed , Ghia - built Chrysler " idea cars , " the ' 55s were clean and aggressive - face on a slightly longer 126 - in wheelbase . Windsor DeLuxe was treated to a new 301 - Criminal Investigation Command Hemi with 188 bhp . New Yorker retained a 331 rat at 250 bhp .

The ' 56s depend even better – rare for a point face lifting – and offered even more power . Windsors moved up to the 331 with 225 bhp standard and 250 optional . New Yorker offer 280 bhp via a drill - out 354 Hemi . That year ’s 300B used the same engine pick off to 340 bhp ; with a spicy multicarb option it delivered 355 bhp – making this the first Detroit V-8 to break the magic " 1 hp per cu . in . " barrier . Chevy would wield the joke for ' 57 , but only with fuel injection .

Exner ’s work was never better than on the ' 57 Chryslers : longer , much modest , wider , and sleeker , with modest grille and refined five . They still look good today . That year ’s 300C was breathtaking : big and powerful yet safe and governable – and offered as a convertible for the first prison term . A unique trapezoidal grillwork set it apart from other models .

Supplementing Newport hardtops for 1955 - 56 were the Windsor Nassau and New Yorker St. Regis , guardedly two - toned and gas slimly ritzy DoI than standard Newports . Neither returned for ' 57 , but the previous class ’s Newport hardtop sedans , a hasty answer to GM , would carry on well into the ' 70s . The ' 57 Town & Country wagons , Windsor and New Yorker , seated six , but could hold up nine from 1958 on via a novel , optional rear - face third seat .

Saratoga returned as Chrysler ’s midrange ' 57 series and quickly sold more than 37,000 copy . It again offered a performance premium in its 295 - bhp , 354 - cid Hemi . Windsor blow 285 horses . New Yorkers moved up to an hypertrophied 392 with 325 bhp ; in the 300C this engine delivered an incredible 375 or 390 bhp . Nobody be given the period " HP race " better than Chrysler .

The division had simply caught up in the " transmission airstream " with fully automatic two - speed PowerFlite , which bow in late 1953 to replace self-loading " Fluid Drive . " But Chrysler pull ahead in mid-‘56 by adding three - speed TorqueFlite , one of the finest automatics ever establish . Also that year , both transmissions switch to the now - famous – or ill-famed – pushbutton control , mounted in a ready to hand pod to the left of the steering steering wheel . PowerFlite - equipped ' 55s used a lissom sceptre to the right of the helm . Though this looked stiletto - lethal , it crumpled harmlessly on impact .

Chrysler ’s ' 57 styling was superb , but offer a second all - new designing in three class lead to precipitate , sub - standard workmanship and a tendency to early body rust – one reason comparatively few of these cars outlast today . A series of plant strike did n’t help . Even so , Chrysler moved close to 125,000 railroad car for the model twelvemonth , down from the 128,000 of ' 56 but still good for 10th in diligence product .

No word of Chrysler in the ' 50s is complete without mentioning " Torsion - Aire Ride , " a bodied staple from 1957 until the early ' 80 . Packard had its fantabulous four - roulette wheel " Torsion Level " system for 1955 - 56 , so the idea was n’t really Modern . But Torsion - Aire was in far more driveway , and proved once and for all that American car could be made to handle . alternatively of sending route electrical shock into the chassis or body like gyre or leafage springs , torsion bars absorb most of it by twisting against their mounts . Chrysler used them only at the front , in all probability more for engine - compartment space than improved geometry , but it complemented them with a conventional rear ending specially calibrate to maximize the bar ' strength .

A deep national receding and continuing subpar lineament made 1958 a terrible year for Chrysler Division . Volume plunged to less than 64,000 , and the make expend to 11th , still trailing Cadillac ( as it had since ' 56 ) . A balmy facelift was generally not for the better except on the 300D , which was all but identical to the ' 57 C - model . Windsor gained a convertible security , but was demoted to the 122 - inch Dodge / DeSoto chopine . Horse­power keep go up . Windsors were up to 290 and Saratogas to 310 , courtesy of 354 - cid Hemis ; New Yorkers packed 345 bhp and the 300D a rousing 380/390 , all from 392s .

A more hearty restyle note the " Leo - hearted " ' 59s . Though arguably less graceful in appearance , they grade near to 70,000 sales in a mild Detroit recovery . The shift to sub - head V-8s infix a 383 with 305 bhp for Windsor and 325 for Saratoga ; a bigger - bore 413 give 350 in New Yorker and 380 bhp in the 300E. Though not as efficient as the Hemi , the wedge shape was much elementary and cheaper to make .

1960, 1961 Chryslers

The Chrysler 300E has been long dress down as a weakling next to its Hemi - powered predecessors , but route trial said the 300E was just as straightaway as a 300D. With 10.1:1 densification , TorqueFlite , and 3.31:1 axle , the E could run 0 - 60 miles per hour in under 8.5 second and reach 90 miles per hour in 17.5 . Even so , production was just 550 hardtops and a bare 140 convertibles , a record low that would tolerate until ' 63 .

After flirting with a GM - style five - air division structure in the ' 50s , Highland Park was back to just Dodge and Chrysler - Plymouth by 1960 . The firm introduced its first powder compact that year , the Valiant , but it was n’t badged a Chrysler . Indeed , C - P repeatedly declared throughout the ' LX that there would never be a little Chrysler . Let Buick , Olds , and Pontiac thrill to compacts . Dodge and Plymouth would field – and sometimes suffer with – smaller car ; Chryslers would remain big , muscular and luxurious . And so they would , all the way into the mid-’70s .

The 1960 - 61 example were the last of the outlandishly finned Exner - styled Chryslers and the first to utilise full unit construction or else of traditional body - on - skeleton ( even the old Airflow had body board weld to a separate cage anatomy ) . Since " unibodies " were held together more by welds than egg and bolts , they did n’t suffer so much from looseness or rattle . But they were definitely more prone to rust – as many a lamentable possessor find out .

Stylewise , the 1960 Chrysler mannikin were extremely modeled but as uncontaminating as the deft ' 57s . Chrome was tastefully handled , superstructures were glassy ( especially windshield ) , and turn back trapezoid grille conferred an aggressive 300 - like appearance . repay from ' 59 were optional swivel front seat that pivoted outward through an automatic door latch release when a door was open .

wheelbase and engine stood slick for 1960 . The Saratoga was in its last year . Windsor would also depart for serious , after ' 61 . Top - liners were confined to six variety of luxury New Yorker and the 300F. By 10 ’s goal , New Yorker regularly score over 30,000 annual sales . Price were just below Imperial ’s but about equal to those of the expectant Buicks .

By far the most - exciting 1960 Chrysler was the sixth - variation " varsity letter - serial " 300 with a racy yet childlike new " bad-tempered - hair " grille , four - seat bucket - seat interior , road - hugging suspension , and newly optional French - made Pont - a - Mousson four - swiftness gear - loge . The F rode hard , but corner better than any other car of its sizing . And it was a flyer . newfangled " random memory - induction " manifolding lift its 413 V-8 to 375 or 400 bhp , expert for standing quartern - miles of 16 indorsement at 85 miles per hour . A half - 12 unlike axle ratios were available for even smashing f number . With the 3.03 sprocket plus a tuned engine and some body streamlining , Andy Granatelli come close to 190 mph in one flying - mile run . The 300F was n’t loud at $ 5411 for the hardtop and $ 5841 for the sofa bed , but it had a lot of style and sizzle .

The ' 61 line of reasoning was mostly a repetition of 1960 save somewhat more contrived styling . Windsor moved up to replace Saratoga ; taking its place was a downpriced base serial publication called Newport . The latter fasting became the make ’s bread - and - butter , thanks to very competitory pricing of just under $ 3000 through 1964 , a tip repeatedly emphasized in Chrysler ads . By 1965 , Newport ’s annual gross revenue were exceeding 125,000 . The ' 61 carry a 265 - bhp 361 V-8 ; Windsor and New Yorker keep back their previous railway locomotive . That year ’s 300 G did n’t offer the four - speed option , but render to 15 - inch wheels ( versus XIV ) for the first sentence since 1956 .

Though Highland Park ’s fortunes were shivering in these years , Chrysler Division actually improved its volume and industry rank . After sinking to 12th with over 77,000 cable car for 1960 , it finish 11th on good than 96,000 units for ' 61 .

Nevertheless , the company ’s general sale difficulties hasten a direction shakeup that had an immediate effect on products . At the end of July 1961 , a beleaguered " Tex " Colbert retired as Chief Executive , a part he had resumed in 1960 when William Newberg leave office the post after two months amid allegement of having financial interests in several Chrysler suppliers .

This usher in former administrative vice - president Lynn A. Townsend , who then became president in January 1967 , with Virgil Boyd as president through early 1970 . These change also prompt Exner , who was often charge for the sales woes , to leave alone in late 1961 after shaping the ' 63 corporal line . His replacement was Elwood Engel , raise from Ford and part of the design squad on the elegant ' 61 Lincoln Continental .

1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Chryslers

In 1962 , Chrysler fielded what Exner call the " plucked chickens " : basically ' 61s shorn of fins . The 1963 - 64s had " the crisp , sporty custom look " – chisel but chunky . For 1965 came Engel ’s legato , squarish eubstance with fenders butt on in bright metal , one of his theme song .

Among the finless ' 62s was a new four - example mathematical group of " non - letter " 300s : convertible , hardtop coupe , and four - doorway with and without group B - pillars . All carry the same engine as the now - departed Windsor and could be optioned with flashy lineament like center console and front bucket seats . write the pillared sedan ( only 1801 build , all for export ) , these Chrysler 300s were quite pop at prices in the $ 3300-$3800 compass . But they hurt that year ’s 300H , which cost $ 1600-$1800 more yet looked almost the same . As a result , letter - series loudness dropped from about 1600 for ' 61 to just 558 .

Chrysler ’s New Yorker was downgrade to the next-to-last 122 - in wheelbase for 1963 - 64 , becoming the same world-wide size as the less - costly Chryslers , yet sales were strong in both years . Arriving as 1963 " spring specials " were a 300 Pace Setter hardtop and translatable and the New Yorker Salon hardtop sedan . The former , commemorate Chrysler ’s selection as pace car for that class ’s Indianapolis 500 , was identified by baffle checker - flag emblems and exceptional trim .

The Salon came with such standard luxuries as air conditioning ; AM / FM radio ; " Auto Pilot " speed control ; power brake , steering , seats , and windows ; TorqueFlite ; and gloss - describe wheel covering and vinyl ceiling . Minus the Pace Setters , this lineup repeated for ' 64 with for the most part untouched engine and styling .

The 1963 - 64 300J/300 KiB ( the letter " I " was skipped to deflect discombobulation with the identification number " 1 " ) were big , self-coloured execution cars in the letter - series custom . The J came only as a hardtop ; the sofa bed was reestablish with the K. Just 400 Js were built in all , a disk low for Chrysler ’s limited version , but the K escort a tidy 3600 - addition . All ran 413s with 360/390 bhp , down slightly from 300H ratings . The last of the true letter - serial machine was the 300L of 1965 . It saw 2845 copies , include a mere 440 convertible . None of these were quite the stormers that previous 300s were , but they persist the most roadable Chryslers and among the best handling of all big Detroiters . Sales lose to the non - letter 300s is what killed them , of course of study .

Chrysler did very well for 1965 , selling over 125,000 Newport , closely 30,000 non - letter 300s and almost 50,000 New Yorkers . Things were even in effect for ' 66 : the 300 nearly duplicate and Newport climb by 42,000 units .

The post-1964 Engel Chryslers were shorter than their Exner forebear but just as spacious at heart . Wheelbase was 124 inches for all models except wagons ( 121 through ' 66 , then 122 inches ) . Expanding the ' 67 line were the Newport Custom two- and four - doorway hardtop and four - door saloon . Tagged some $ 200 above like standard Newports , Customs were trumpet as " a jumbo step in luxuriousness , a diminutive step in price . "

Deluxe interiors were the magnanimous attraction : jacquard textile and rough-textured vinyl , plus root for - down center armrests . Like other ' 67 Chryslers , the Custom dash germinate no fewer than eight toggle switch , three thumbwheels , 16 pushbuttons , three sliding lever , and 12 other miscellaneous controls . Vinyl - covered aerodynamic lift handles appear on Custom trunklids , and there were " over 1000 chrome accents along the sides , plus 15 gold top medallions . "

Meanwhile , the luxurious New Yorker Town & Country coaster wagon disappear after 1965 ( sales had been slow for years ) , but six- and nine - passenger Newport wagons continued through ' 68 , after which T&C became a separate patrol wagon serial . All typically came with vinyl radical upholstery instead of the cloth - and - vinyl group of Newport sedans .

natural spring 1968 bring the interesting $ 126 " Sportsgrain " choice : paddy wagon - type assume - wood side pane for the Newport convertible and hardtop coupe . It did n’t trance on and thus was leave out after ' 69 . Sportsgrain convertible must be rarified indeed , as Chrysler built only 2847 total ragtop Newport for ' 68 . More popular that yr were the tot Newport Special two- and four - door hardtop with a turquoise colour dodging , later extend to 300s .

railway locomotive choices for ' 65 ask 270- and 315 - bhp 383s for Newport and 300 , a 413 with 340 or 360 bhp for New Yorker and 300L. The more - stiff 383 gained 10 horses for ' 66 , when a vast 440 heavy - stop arrived as standard New Yorker transportation , rated at 350 bhp . The 300s take it for 1967 , when a 375 - hp rendering was added . The 440s stood pat for 1968 - 69 , but the 383s were retuned to 290 and 330 bhp , this despite the Second Coming of federal emissions standard .

These moves and the materialistic Engel styling pay off in vastly higher volume : 206,000 - plus for ' 65 , closely 265,000 the following year . Though sale dipped to some 219,000 for ' 67 , Chrysler ran 10th in manufacture output in each of these years , then claim ninth with 1968 product that just topped the ' 66 book .

The all - Modern " fuselage - styled " ' 69s did almost as well . If not the most beautiful Chryslers of the decade , they were at least handsome with their great curl bumper / grille combinations , fulsome bodysides , and low rooflines . Despite remaining on the 124 - column inch wheelbase , all example were bigger than ever : almost 225 inches longsighted and most 80 inch blanket – about as magnanimous as American cars would ever get .

The Chrysler Corporation Restructures

Chrysler models in the seventies commute only in item , but midyear , Chrysler introduced the first Cordobas : a Newport hardtop coupe and sedan with paint , vinyl radical ceiling , bodyside moldings , wheels , and grille all colored gold , plus unequaled " Aztec Eagle " upholstery . A well - equip Newport 440 hardtop also get in with TorqueFlite , vinyl roof , and other extras as monetary standard .

A admonisher , but not a revitalisation , of the great letter - series in 1970 was Chrysler ’s 300 - H. The " H " stood for Hurst , maker of the trading floor - climb shifter used for the TorqueFlite automatic . Performance goodies abounded – special road wheel , white - missive tires , a tuned 440 V-8 , weighed down - tariff abeyance – set off by a gold - and - white paint chore , custom cap , trunklid spoiler , special grille , pinstriping , and unique interior . Only 501 were build . Also appear for 1970 were Chrysler ’s last big convertible security , a Newport and 300 that visit respective production of just 1124 and 1077 units . They ’ve since become minor collector ’s items .

Vast changes in corporate administration were unmistakable by 1969 - 70 . Quality restraint had become an remainder in itself as engineers shinny to correct Chrysler Corporation ’s poor report in that area . On the administrative side , Townsend had consolidated Colbert ’s sometime decentralized structure and move to fortify divisional identity element between Dodge and Chrysler - Plymouth . Still , the house would travel a very rocky road in the ' 70s .

The Chrysler trade name stayed with its basic 1969 - 70 recipe through 1973 . panache variations through ' 72 amount via easy - change items that became a routine tackier with clip . The ' 73s gain blockier lower - body sheet alloy and a more - formal front , with big bumper per federal requirement .

New for ' 71 was a low - price Newport Royal subseries with standard 255 - bhp 360 V-8 , an blown-up variant of the incorporated small - block locomotive introduced in the mid-’60s . A stroke 400 - cid version of the 383 , more adaptable to emissions tuning , replaced it for ' 72 , then disappear with the 360 and all Royal example .

Other Chryslers relied on the 440 with added expelling controls that sapped baron , which was down to 215 bhp by ' 73 – though that was in more - naturalistic SAE final measure , not the old gross rating . A pop fresh add-on for ' 72 was the New Yorker Brougham : two hardtops and a sedan with lusher interiors and a $ 300-$400 cost premium over the standard consequence .

Overall , Chrysler did fair well in this menstruation . Sales fell to around 177,000 for 1970 - 71 , but recover to about 205,000 for ' 72 , then to 234,000 - plus . Nevertheless , Chrysler still could n’t seem to vex Cadillac , trailing GM ’s flagship every twelvemonth in 11th situation .

sale sank right in the wake of the first vigour crisis despite a completely redesigned harvest of 1974 models , still on a 124 - in wheelbase but about five inch short than the " fuselage " generation . Styling was crisper but more slab - sided , declare by pseudo - classic straight wicket , a period rage that Chrysler had studiously avoided before .

locomotive options and HP were down : 185/205 - bhp 400 V-8s for Newport and Newport Custom , 230/275 - bhp 440s for T&C wagons , New Yorker , and New Yorker Brougham . The last was now quite like the Imperial , which was again being marketed as a Chrysler but was still cross-file as a separate make . After ' 75 , Imperial actually became a Brougham via the badge - engineering science so long practice by Chrysler – to the disarray of customer up and down the incorporated pipeline .

Few in Highland Park had foreseen the vigour crisis , which only accelerate the emptor resistance to big cars that had been building as a result of galloping sticker prices . sales agreement of the record - priced 1974s dropped to 1970 floor , and a two - calendar month backlog apace piled up , yet chairman Townsend refused to slash Leontyne Price . Instead , he whip production .

By early November 1974 , corporate sale were down 34 percent – not as defective as GM ’s 43 per centum loss , but more serious , as Chrysler ’s fixed price were spread out over much littler volume . The results were employee layoff and an unsold inventorying of 300,000 units by early 1975 .

Finally , Chrysler offered something no one in Detroit ever had : cash rabbet – fundamentally paying people to buy . Other automakers had little selection but to espouse . It add up to have money away in an effort to drop off less on the equilibrium tack , but it was a necessary , if drastic , footmark . That big stockpile be Chrysler $ 300,000 a week .

Lee Iacocca Arrives at Chrysler

Sharp reversal in the car industry prompted a complete second thought that must have seemed quite alien for Chrysler , a company that had solemnly promise never to build a smaller cable car . But a new ism was emerging that ring some 1958 remarks of then - forthcoming chairperson K.T. Keller , who propose Chrysler should " get back to design for function , with more accent on utility . "

The most seeable evidence of the novel order was the 1975 Cordoba . Though this personal - sumptuousness coupe broke new ground for the marque , it was n’t at all presume : largely a twin to that year ’s revamped Dodge Charger , with styling that looked like a crisscross between the sleek Jaguar XJ6 and semi - baroque Chevrolet Monte Carlo . On a 115 - in wheelbase , this new Cordoba was the shortest Chrysler since the war – and only 2.5 in longer than the very first 1924 Six .

Cordoba was billed as " the new modest Chrysler , " which it was , and something of a road auto , which it was n’t despite received antiroll bars and sword - belted radial tyre . Reflecting its true character were interiors upholstered in crushed velour or vinyl with brocade fabric . " o.k. Corinthian leather , " extolled on TV by worker Ricardo Montalban , cost extra .

Save gamey prices , the rest of the business line was little changed for 1975 - 76 . The accent mark was now strictly on luxury with a modicum of " efficiency " throw in . The opulent New Yorker Brougham boasted standard leather , velour , or brocade upholstery , plus shag carpeting , " test - tube " walnut applique , and filigree moldings . Economy , such as it was , acquire a little assistant from numerically small axle ratios and a novel " Fuel Pacer " option – an intake manifold - pressure sensor abstract to a warning Christ Within that glowed during heavy - footed moment .

Chrysler field something even small for 1977 : the mid - size of it , 3500 - pound , M - body LeBaron . flawlessly styled in the boxy Mercedes accent on a 112.7 - inch wheelbase , it came in standard and upmarket Medallion trim as either a coupe or four - door sedan . Despite its origins in the workaday A - body Dodge Aspen / Plymouth Volare concordat , it sold quite well , providing timely gross sales aid in a mart again clamor for smaller automobile . The full - sizing course was mildly facelifted , and Newport Custom take off . Cordoba soldiered on in two footling - alter models .

LeBaron get greater emphasis for 1978 with the plus of downpriced S versions and a orthodontic braces of Town & Countrys , the latter replace full - size Chrysler wagons . All extend 90- and 110 - bhp versions of the hoary 225 - Criminal Investigation Command " Slant Six " as option to optional 140- and 155 - bhp 318 - cid V-8s . The easy - selling full - sizers were further reduced by leave out pillared four - room access . The 440 V-8 was still available for them , but most were ordered with the received 400 . LeBaron had bowed with square headlamps newly approved by Washington . Cordoba now got them , too .

For 1979 , Chrysler issued downsized big sedan chair on a 118.5 - inch wheelbase : six and V-8 Newport and V-8 - only New Yorker and New Yorker Fifth Avenue . Built on the business firm ’s 1971 - vintage medium platform , these ostensibly " novel " R - body modelling were well smaller and calorie-free than the old mastodont , but still looked big and heavy – which they were .

Sales were underwhelming : about 133,000 in a record Detroit twelvemonth . The LeBaron line now list groundwork , Medallion , and new midrange Salon models plus woody - front T&C Wain , none considerably altered . Reviving the emotional state of the bully alphabetic character - series 300 was a midyear option chemical group for Cordoba comprising unique passementerie , bucket keister , cross - hair grille , and a 195 - bhp 360 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 .

By this dot , a cumulate financial crisis was threatening Chrysler Corporation ’s very macrocosm . But avail was already onboard in the person of newly named chairman Lee A. Iacocca , the late oust United States President of Ford who ’d arrived in former 1978 . He arrived none too soon . Not only was Chrysler near bankruptcy , it was in " a state of anarchy , " as laccoca wrote later in his best - sell auto­biography . " There was no existent commission setup , no cement in the organizational chart , no system of get together to get people talking to each other … I took one look at the system and almost throw up . That ’s when I know I was in really deep difficulty . "

" Chrysler had no overall system of rules of financial controls , " he order . " Nobody in the whole shoes seemed to fully sympathise what was going on when it come to financial provision and projecting . I could n’t find out anything . I already knew about the lousy cars , the bad esprit de corps , and the deteriorating manufacturing plant . But I simply had no idea that I would n’t even be able-bodied to get hold of the correct numbers so that we could start out to attack some canonic problems . "

Lee Iacocca Reverses Chrysler’s Poor Sales

newfangled product to answer some of Chrysler ’s problem were nearing completion when Iacocca fare in ; others were further away . None would have appeared without the Union loan warrant Iacocca managed to coax from a reluctant United States Congress in mid-1980 .

For the Chrysler line , this post dictated a holding action for 1980 - 81 , though with a few game attempts at something dissimilar . Prime among the latter was a 2d - generation Cordoba , a crisply reskinned LeBaron coupe on the same 112.7 - inch wheelbase . It was a fair success its first year at some 54,000 units , but yearly volume then vanish to less than one-half of that through ' 83 , after which Cordoba said adios .

A 185 - bhp 360 V-8 was optional for 1980 ; choices then thinned to a received 85 - bhp , 225 - Criminal Investigation Command Slant - Six or a 130 - bhp 318 V-8 . A less - expensive LS version for 1981 - 83 again tried to stir letter - series retentiveness , but few were sell .

The prominent universal gas constant - body Newport / New Yorker put up footling sale help in this period , and was dropped after much - deoxidize 1981 loudness of fewer than 11,000 ( including a high proportion of taxi and police sales ) . A much happier fate awaited the M - body LeBaron , which also look concluding but would run a good batch longer . It was facelifted for 1980 with bolder grillwork , more - crisply creased fenders and , save wagons , blockier rooflines . do room for the downsized Cordoba , LeBaron coupes move to the 108.7 - in Aspen / Volare wheelbase and gained a more nigh - coupled facial expression .

What ultimately sustain this design appear as a mid-1980 special called LeBaron Fifth Avenue Edition , a loaded four - room access with throwback styling in the image of the like - call R - body New Yorker . When the latter was cancel and a young front - drive LeBaron bring for ' 82 , this one role model , keep on on as a " downsized " New Yorker , testify increase sales strength as the grocery recovered from its early - ten stagnation . By 1984 , it was but Fifth Avenue and up to over 79,000 produced – a design that neared 110,000 the next year . Remarkably , the Fifth Avenue was still bringing in over 70,000 orders per yr as late as 1987 .

There was no secret in this . A lot of folks still craved traditional rear - effort American luxury . This one offered batch of standard amenities at attractive prices that begin around $ 13,000 and stop the decade only some $ 5000 high . Yes , the Fifth Avenue was terribly demode by 1989 , but as tooling costs had long been amortise , Chrysler could keep damage reasonable ( despite pressures to the contrary ) , which hardly dampened need . In all , this automobile was a pleasant surprise success for Chrysler .

Meanwhile , Iacocca presided over a singular resurgence that put Chrysler Corporation solidly back in the black by 1983 . The company even paid all its creditors ahead of prison term , without ever resorting to federal backup . The return to prosperity came almost entirely on clever – and seemingly sempiternal – permutation of the front - bicycle - private road K - machine compact , introduced for 1981 as the Dodge Aries / Plymouth Reliant . Chrysler versions follow for ' 82 ; by ten ’s end they ’d constitute virtually the integral channel .

First up were smaller LeBarons : base and Medallion coupe and sedans on the 99.9 - inch K - car wheelbase . Power came from Chrysler ’s own newly designed 2.2 - liter ( 135 - Criminal Investigation Command ) exclusive - overhead - Cam River four or an optional 2.6 - litre " balancer " four supplied by longtime Nipponese partner Mitsubishi . A turbo­charged 2.2 spinning out 142 - 146 bhp arrived for ' 84 and was relatively pop .

Replacing the old M - body LeBarons , these " CV " simulation were connect at mid-1982 by a woody - look Town & Country wagon and America ’s first mill convertibles since the mid-’70s . The latter can be jolly credited to Iacocca and were a glorious shot , offered in plain and nostalgic T&C trim .

Iacocca also issue resume - based foresighted models recalling the 1940s and ' 50s . These comprised a five - passenger Executive Sedan on a 124 - inch wheelbase and a seven - seat limousine on a 131 - in chassis – the first " carriage trade " Chryslers since the last Stageway Imperial limo of 1970 . They sell in modest number through 1986 , primarily to fancy hotels and airport limo services . Chrysler then gave up on them as just so much hassle .

The CV LeBarons continued through 1986 with only venial styling and mechanically skillful changes . A stroked 2.5 - liter ( 153 - cid ) engine with 100 bhp became usable that season , a twelvemonth after TorqueFlite machinelike was made received and the five - focal ratio manual transmission was neglect . The line quickly set up itself as Chrysler ’s top period of time seller , earn around 100,000 orders annually . The notchback four - doorway and T&C beach waggon lasted through 1988 .

Next in the line of K - based Chryslers was a stretch out four - door , in the beginning advert " Gran LeBaron " but announced for 1983 under the prosaic deed of E - Class , a reference to its E - body chopine . Though tease a three - column inch longer wheelbase , the E - Class was much like the CV LeBaron save revised rearward - quarter styling , a roomier back nates , and slightly higher damage . But it fail to get on – at least as a Chrysler product . After 1984 and some 80,000 illustration , it was badge - engineered into Plymouth and Dodge models that sold somewhat better as " novel - historic period " family automobile .

The Chrysler New Yorker and Chrysler LeBaron

A more - successful spinoff was the first front - driving New Yorker . Bowing at mid-1983 , this was an E - Class with more class – or what passed for it at the metre . Taking a cue from Fifth Avenue sale , stylist give the due east - body a blind - poop aggrandize vinyl group ceiling , a more - just erect - saloon grille , extra chrome accents , even " opera house lamp " ( a ' seventy throwback ) .

There was also a more - uptown interior with Mark Cross leather upholstery ( usher in with the LeBaron translatable ) and high - technical school tricks like an irritate Electronic Voice Alert , a " back - seat driver " with a synthesized voice that nag you from within the instrument panel when your " winder is in the ignition " or " a door is ajar . " New Yorker was n’t the only Chrysler afflict by this badly - conceive equipment , which was presently dropped anyway . The elevator car itself hold up longer , return some 60,000 sales agreement through 1987 , after which it departed for a more - telling New Yorker .

The two most interesting Chryslers of the eighties were the Laser coupe and LeBaron GTS sedan . The former , new for ' 84 , was a silken " fasthatch " excogitation on an abbreviated 97.0 - inch - wheelbase K - machine platform ( internally dubbed " G24 " ) . A near - identical twin to the reborn Dodge Daytona introduce alongside it , the Laser was a sporty , if moderately crude performer in turbo form and hardheaded in any guise .

But it may have been a little much for most Chrysler types , because the Daytona always outsell it . As Dodge was confirm its title as the bay window ’s " functioning " division , Chrysler - Plymouth dealers lose the Laser after 1986 , though they got something more salable to supersede it .

GTS , a 1985 addition , was a very different LeBaron : a politic hatchback door four - door point at America ’s increasingly moneyed sister - boomers and their growing predilection for premium European sedans . As usual , there was a matching Dodge , the Lancer . Both shared the same new heat content - body and the common KB - automobile underpinnings on a 103.1 - inch wheelbase . uncommitted engines were the now - familiar assortment of Chrysler - built four - cylinder units team with five - f number overdrive manual and TorqueFlite automatic transaxles .

Though no threat to the likes of BMW and Mercedes , the LeBaron GTS was a competent all - around tourer , amazingly roomy and quite versatile ( like Laser , its back seat fold down for supererogatory cargo space ) . Over 135,000 feel vendee in the first two old age at pedestal prices running $ 9000-$11,000 . regrettably , volume dropped by almost 50 percent for ' 87 , reflecting tough competition from the popular new Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable . For 1989 , GTS referred only to a top - specification 2.2 turbo model , the base and midrange offerings becoming just plain LeBarons .

As if emptor were n’t already bewildered by so many LeBarons , Chrysler introduced two more for 1987 : a new J - organic structure coupe and convertible to replace the late curriculum vitae style . Chrysler ’s blueprint faculty , under new foreman Tom Gale , gave them rounded , GTS - type contour line , a clean yet self-respecting hidden - headlamp olfactory organ , and a shapely tail with full - breadth light instrument panel . From the rump , the coupe was nicely resonant of Studebaker ’s Avanti . The convertible security looked slap-up from any slant , especially with the top down .

Though the curriculum vitae wheelbase was keep , the J - model ’s intimate structure related more to Daytona than K - machine . By now , collective planners were seek to restore Chrysler as their premium make , so there were no divisional doubles of these LeBarons . Instead , Chrysler yield up the Laser , and the Daytona persist in as a Dodge exclusive . This strategy helped the Daytona less than the LeBaron Js , which get off to a strong sales set out at nearly 83,500 units .

New Yorker figure in another name game for 1988 : fully revised on the newfangled 104.3 - inch - wheelbase C - body platform portion out with Dodge ’s Dynasty . There were no major chassis innovations at first , but there was a new railway locomotive : a legato 136 - bhp 3.0 - cubic decimetre ( 181 - cid ) Mitsubishi V-6 with electronic - port fuel injection ( by now almost universal at Highland Park ) . Styling was clean but archly conservative – really a cautious update of the Fifth Avenue and , again , reportedly dictate by chairman Iacocca himself .

radix and better - outfit Landau saloon ( the latter with vinyl rear one-fourth - ceiling ) were list from around $ 17,500 . A first for Chrysler was handiness of antilock brakes , a $ 1000 pick but worth every centime in peace of creative thinker . Handling and performance were nothing especial , but these were simply traditional luxury cars of a trimmer , more - effective variety – really , no bad matter to be .

And Chrysler made them better for 1989 with stock all - disc brakes and a new four - speed reflexive transaxle that give Highland Park another diligence first with its in full adaptive electronic transmutation control . Other new features for the New Yorker nameplate ’s 50th year included option such as antitheft alarm system , power front seatback lounger , and two - attitude " memory " business leader gadget driver ’s seat , plus a revise electronic legal document clump .

Chrysler’s TC by Maserati

Plymouth ’s newfangled 1989 Acclaim compact implied an upscale Chrysler version . sure as shooting enough , it arrived in January 1990 to take over for the depart LeBaron hatchback . A blocky " trunked " four - doorway with smoothened - off edges , it was fundamentally a gussied - up Acclaim that could pass as a dry pint - size of it New Yorker with optional bright trim , vinyl radical - roof toppings , and a standard 141 - bhp V-6 .

The K - car ’s 2.2 - liter four had grown to 2.5 cubic decimeter and 100 bhp , and it was now stock for all ' 89 two - door LeBarons . The only option was a 150 - bhp turbo version for LeBaron coupe and sofa bed . Those J - body gondola receive a modernised flair for 1990 . design by Trevor Creed , recently of Citroën , it was flashy , but less than idealistic for ergonomics .

Also unexampled for the Js was a 2.2 - liter " Turbo IV " option with Chrysler ’s new Variable Nozzle Technology . Power was unaltered from the former " Turbo II " ( 174 bhp ) , but VNT reduced throttle lag by optimise exhaust - gas flow to the turbocharger with a set of radiate vane that could be angled by computing equipment ascendancy according to throttle position and locomotive engine speed .

Symbolic of Chrysler ’s eighties fortunes was its first - ever production two - seater . Awkwardly named Chrysler ’s atomic number 43 by Maserati , it was first show in mid-1986 ( as the " Q - coupe " ) but was delayed by numerous problems to a late-1988 debut as an ' 89 exemplar . Maserati , of track , is the well - know Italian sports - auto maker in which Chrysler had lately acquired a minority interest , but its primary role in this joint speculation was simply to work up Chrysler ’s figure .

Almost too predictably , the atomic number 43 was yet another kibibyte - dead ringer : a shorten 93.3 - inch - wheelbase translation of that ubiquitous platform top by a wedgy transformable organic structure looking much like the open LeBaron J ( though the TC was actually produce first ) . Powerteams ask a special 200 - bhp turbocharged 2.2 with intercooler , port shot , and a new Maserati - blueprint 16 - valve twincam piston chamber headspring , useable only with five - velocity manual ; and a single - cam 160 - bhp " Turbo II " locomotive for buyers prefer three - speed automatic .

The customer ’s only other choice was rouge colour , since the TC was conceive as a fully equipped " one - price " model . let in were the bear leather upholstery and full power assistance , but also all - phonograph record antilock brakes , manual easy top with het up - glass rear windowpane , and a obliterable hardtop ( made of sheet - molding compound ) . The last had a nostalgic styling touch : rearward - one-quarter portholes , recall the ' 56 Thunderbird and the earliest day of Iacocca ’s career at Ford .

Despite all this , the TC bombed . Its similarity to the much meretricious LeBaron sofa bed was too obvious ; and handling , refinement , and performance were undistinguished for a railcar of its monetary value . Adding accidental injury to insult , the announced $ 30,000 basis sticker was hiked $ 3000 within three month . Thus did trade hebdomadary Automotive News name the TC its 1988 " Flop of the Year , " the same " honor " it accorded Cadillac ’s Allanté the late yr .

The 1990 edition was unaltered except for adding a Sir Henry Joseph Wood - rimmed steering wheel with airbag and a 3.0 - liter Mitsubishi V-6 to supervene upon the Turbo II locomotive engine with machinelike . Production soon ended at some 7300 total unit . A few nineties were retailed into ' 91 , again at attack - sales event prices .

Meanwhile , the erstwhile rear - drive M - body Fifth Avenue was finally retired for a new Y - body 1990 modeling , essentially the late front - drive New Yorker stretch to a 109.3 - inch wheelbase . Styling displayed the common " formal " pool cue , though hidden headlamps were a nice change and there were gadgets galore . Under the hood sit a new Chrysler V-6 : a 3.3 - cubic decimetre overhead - valve design with larboard injection and 147 bhp .

But the real surprisal was yet another converted Imperial , this one a more - deluxe Fifth Avenue measuring four inches longer ( 203 overall ) . An upright radiator grille announced it , and the familiar Imperial eagle badges appeared on the tail and roof . But prices were soused for what come to luxury K - auto : $ 21,395 for Fifth Avenue , $ 25 - grand for Imperial .

Worse , both were narrower and less roomy than Cadillac ’s recently enlarged DeVille . And Chrysler charge extra for antilock Pteridium aquilinum that Lincoln included on its Continental saloon . With all this , the Y - body twins were not huge sellers . The Fifth Avenue claimed a respectable 44,400 exemplary - year sales , but Imperial manage fewer than 15,000 .

There was a Modern Town & Country for 1990 , the first in two old age . To no one ’s surprise , it was a minivan . Chrysler had pioneered this concept with its ' 84 Dodge Caravan / Plymouth Voyager , and had kept sales roar with useful yearly updates , particularly the ' 87 entry of extended " Grand " model on a spacious 119.1 - column inch wheelbase . With every minivan an easy sale – and often load with profitable extra – a luxury version was a legitimate addition to the Chrysler lineup .

The minivan T&C bow as a unmarried long - chassis theoretical account with numerous comfort and convenience features including leather inside . Base price was a bit startling at $ 25,000 , but the only extra were whitewall tyre and a front licence - plate angle bracket . A vertical - prevention grillwork and pseudo - wood bodysides severalise T&C from less - costly Dodge / Plymouth minivans . The sole powertrain was a 150 - bhp 3.3 pushrod V-6 and four - speed automatic , the latter a new option for Caravan / Voyager . Though exemplary - yr sales were modest at under 3500 units , Chrysler hoped for better T&C results in the future tense .

Robert Lutz Joins Chrysler

Chrysler ’s time to come was in doubt in 1990 . Incredibly , Chrysler was again flirting with tragedy in a market turned sour once more , but this time there was no question of a government delivery . Chrysler ’s latest woes were clear of its own doing .

They stemmed from a mid-’80s outlay spree amid bonanza earnings , mainly from minivans . Optimistically , Iacocca decided that if GM could acquire Hughes Electronics , Chrysler should buy its own aerospace company – say , Gulfstream Aviation . Trouble was , Chrysler ’s purchase cost far more than GM ’s in relation to total assets , and Gulfstream finally turn up of lilliputian direct welfare .

Chrysler spend billions more to acquire American Motors in 1987 , land the remunerative Jeep dealership , but assuming a mountain of debt it could badly - afford . Worse , these and other vaulting move diverted funds that might have been better used to better Chrysler ’s own intersection and plant . As a result , the party was woefully unprepared when a penetrative recession hit in 1990 , and sale , net , and cash backlog all drop alarmingly .

As part of its eighties " diversification , " Chrysler split off its vehicle business as a separate Chrysler Motors whole in 1985 . But this was an organisational indulgence , and it hold out only five years . In the meantime , the firm began losing the primal executive director who ’d helped orchestrate its early-’80s replication , the former Iacocca colleagues from Ford who ’d been serve as president and chairmen of Chrysler Motors .

First to go was minivan " founding father " Harold Sperlich in 1988 ; fiscal whiz Gerald Greenwald and Bennett Bidwell resigned two years later . These loss ushered in Robert Lutz as president of Chrysler Motors in 1988 . Three eld later , he became overall chairman of a reunified Chrysler Corporation .

Lutz make it in the dent of time . A well-read " motorcar guy " with top - stratum executive experience at Opel , BMW , and Ford Europe , he knew even good than Iacocca that consumer tastes had modify greatly and that Chrysler had to change with them – fast . That not only meant more - contemporary , " international " vehicle but a whole new way of life of designing , building , and selling them .

With Iacocca ’s sanction , Chrysler begin shed noncore businesses like Gulfstream while forming " transversal - functional platform teams " charged with creating ranking elevator car and trucks – and get them to market in three yr or less or else of the common four or five .

Under the " squad concept , " designers , engineers , product expert , and marketing talent would work out together from day one to control their products were on mark with buyers for features , price , and quality . The theme was to minimise the delays , mistakes , mental confusion , and " turf battle " that often arise when people work on freestanding piece of the same project .

The determination to produce the hot Dodge Viper athletics car provided a well timed chance to test the new overture on a manageably small scale . It work out beautifully , and the squad concept was promptly adopted for all future - Cartesian product programs . Chrysler also began forging closer alliances with its many suppliers by include them as members of the various teams .

With these and other departure from Detroit tradition , the caller like to say it was " reinventing " itself , hoping to become a " New New Chrysler Corporation " capable to make timely , right-hand move to survive and even thrive in a now vastly alter automotive cosmos . Toward that remnant , chairman Iacocca was finally persuaded to tread down , something he ’d hold out for years .

Though Lutz was the obvious heritor apparent , Iacocca got in one last surprise by pass the job to Robert Eaton in early 1993 . Eaton was a scheming pick . He derive directly from GM Europe , which had recently come back strong under his command , and his gloomy - key manner made a nice contrast with the often outspoken Lutz . To his credit , Lutz correspond to delay on and give his all for the young chairman . They made a formidable squad .

Of course , massive modification does n’t befall overnight , so the early ' ninety were transition class for the Chrysler descent . Existing models were kept on only until replenishment were ready , which would be unmistakably soon .

The Chrysler Concorde

Some of the old material was treated with " benign neglect . " The Y - body , for instance , vanished after 1993 and only two interim change of note : a 3.8 - liter V-6 for ' 91 ( standard for Imperial , optional on Fifth Avenue ) and a meek Fifth Avenue facelift for ' 92 . cut-rate sale faded in both suit . Imperial dropped under 12,000 for ' 91 , then to 7600 and a last 7000 or so .

Fifth Avenue adjudge up easily , scoring no unfit than just under 30,000 in its last theoretical account year . Still , against Cadillac and Lincoln , these cars were only a token luxury bearing for the Chrysler brand , and in aspect and driving palpate they were about as modern as a leisure courtship .

The same could be articulate for the C - body New Yorker , which fall back its spiffy Landau version for 1991 , then get a nearly unperceivable facelift before close out as a undivided ' 93 model all but monovular with the Dodge Dynasty . Despite base prices that never exceeded $ 20,000 , this New Yorker could n’t equal the sale of the dear Fifth Avenue , managing just 20,000 - 23,000 a year after 1990 .

LeBarons were fiddle with during this period , but not drastically changed . The J - body air was rearranged for ' 91 , then bring optional antilock brake for ' 92 , when the A - body sedan expand to alkali , LX , and Landau model . Two - doorway got a nice facelift for ' 93 , showing new grille and exposed headlight . Turbo engines were knock off , but the Mitsubishi V-6 was now standard for midline LX and gaudy GTC coupe and convertible .

At the same sentence , the LX sedan departed and the base simulation was renamed LE . Coupes and four - cylinder power disappeared for ' 94 , leaving the two sedan and one GTC transformable with standard V-6 . Only the ragtop render for ' 95 , after which the LeBaron name was finally put to repose ( at least so far ) . Though sales decline with all manakin , the J - body two - doors fared a footling better .

Heralding Chrysler ’s next genesis was the front - cause Concorde sedan chair , the 1993 surrogate for the C - body New Yorker . Though charge as an intermediate automobile , it was really a full - size , standing nearly 17 feet long on a rangy 113 - inch wheelbase . All - sovereign pause and no - cost antilock brakes recalled Chrysler ’s nimbus twenty-four hour period . So did appearance .

With its new " LH " platform ( still a " unibody , " of course ) , Concorde introduced " cab forward " styling that made for immense home space and a sleek , even venturesome , fresh flavor – a refreshing break from boxiness . For the first prison term in nearly 40 class , Chrysler could lay claim industry design leaders . Though Concorde ’s conformation was shared by divisional sister Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision , Chrysler sagely made sure there were enough divergence among the three to head off the possibility of purchaser confusion .

Essentially , taxicab - forward lengthened the greenhouse and pushed the wheel out closer to the car ’s corners , resulting in a stubby deck , foreshortened olfactory organ , and purposeful wide - rails stance ( though a longitudinal locomotive engine dictated prolonged front overhang ) . ecumenical excogitation thinking had been moving in this focussing , so cab - forward was not totally new or unique to Chrysler . But nobody would it use more . In fact , cab­forward was the company ’s new intent signature .

Concorde bowed in a single , well - equipped model nucleotide - priced at $ 18,341 . Included were front bucket seating , shift console , tach , twofold airbags , full superpower assists , and other amenity . Power come from one of two V-6s . The pushrod 3.3 was standard , tune for 153 bhp . Optional was a new 3.5 - l unit of measurement with dual - command overhead camshaft , four valves per cylinder and 214 bhp . Both were entangle with four - speed automatic transaxle . cardinal options include electronic traction control , a fast " touring " suspension with performance tyre , leather interior , and an innovative built - in child rubber seat that thumb out from the rear backrest .

Though advertised as " the renaissance of the American car , " Concorde was piece in Canada , as Chrysler was obliged to note in fine print . It was just another sign that the auto globe had become a minor one after all .

The LH cars had been branded by some as the " Last Hope " for Chrysler ’s selection . Fortunately , they were the unanimous success the company need . Concorde alone scored unveiling model - year production of 56,218 , and its 1994 volume was nearly 86,000 . The soph variant creeped up to $ 19,500 , but gained the touring suspension as criterion , revise transmittance controls , eight more horses for the 3.3 railway locomotive , power steering that increased attempt with route hurrying , and a power moonroof option . No big modification occurred for ' 95 , though trim levels expanded to LX and posher LXi .

The Chrysler LHS and Chrysler Cirrus

Next on Chrysler ’s new - framework menu were an LH - based New Yorker and a premium companion call LHS , get in in spring ' 93 as the 1994 successors to the buckram Y - body Imperial / Fifth Avenue . Both rode the Concorde wheelbase but stretched nearly five in longer overall , hence their internal designation " 207 . "

Styling was naturally in the wedgy taxicab - forward mold , but a more - orthodox face and upright rear roofline imparted formalness without stodginess . elegant reverse - curvature 100 - place , allegedly inspired by late-’30s Bugattis , combined with a setback rearward butt for cheeseparing - limousine legroom .

LHS was the sporty edition , aim at affluent " baby boomer " with front buckets , shift console table , leather interior , loyal touring suspension and less exterior flash . New Yorker was for more - conservative folks , bear a front work bench seat , pillar teddy , cloth trimming , comparatively soft damping , and a little more remote chrome . Both models carry the twincam 3.5 - liter V-6 .

At just over $ 30 - chiliad , the LHS was some $ 5000 above the new New Yorker , yet outsell it from day one . Combined volume was excellent at well-nigh 83,000 for debut ' 94 , far above anything the Y - body had make do . Ads playfully admitted that some retiring Chryslers had been " barges " – but not these two . Like Concorde , the LHS / New Yorker was tight and responsive on winding roads , bouncing enough , still and refined ( hold open rather inordinate tire noise ) and , of course of study , eminently roomy . Not since the ' L had Chryslers modify so much in just one year – or so much for the better .

The 207s carry into 1995 essentially unaltered . LHS added an optional power moonroof during the ' 94 run . New Yorker got a received premium audio frequency system and touring pause for ' 95 . But with sale still greatly favor LHS , Chrysler decided to shake off the New Yorker after a short 1996 - simulation run , thus ending a seasoned American nameplate after 57 eventful geezerhood .

A new link with Chrysler ’s yesteryear appeared on 1995 models , as the corporate pentastar gave mode to the make ’s original " rose " emblems , resurrect after a 41 - year absence seizure . It was a pleasant surprisal , but no less so than that year ’s new Cirrus , the cab - forward-moving replacement for the A - body LeBaron sedan chair . Once again , Chrysler played fast and loose with semantics , labeling Cirrus a compact even though dimension were close to average and even full - size . A 108 - column inch wheelbase , for case , put Cirrus just 2.8 inches shy of a Buick Park Avenue or Oldsmobile Ninety - Eight . Its overall length of 186 inches was n’t that " thickset , " either .

All this made Cirrus relatively vast inside , and it looked even bolder than bigger cab - forwards , though not everyone liked the blue , jutting , upright - stripe grillwork . What multitude did approve was the taut , assured treatment of its new extensive - position " JA " platform , again with all - independent suspension system , received antilock pasture brake and speed - variable quantity power steering . The power­team sit transversally here , and four - speed automatic was again mandatory . The only locomotive for ' 95 was a Mitsubishi - based 2.5 - liter ( 152 - cid ) V-6 , another twincam multivalve unit , full for 164 bhp .

This continued on the classy LXi but was optional for the ' 96 LX , which flip to a standard twincam four , a fresh Chrysler - designed 2.4 - liter with 150 bhp . Both Cirruses were fully outfit with standard atmosphere conditioning , tilt guidance wheel , estimable - caliber speech sound system and power windows / mirrors / door curl . The LXi added mightiness gadget driver ’s seat in a leather - snip Department of the Interior , distant keyless accounting entry , and antitheft alarm , plus tour hiatus with carrying into action tires on alloy wheel . In all , Cirrus was another telling new Chrysler – and invoke value with base prices in the mid - to - mellow teens .

A rather different ' 95 newbie was the Sebring coupe , a lavishness edition of the twelvemonth - previous Dodge Avenger . Replacing the J - body LeBaron coupe , it was n’t technically an American car , as its base was the Japanese - designed 1994 - 98 Mitsubishi Galant sedan platform with 103.7 - inch wheelbase .

But the snazzy two - room access consistency was style with Chrysler input , and the base LX exemplar derive with a Chrysler ’s own 2.0 - l four as used in the small 1994 - 95 Dodge / Plymouth Neon . ( Mitsubishi ’s 2.5 - liter V-6 sport in the uplevel LXi . ) The Sebring coupe was also American - made , built exclusively for the U.S. market at the Illinois manufacturing plant that Chrysler localise up with Mitsubishi in 1989 as Diamond - Star Motors .

But sales were never impressive , even though Sebring coupe offered a honest many standard feature at affordable mid - adolescent to low-$20,000s prices . A shrinking coupe market did n’t help oneself , but neither did the few change that pass off over five model years , the most seeable being a modest 1997 rhytidectomy . As a result , calendar - class sales ran 25,000 - 35,000 through 1999 , then immerse below 13,000 .

Chrysler Sebring and Chrysler Town & Country

More successful was the Chrysler Sebring convertible that bowed in other 1996 to put back the drop - top LeBaron . Unlike the coupe , this Sebring was staring Chrysler , deal powertrains and a basic platform with the Cirrus sedan . Here , too , cab - forward styling add to uncommon interior blank , with genuinely comfortable rear seating room for two adults , the best of most any affordable ragtop around .

Though no sports car , the Sebring convertible was a pleasant driver on main road and byway likewise . There was curiously little divergence in power between the two models : 150 bhp from a 2.4 - litre four in the base JX , 163 from a 2.5 V-6 in the uplevel JXi . Performance was staid either way , thanks in part to mandatory automatic transmission , but Chrysler upped the fun quotient a bit for ' 97 by sum a new " AutoStick " feature to its V-6 models . A freestanding time slot on the selector switch quarter-circle allowed the driver to move the gears up and down manually .

Though changed little more year - to - year than Sebring coupes , the convertibles sold better and more consistently , pulling in around 50,000 order each calendar year through 2000 . Like its LeBaron forerunner , a in force many went to rental company in sunbelt areas like Florida , Southern California , and Arizona , so Chrysler retained championship to America ’s most - popular " engage - a - vertible . " Among the few noteworthy change in this period were the addition of a posh LXi Limited variant for 1998 with leather - and - wood interior , chrome wheels , V-6 , and AutoStick , and Sebring ’s first grip - command system .

Cirrus , too , seemed stuck in a time warping , its six - year run marked by yearly equipment shuffles – include a here today , gone tomorrow four - cylinder locomotive . An exclusion was the ' 99 version , which sported a larger grill decorate with a broad winged badge in lustrous chrome , a new Chrysler - sword theme song being phase - in throughout the line . Calendar - year sales see - sawed from the low-down to gamy 30,000s , a fairly lackluster display for a mainstream saloon . The link up Dodge Stratus did much better business sector , helped by lower Price and more - aggressive selling .

We should n’t forget Town & Country , if only because Chrysler Corporation had become the " minivan company " in more elbow room than one . Like sister Dodge / Plymouth models , the T&C gravel a smoother outside and redesign dash for ' 91 , plus a received driver ’s airbag and exclusive digi - graphic instrumentation ( dubious at well ) . Optional all - wheel crusade arrived for 1992 , a blessing for " snowbelt " mobility that attracted few orders . Only new - aim wheels marked the ' 93s .

For ' 94 , the optional 3.8 V-6 became received and the dah was again modified to accommodate a no - toll passenger airbag . Chrysler also installed room access guard irradiation per new Union rules for side - shock protection , and bid the industry ’s first integrated child safety machine seat at spare price . T&C then carry into ' 95 with few other change pending vent of redesigned 1996 model . Though base price was then nearing $ 30,000 , T&C sales had also climbed steady : from just 6400 of the ' 91s to over 40,000 by middecade , more than respectable for a gilded people - mover .

Adding safety features , especially airbags , were a prominent sales help to all Chrysler minivan in these years . The political science may have mandated front " inactive restraints , " but there were several elbow room to fulfil the requirement , and the public showed a marked orientation for airbags over motorized front shoulder belts or " passive " three - gunpoint harness .

Chrysler recognized this sooner than Ford or GM , and was quicker to offer airbags throughout its corporate fleet without waiting until role model replacement clock time . It was a peculiarly shrewd affair to do for minivans , many of which were buy by parent who naturally wanted the good potential fomite for their children . Other manufacturing business had no alternative but to follow Chrysler ’s pencil lead , something that had n’t hap in decades .

Chrysler observe up its production offence in the belated ' XC , go with full redesigned 1996 T&Cs , Dodge Caravans , and Plymouth Voyagers . Though not a discovery like the 1984 master copy , the Modern " NS " fashion model preserved all their winning property and add some of their own , include sleeker styling , more available tycoon , and heedful family - oriented features like " Easy - Out " second- and third - row seats with built - in rollers and the industry ’s first driver’s - side sliding rear door .

The latter bear witness so democratic that the fellowship finally progress all its minivans that elbow room . T&C sales remained unbendable and fairly strong , running 70,000 - 76,000 each calendar year through 2000 . As ever , minivans remained vital to the health of the Chrysler brand name , amount to 22 - 40 percentage of the stain ’s full car sales in this period .

The Chrysler 300M

Demand for nonminivan Chryslers jumped 25 percentage in calendar 1998 , and a dramatically redesigned Concorde was one intellect . Wheelbase was not change , but most everything else was . A all-inclusive , Ferrari - same eggcrate grille announced handsome new taxicab - forward styling that contribute 7.5 inch to overall duration , making a roomy torso even more so .

Yet despite that and a much slopped structure , the new Concorde count about the same as the old , thanks to the use of aluminum for the toughie , some rearward hiatus component part , and two new Chrysler - bred V-6s . The lowly LX model used a 2.7 - liter with dual overhead camshaft and 200 bhp , the uplevel LXi a related single - cam 3.2 with 225 . Engineers work out hard to reduce the noise , vibration , and harshness criticized in previous luteinizing hormone model , but did n’t only bring home the bacon . And craft , though visibly improve , still was n’t up to snuff .

Prices held stiff , but only with scant on the quality of some materials , especially inside . Overall , though , the ' 98 Concorde was an impressive try – enough that Consumer Guide ® named it a Best Buy each yr through 2003 . But though sales start more than 67 percent for calendar ' 98 to closely 65,000 , buyers seemed to lose stake after that , and book steadily declined , skid to under 26,000 by calendar 2003 . An increasingly rough food market was partially to blame , but so were some new public - sex act gaucherie account further on .

A new Concorde mean a redesigned LHS , and it get as an early-1999 entry . But the big surprise was a sporting sis audaciously reviving the far-famed letter of the alphabet - series 300 line after nearly 35 year . Called 300 M , it wore specific front and rear styling that made it 10 inch shorter overall than the LHS . And instead of being a luxury cruiser , the M present itself a serious " driver ’s automobile " of the European sports sedan schooling . It was even plan for sale in Europe , where regulations dictate the trimming capacitor size .

Both models came with front bucket buns and an robotlike transmission married to a novel unmarried - cam 3.5 - litre V-6 with 253 bhp ( basically a liberal - bore reading of the Concorde ’s 3.2 ) , but the 300 M impart the AutoStick manual - switch feature and was even more acrobatic than the LHS off the neat and narrow-minded . An optional $ 255 operation and Handling Package made it even more so , ply higher - attempt exponent guidance , firmer weaken , uprated all - disc antilock brake , and soaked 16 - column inch tires vs. comfort - point XVII ( also standard for LHS ) .

Despite all this , the 300 M was nothing like the " beautiful brute " of old . Not only was it slower – a so - so 7.7 seconds 0 - 60 miles per hour in Road & Track ’s run – it was a sedan , not a glamor - puss transformable or pillarless coupe . But the M could " out - discontinue " any of its forebears and leave behind them gasping on a twisty route . It was also built miles better , if nowhere close as well as the Eurosedans it sought to challenge . Then again , it did n’t be like they did , deliver for a fair $ 30,000 or so , about the same as a like - fit out LHS .

The 300 M immediately outsold the LHS , by more than 2 - to-1 in calendar ' 99 and 2000 with some 107,000 units combined . Heeding the market , Chrysler dropped the LHS after 2001 , though it gave ' 02 Concordes a standardized nose intervention , plus a top - strain Limited model declare oneself most LHS features at a lower price . The 300 M maintained its sale yard into calendar 2000 , then fell near 28 percent in ' 01 .

That suggested emptor might like something even sportier , so 2002 usher in a 300 M Special with more or less more power , a few spare frills , the Performance / Handling option as standard , and high - speed tyre on chunky 18 - inch wheels . But that was no help , and calendar - yr sales showed double - digit losses through 2004 . The cab - forward Ms then step aside for very unlike 300s that we ’ll come to in due course .

Chrysler Merges with Daimler-Benz

The ' 98 Chrysler Concorde and ' 99 Chrysler LHS/300 M wander out amidst the understandable plug smother Chrysler Corporation ’s historic wedding to Germany ’s Daimler - Benz , announced in November 1998 and nail down during ' 99 . Consolidation was sweeping the manufacture . Ford had purchased Britain ’s Jaguar and lately Volvo of Sweden .

General Motors controlled several Nipponese makers and the automotive operations of Sweden ’s Saab . With the big fish getting handsome , Chrysler chairman Bob Eaton began seeking a strategical partner to assure his ship’s company ’s survival . The mickle was all but seal when he chanced to mention the idea to D - B ’s hard - driving chairman , Jurgen Schrempp .

On paper , the Chrysler / Daimler union seemed a heavenly lucifer . Chrysler was the industry ’s most - price - efficient producer , a recognized leader in intention and innovation , loaded with endowment , and had a unattackable plus in Jeep .

Daimler sport a unnerving image , worldwide resources , and the technology prowess of Mercedes - Benz . Both companies were profitable , and getting together call numerous cost - saving " synergy " as well as lots of nifty newfangled car and trucks .

But what the parties exalt as a " uniting of equal " was really a Trojan - horse takeover . Though Eaton and Schrempp were nominal co - chairs of the new DaimlerChrysler , the unification price intelligibly privilege Daimler . This lend to a civilisation clash that delayed combine operations beyond obvious functions like purchasing .

Within a year , some Chrysler hands pronounce the American company was being " Germanized " into a mere division , something Schrempp later conceded was part of his original architectural plan – which only aggravated ominous feelings in Michigan .

Meantime , a numeral of Chrysler ’s best executives , designers , and engineers jumped ship , including manufacturing mavin Dennis Pauley , president Tom Stallkamp , design chief Tom Gale and , tellingly , former President of the United States Bob Lutz , who had largely engineer Chrysler ’s early-’90s turnabout and opposed the unification . Eaton , for his part , allege he always believed the uniting was of compeer , yet he , too , left , step down some 18 months before his term expired .

That left Schrempp to tackle a growing pile of vexing problem . First , sales of the cash - cow Jeep Grand Cherokee summercater - utility began slip . Then minivans started lagging , forcing Chrysler to pop the question more rabbet and other pricey consumer incentives to clear 2000 - model inventories . But that only stole sales that might have conk to the caller ’s redesigned 2001 minivans , which offer more features but cost more to build up and thus carried higher price .

That was not what buyers desire , specially since the new models did n’t front very different from the honest-to-god I . Chrysler dangle more lures to spark sales , but competition was stronger than ever , so the new minivan were a fairly tough sell . With all this and more , DC breed tumbled , lose half its value by the end of 2000 versus its unification - time price , and some member of the DC board began demanding that Schrempp be fired .

Schrempp temporarily dodged that bullet and soon dispatched a trust lieutenant , Dieter Zetsche , to release thing around as the new chief executive officer of what was now call Chrysler Group . get together him as COO was another Mercedes veteran , Wolfgang Bernhard .

They moved decisively , shedding more plants and prole while higgle for every last penny with parts suppliers . But they also made friends throughout the Chrysler camp – Zetsche in particular . Most of all , they put the haste on a stream of new cars and truck , plus show - stopping concepts that kept Chrysler in the news year after year .

The result was another striking Chrysler comeback that culminate in 2005 with a solid $ 1.7 billion group operating profit , this in a class when General Motors lost more than twice that sum . Trouble was , the Mercedes - Benz variance , once a perpetual profit machine , was now mislay money too . A weak dollar sign was partly to blame , but so was a serial of figure - tarnishing reliability and workmanship troubles that hampered M - B sales in the vital U.S. securities industry .

add to the red ink was a costly enlargement of the Mercedes good example agate line into aggregated - market price dominion , particularly the money - fall back European minicar mishap ironically prognosticate Smart . With all this , Schrempp lost critical support on DC ’s Supervisory Board , and Zetsche was summon back to Stuttgart in previous 2005 to take over as chief executive officer and to channelise the Mercedes car whole . Bernhard had been in line for the latter post , but was passed over at the last minute and ended up at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg . supersede Zetsche at DC ’s Michigan complex was a cagy Chrysler handwriting , Tom LaSorda .

Plymouth had been one of the first victims of the Chrysler - Daimler union , consigned to story after the 2001 model run as a money - salvage quantity . But the make dwell on in spirit for a time , as its Voyager minivan and Prowler neo hot rod were promptly rebadged as Chryslers . Of naturally , they were still sold by the same dealers , who were tight changing their sign to read Chrysler - Jeep .

Collectors may wish to mention that the last Prowler was build on February 15 , 2002 , land full production to 11,676 . The undermentioned May , that very car was auction off off for charity at an eye - popping $ 175,000 . Car and Driver account that was $ 129,378 over sticker , but did include a lowly , matching Mopar - cataloged luggage prevue . As one might bear , the buyer was a genuine Prowler fanatical , already possessing no fewer than 14 other examples – " one in every color , " he say .

The Chrysler PT Cruiser

A far more low-cost and practical retro - style Chrysler was the new - for-2001 PT Cruiser . Beginning sale in mid-2000 after a cagey 18 - month publicity buildup , it was , to cite Road & Track , " part street rod , part minivan , totally unlike anything else . " Chrysler call it a " family broncobuster , " and the PT ( " Personal Transportation " ) was indeed hard to cubbyhole .

Older folks tended to see a utilitarian compact wagon that look faintly like a late-’30s Ford . The untested crowd just attend a way - cool ride . The EPA saw it two ways , classifying the Cruiser as a truck for incarnate fuel - economy purposes , a car for safe and emissions standards .

But that was the beauty of it . The PT Cruiser could be most anything to most anyone . Not amazingly , it sell faster than any Chrysler in history , racking up more than 273,000 order through the end of 2001 , never mind DaimlerChrysler ’s mount , well - publicized troubles at the time . Budget - favorable cost help : about $ 16,000 to take up , $ 18,000 " nicely weaponed . "

Still , a good many early Cruisers sell well above sticker , as rabid demand adjure up deliver prices by thousand . Chrysler strained to keep up , expatiate capacity at the PT plant in Mexico only a few months after sales begin .

The PT Cruiser would have been a dandy way to revitalize Plymouth . In fact , its canonic concept originated with 1997 ’s Plymouth Pronto show machine . A 1998 follow - up , the two - room access Pronto Cruzer , previewed the eventual production conception , attributed to a young whiz named Brian Nesbitt working with Bill Dayton and John Bucci .

superintend the project ( begun long before the fusion ) were Tom Gale , then Chrysler ’s vice president for mathematical product development ; John Herlitz , then design theater director ; and design execs Trevor Creed ( who later replaced Gale ) and Neil Walling . Interior design was supervised by veteran designer and respected auto historiographer Jeff Godshall . But Nesbitt tended to get all the glory , and the PT ’s instant gross sales achiever largely explains why he was soon recruited by General Motors to make similar magic there .

The PT Cruiser was n’t big on mechanical magic , just sound , mod engineering . For good example , the sole powerplant at first was Chrysler ’s now - intimate 150 - bhp 2.4 - liter 16 - valve twincam four , checkmate to an optional four - swiftness automatic transmission or a received five - speed with the tight , most - precise linkage yet on a front - drive Mopar . Parts of the floorpan and some chassis constituent originated with the subcompact Dodge / Plymouth Neon , but the PT ended up share very little with other Chrysler Group vehicles .

Offered in base , Touring , and leather - shave circumscribed versions , the Cruiser scored for its in high spirits versatility , funky looks , and obvious potential for personalization . thick athletics - public utility size afford ok room for four adult and all mode of stuff . Chrysler lay claim 26 potential configuration for the seating area and multiposition rearward lading ledge ; the latter could even duplicate as a field day table .

Acceleration was nothing exceptional – initially around nine seconds 0 - 60 mph with manual – but the PT was enjoyably nimble and easy on the extrusion . It also belie the feeling that Chrysler could n’t deliver quality . Even early examples were firm and well - finished inwardly and out . Not all people liked the styling , but most did , include a few professional designers .

A more - contemporary feeling was considered , but likely would n’t have had as much impingement . " Some of what we did was very witting , " Gale told Collectible Automobile mag , but " we were not consciously trying to be retro … The space and mechanical packet somehow naturally led to the form . "

The PT almost begged for hop - up part and ' 50s - elan ­customizing , and aftermarket caller oblige with a slew of bolt - on carrying out and dress - up components . Chrysler connect in for ' 02 , offering a " flaming " decal parcel , a " Woodie " variant with simulated timber on the bodysides and liftgate , and a limited - product " Dream Cruiser " with Inca Gold blusher , chrome wheels , and a numbered dashboard memorial tablet .

For 2003 , Chrysler answered leadfoot supplication with a turbo­charged GT Cruiser – a.k.a . PT Turbo – packing 215 bhp ( later listed at 220 ) and a mandatory AutoStick transmission . Also on script were a firmed - up suspension with 17 - column inch wheels ( versus other models ' 15s or 16s ) , four - steering wheel disc brake with antilock ascendance ( optional for Touring and Limited ) , street - savvy black and white outside , sport front backside , and specific midland trim .

Though the cost was n’t excessive at a morsel over $ 22,000 , the GT was apparently too rich for some buyers . Chrysler responded for ' 04 with a 180 - bhp turbo locomotive as a $ 1280 choice for Touring and Limited PTs . The flying one - two power gaming helped liven sales , which move from a low-100,000 tableland to nearly 116,000 for calendar ' 04 .

admit in that total were the first PT Cruiser convertibles , introduced as former ' 05 model after a concept preview back in 2001 . Offered in the same trim storey as Dipper , the droptop two - doors boasted a top executive - folding top with heated shabu windowpane , cleave fold up rearward seat – and far less baggage space .

A incorporated structural hoop soared overhead behind the front nates ; it bet ungainly , but helped make up for slice off the roof . Rigidity , in fact , was quite good for a modern convertible security . Just as nice , this was one of the few ragtops that could seat four without break away the buyer ’s bank score , base of operations prices ranging from around $ 19,500 to $ 27,600 .

The Redesigned Chrysler Sebring

PT intensity better again for calendar 2005 , reaching nigh 134,000 . Full - year convertible sales avail , but a bad boost in all probability come from price cuts on the mainstay wagons – a sizable $ 2555-$4190 , depending on model – achieved by move some standard features to the option pillar .

For 2006 , the Cruiser got its first rhytidoplasty , a subtle redo involving the headlamp , front facia , and splashboard . price stay stable , running $ 14,000-$29,000 or so , reflecting intense securities industry competition and relentless cost cutting .

overshadow by " PT Mania " in 2001 were redesigned midsize Chryslers that now encompassed the saloon previously bang as Cirrus . railcar and Driver likened the new four - room access Sebring to a scaled - down 300 M , but sportiness was n’t its commission . Instead , subtlety was the countersign , with a beefier , quieter social organization ; a more - supple ride ; and the safety of available pall side airbags , which dropped from just above the windows to protect occupant ' heads in a side shock .

Though styling became a bit less cab forward , inner place remained exceptional for the class . A massaged 2.4 - liter four provided the base power , but the optional V-6 was now Chrysler ’s own 200 - bhp twincam 2.7 , and the mandatory automatic could be had with optional AutoStick for the first prison term . Helped by an extra - long debut season , Sebring sedan chair cut-rate sale almost double up those of the final Cirrus at more than 67,000 through the end of calendar 2001 .

Sebring convertible were less visibly changed for ' 01 despite mostly new kayoed sheetmetal , but they got the same engines as sedan and , more important , a thorough geomorphologic shoring up - up . The result was proficient enough to finish up third in a five - elbow room Car and Driver convertible test , in front of a Ford Mustang GT and Toyota Solara .

At under $ 30,000 for their test Limited , " the Sebring emerged as our note value title-holder , " allege the editor in chief , " and also won as best to behold . " About the only matter miss was enough H.P. to make performance vivid instead of merely snappy . Calendar - year sales event slip to a little over 45,000 units , but that was n’t bad for what proved to be a turbulent yr for Chrysler Group and the nation .

Though also redesigned for 2001 , Sebring coupe remained more Mitsubishi than Chrysler , sharing the 1999 - 2000 weapons platform of the Japanese company ’s recent Galant sedan and sporting Eclipse mannequin . That also entail the V-6 alternative was a 3.0 - liter Mitsubishi engine .

Dodge still offered its own rendering , but now called them Stratus , not Avenger . As with the Sebring argument , the aim was to simplify marketing – and possibly reduce buyer discombobulation at last . For all the change , however , Sebring coupe sales remained modest at some 16,600 for calendar ' 01 , though that was actually a bit above the ' 00 tally .

Chrysler then seemed to forget the Sebrings through 2006 , nettle only to shuffle features , names , and from time to time styling elements while the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord nab the Leo the Lion ’s share of midsize - car gross sales twelvemonth after yr . The only signs of " progress " were a moderate facelift and optional front side airbags for 2003 coupes and a bold new " big - oral cavity " face for 2004 sedan chair and ragtops .

The coupes , always very slow sellers , were discarded after ' 05 , while other Sebrings impart into ' 06 with hardly any change from 2004 . Was Chrysler surrender the midsize warfare to its American - made Nipponese - brand rivals ? It sure seemed so . But perhaps the company was only biding its time until a more competitory replacement could be readied for around 2007 .

The Chrysler Crossfire

A far more interesting Chrysler arrived in 2003 : a tricksy two - seat semisports car marking the first real upshot of the Daimler - Benz coup d’etat . Like the PT Cruiser and Dodge Viper , the 2004 - model Crossfire hewed closely to a well - receive conception ( the ' 01 Crossfire ) . But its sharp Chrysler styling was just a new wrapper for an older Mercedes , the 1998 - vintage SLK , which was about to be replaced by a clear - sheet design .

Critics call on the carpet both Daimler and Chrysler for this evident hand me down , but the Crossfire had much to commend it . One big plus was price : ab initio $ 33,600 to depart , some $ 6000 less than a base SLK . Of course , it help that the Crossfire had a pay off fastback roof rather of an expensive retractable hardtop , though Chrysler quickly catered to fresh - air devil by issuing a power - delicate - top example in calendar ' 04 .

It also help that Mercedes had mostly amortized the price of powertrain and chassis components . And if those were no longer new , they were still pretty telling . As in the SLK , a 215 - bhp 3.2 - liter V-6 drive the rear steering wheel through a six - hurrying manual gearbox or an optional five - f number , manually shiftable automatic . ( The latter was preferred for drivability reasons , and most U.S. emptor ordered it anyway . )

Chrysler claimed it had made numerous technical tweaks for the Crossfire , but the all - independent intermission , all - disc antilock brakes , recirculating - Lucille Ball ability steering , and standard trunk side airbags were all essentially the same as those of the SLK . One notable upgrade interested steering wheel diam : 18 inch front and 19 rear versus 16s or 17s for SLKs .

There was no way for a superfluous , though , so a male plug - in air compressor and a can of sealant were provided . Another Crossfire distinction was the rear plunderer that popped up automatically – and rather noisily – above 40 mph to aid high - f number stability ; below 50 mph , it snugged itself back into the deck .

Because Mercedes had late added a supercharged SLK , the Crossfire was expect to follow . for sure enough , good example - year 2005 introduced " blown " SRT-6 interlingual rendition with the same 330 bhp . The initials stick out for Street and Racing Technology , the latterly formed in - house team charged with developing eminent - performance versions of chosen Chrysler Group Cartesian product , not unlike Mercedes ' AMG .

To manage their greater speed , SRT-6s were treat to an ultrafirm suspension system and " summer " tyre ( versus all - time of year ) on specific multispoke wheel . Completing the package were a cockpit bring down in leather and suedelike Alcantara , plus a restore rear looter of tastily modest sizing .

By this item , nonsupercharged Crossfires offered a option of base and Limited passementerie . The latter , costing $ 4000-$4700 more , delivered full - leather upholstery , fire up tycoon seats , tire - atmospheric pressure monitor , insurance premium audio scheme , and other goodies . The SRT-6s had these too , but started $ 11,000 higher , heel at $ 45,000-$49,000 .

Chrysler hop for 20,000 Crossfire sales each calendar yr in America ( plus a few more in Europe ) , but ended up with rather less : a simple 4000 in the abbreviated 2003 season , around 14,700 in ' 04 and again in ' 05 . Though the " used Mercedes " ironware might have turned off more - knowledgeable vendee , sales were probably hobbled more by pricing that front out of whang for a Chrysler , with all the bad vibes many people still seize to that name .

Lukewarm press review hurt , too . Though Chrysler resist incentives on its new " halo " car , a nine - calendar month backlog by other 2005 squeeze recondite discounts , which only further tarnished the railcar ’s image .

The Chrysler Pacifica and the New Chrysler 300

As with most every Detroit brand , trucks had assumed critical sales importance for Chrysler by the former 2000s , though Chrysler always sold more cars than trucks , at least through 2005 . Still , Town & Country minivans stay big money - spinners for Chrysler dealers , and they became even more vendible for 2005 by exchanging their " Easy Out " rear hindquarters – which were n’t really so easy to move – for " Stow ' n Go " behind that fold neatly into floorwells with no wrench and no swither . The characteristic was costly to engineer , want a completely novel undercarriage and leaving no way for optional all - bike drive , but this Chrysler Group sole was understandably popular , a seasonable innovation in the face of freshly hatched signification - brand rivalry .

Meantime , Chrysler joined the fast - grow market for so - called " crossover " wagons with Pacifica , arriving in 2003 as an early ' 04 submission . Like others in this raw category , it blended dimension of cars and sport - utility vehicles , but emphasized quilt , gadget , and luxury more than most .

fundamentally , Pacifica was a reconfigured Chrysler minivan ( and thus generally classified as a truck ) with a eminent - visibility Dipper - style four - doorway body offer three - row seating room for six in a 2 - 2 - 2 data format . Stow ' n Go was abstracted here , but the seats did fold easily to form a long , two-dimensional load deck . Unfortunately , Pacifica ended up too expectant for its 250 - bhp 3.5 - cubic decimeter V-6 and four - f number AutoStick transmission , particularly with the all - wheel ride available in place of front drive .

Price was another issue , as most other units were loaded with options such as leather upholstery , heated first- and second - row behind , top executive liftgate ( a recent minivan increase ) , navigation organization , satellite receiving set , and rearward DVD amusement . Initial sales were thus as half-hearted as performance . Chrysler had merely misinterpret the market , perhaps blinded by its put forward ambitiousness to become a more - upscale " premium " brand .

But sale turned around once yield was adjusted to include more front - campaign models with fewer extra . Chrysler then extend offering for 2005 , add a base - trim model and a top - line Limited to bracket out the original version , which was rename Touring . The base Pacifica was a five - passenger price - loss leader with a second - row bench seat , a 215 - bhp 3.8 - liter V-6 , and front - drive only , but its $ 29,000 sticker looked a lot less scarey than the mid-$30,000 tags of some other model .

The initial merchandising miscues lean to veil a pleasant , pragmatic , syndicate friendly vehicle . And to Chrysler ’s citation , every Pacifica number with antilock brake and freight - leveling rearward intermission . AWDs add standard curtain side airbags , power - adjustable pedals , and tyre - pressure level monitoring machine , all of which were also available for front - drivers . Still , looking at sales through calendar ' 05 , it ’s unclear whether this " summercater phaeton " can earn a permanent place in the batting order . Perhaps it will , once people understand precisely what it is .

There was no misapprehension the new 300 sedan chair that barge in as early 2005 entries . Big , bold , and brawny , they were cars any conk - hard Detroit fan devotee could endorse – " a ended about - face from the LH car they interchange , " as Road & Track observed .

Rear - steering wheel drive was back . So was a Hemi V-8 , though its only links to the yesteryear were half - globular combustion bedchamber and two pushrod - operated valve per cylinder . Styling , direct by immature hotshot Ralph Gillies , was in your cheek and proud of it : blockish , slab side , and not a piffling menacing , with a low " chopped - top " roof and a bragging , solid eggcrate grille intended to draw out memories of 1950s letter - series 300s . It was a sweeping departure from cab forward design , and the populace screw it .

nigh overnight , the new 300 became one of Detroit ’s hottest sellers , fly out the door at a rate match only by Ford ’s redesign ' 05 Mustang – more than 147,000 in the first 13 months of production . It became so democratic that in full one fifth part of Chrysler Group ’s firm $ 1.7 billion 2005 operating profit came from this one wrinkle , consort to Business Week . It was a key reason why Dieter Zetsche was advance from Chrysler Group CEO at twelvemonth ’s end to head all of DaimlerChrysler .

The Chrysler Hemi Engine Returns

Tearing up your own rulebook can be fraught with luck , but Zetsche and caller knew what they were doing . Confirming the benefits of the much - derided uniting was a clean - mainsheet LX platform shared with Dodge ’s equally arresting 2005 Magnum wagons and ' 06 Dodge Charger sedan .

It was an undetermined secret that much LX technology came from the well-thought-of Mercedes E - Class , but Chrysler consider pains to point out that all of its components were unique and would not bolt into an E - Class . Not that it weigh , because the 300 human body had all the " right-hand stuff . " The front suspension , for example , consist upper and lower control branch , roll - over shocks , and an antiroll bar .

Out back was a five - tie-in apparatus with separate shocks and scroll spring . Steering was controlled via a power rack - and - quill feather unit . All - disc antilock brakes and a Mercedes - style Electronic Stability Program ( antiskid / traction - control organisation ) were standard for all but the base model , where they were optional . A last fillip from the German connection was the all - wheel - drive setup that was offered on two of the six models .

Actually , the only major carryover portion were two V-6 locomotive and an tie in four - speed automatic transmittal , and even those were modify to suit their surroundings . The base bum - private road 300 used a 190 - bhp , 2.7 - cubic decimetre V-6 . An equally familiar 250 - bhp 3.5 - litre V-6 moved the midlevel Tourings , rearward drive and AWD , the latter priced some $ 2300 higher .

But what everyone wanted – and mostly buy – was the Hemi . show 300C ( another ' 50s reverberate ) , the Hemi model boasted a five - speed automatic with fanny or AWD , the latter carrying a $ 1325 surcharge , and the big attractor , a thumping 340 bhp and a muscular 390 pound - feet of torsion .

Sized at 5.7 liters , equal to 345 Criminal Investigation Command , this new Hemi was a modern wonder : still , efficient , strong at most any velocity , and a goody for partisan ears . Most road tests easy pulsate Chrysler ’s 6.3 - second 0 - 60 - mph call with rearward drive . Road & Track clocked just 5.6 seconds , impressive for a 4150 - pound sterling sedan chair . So , too , the magazine ’s observed fuel economy of 18.3 mpg , despite much hard driving .

help with that was a new " Multi Displacement System " single to the 5.7 Hemi among Chrysler Group engines . Like GM ’s standardized Active Fuel Management , MDS would mechanically deactivate four cylinders under idle gun loads to reduce fuel consumption ( wear out and tear , too ) . It was n’t a huge fuel - saver , but it did piece of work and was almost indiscernible in operation .

V-6s were of course tamed by comparison . Car and Driver ’s rear - drive Touring time 7.3 moment 0 - 60 miles per hour , while a base 300 ask a prolonged 11 seconds , according to Chrysler . Yet there was n’t much payback in literal fuel economy , paint a picture the V-6s were overmatched by the two - ton weight .

But whether Hemi red-hot or V-6 sedate , every 300 offered unruffled , well-off cruising allied to positive route manners , and big interior distance ( facilitate by a rangy 120 - column inch wheelbase ) . Craftsmanship brand a newfangled high gear for Chrysler and equaled most anything in the near - luxury course of study , foreign or domestic – let alone the large - saloon competition . All this for $ 23,000-$34,000 . No wonder Consumer Guide ® nominate the raw 300 a Best Buy , thanks to a " combination of performance , roominess , and note value . It ’s a desirable rival for a variety of crime syndicate elevator car and sporty sedans . "

The Chrysler 300C SRT-8

Even more spectacular was the 300C SRT-8 , go far in early 2005 as the newest manufactory red-hot rod from Chrysler ’s Street and Racing Technology shop class . Hunkering a half - in crushed on 20 - column inch wheel ( versus 18s ) , the SRT-8 mob a much - qualify , higher - concretion Hemi mature to 6.1 liters ( 370 cid ) , 425 horses and 420 Lebanese pound - foot of twist .

SRT was n’t given to halfway measuring rod , so most all the hardware was beefed - up or redesigned : railway locomotive block , engine internals , inhalation and exhaust system systems , transmission , rear - axle gear ( no AWD here ) , brakes , guidance , and pause . Even the anti - skid control was reprogrammed to be less controlling at the number one wood ’s prudence – and the traction control could now be amply switch off , again to up the fun factor .

Completing the package were deep front and rear fascias and added amenities such as xenon headlamps , rear raider , rear obstacle signal detection , leather / suede upholstery , and power - adjustable pedals . Options were few , with curtain side airbags , piloting system , sunshine-roof , and orbiter radio the major item .

begin at just below $ 40,000 , the 300C SRT-8 was an unbeatable high - operation softwood , and testers loudly sing its praises . Road & Track clocked a blazing 4.9 seconds 0 - 60 miles per hour , rack up Chrysler ’s title , and a dragstrip - suitable quarter - mile of 13.3 sec at 108.2 mph . The car could stop just as well , and though manipulation was even tauter and more assured , drive comfort was scarcely touch on .

There were only two drawback , mainly for those prostrate to guilty consciences : no Multi Displacement System and a $ 1300 Gas - Guzzler Tax . For everyone else , the SRT-8 was , as R&T conclude , " a car blessed with an American Hemi pump and a European flavour and worldliness to its drive dynamics . recollect of [ it ] as an American [ Mercedes ] E55 , for a saving of about $ 30 - chiliad . "

Chrysler further dilate the 300 line for 2007 , adding two limousinelike Long Wheelbase mannequin . The 300 Touring Long Wheelbase featured the 3.5 - cubic decimeter V-6 , while the 300C Long Wheelbase came with the omnipresent Hemi V-8 .

Both modeling were stretch six inches behind the front threshold , make extensive rear legroom . Modified by Accubuilt , an Ohio - based specialty vehicle maker , the car could be ordered with personalized features such as rear footrests , alight rearward writing tables , 12 - V power ports for data processor or cell phones , and reading lights for rearward passengers .

Though our story must end here , the reborn 300s are the variety of Chryslers erstwhile Walter P. would indorse : stylish , modern , substantial , and low-priced . They paint a picture a lustrous future for the brand name . Of of course , nothing is sealed in this world , and self-complacency is an enemy of winner , but we hope the 300s are just the first in a long product line of great new Chryslers .