This is NOT a LeBaron
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2023
- I stumbled across this 1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati in a junkyard. We navigate through a brief history of the origins of this car, its connection to the LeBaron, and speculate as to why it never sold very well.
My dad bought a white TC with black leather / interior from our neighbor back in the 90s. Say what you want about it but to this day it is his favorite car and brought him the most joy. He had to sell it when I was born and has been a member of boring car gang since. We still have a promo wall poster in the garage
RCR voice: "That their,......That's a LeBaron!"
I still remember the clickity clank the 2.2 engine made in the dodge Omni back in the 80's on a hot summers day when motor was on its last lags.
Chrysler did pretty good with those K cars and Gran Fury M bodies nationwide in corporate fleet sales
I actually know a TC enthusiast. He has 4 of them.
One in great shape, and three more that are slowly being cannibalized for parts to keep the nice one running.
Kinda reminds me of my friend's dad as a kid in the 70s/80s. Dude owned a farm, and every spare square foot of free space was occupied by an Edsel. I forget the exact number, but it was something like 120. Most were rotting shells, but a few were running and in pretty decent shape. A weird obsession, for sure.
@sponk2112 that's just a waste
Very nice flieger btw. 👍
I remember a magazine article at the time complaining that guys who bought luxury cars didn't want to row through gears. That was criticizing the manual you mentioned. The rest of the article wasn't kind either.
I've read elsewhere that the 200 hp engine with the 5-speed manual was a zero cost option. The fact that less than 10% of the cars sold came with that drivetrain definitely supports your statement. Enthusiasts who want manual transmissions often make a lot of noise about wanting a manual, but the majority of people who actually buy cars like this still want automatics!
where did you find this car at? I have one and this car has a bunch of components that I need
This is in Chesterfield Auto Parts in Richmond, VA. They have three locations, and this is in their Midlothian Turnpike location.
Basically a LeBaron roadster.
De tomaso - this friend of Iacocca…. Was no friend at all. Look at that damn car…..
Re: The TC and the 'Cimarron by Cadllac' I think there is a market for the concept that was betrayed by the tech at the time. Not everyone subscribes, but in today's fungible exteriors largely dictated by safety, economy and engineering, there seems a market for people who want a humdrum shell with all the luxury found in the drivetrain and amenities. Given the choice between a car that looks like an econobox but surrounds you in performance and luxury, and a car that looks like a work of art but performs like a can of soup rattling down the road, I'd prefer the former. If they had the tech to save money on the platform and sink all the resources into the driving experience, they could have found a market. But in this era, they still had to deal with luxury being limited by malaise-era engines and comfort being defined as tacky La-Z-Boy seating and not-yet-mature digitization. Think of the Tesla paradigm where the Plaid has amazing tech, but looks from the outside like a slightly more aggressive base-model.
What’s worse to buy as a imposter $$$ . This.. or the Cadillac cimmaron
I think the Cimarron is worse, because it's just so similar to the cars it was based on. The TC at least has unique body panels and a unique interior! But that's just my two cents.
@@Vehicularious agreed.. especially when it’s competition back in day included the Audi 5000, BMW 320i, Volvo GLE, and the Saab 900S. All superior cars.and Cimarron was greatly underpowered at 88 hp
I’d rather take a TC Roadster, assuming it was one of the 500 with the Maserati-designed head and the 5-speed manual. The Allante Roadster never was offered with a manual.
The Cimmarron was a Saturn with Cadillac emblems and upgraded interior, basically a compact 4dr sedan. No comparison between the two.
The TC had actual genuine Italian leather interior reminiscent of Italian exotics. A detachable hard top that gave it a unique opera coupe look. It was a two seater cruiser. The TC is better compared to the 87-88 Allante in its 6 cylinder configuration and the 89-92 Allante with turbo. Or at the very least compare it to the Buick Reatta. The limited 5 speed getrag manual with Maserati cylinder head being the most fun even surpassing the 93 Allante in its ability to put a smile on your face
@@buzuxicavalier, not saturn
This car is the result of Chrysler O.D.ing on what became a hardcore addiction to the rebranding and rebadging of cars in the k-car era to create "new" models-a dependence which ultimately contributed to the company flat-lining-only being allowed survive by being "cared-for" by Fiat-a sad fate for a once proud company.
Promo-SM 🌺
Hey..there is NOTHING wrong with putting a microwave tv dinner on a plate....just sayin
Sounds cheap!