I've got to admit something. When it comes to corporations that have historically cool cars, Mopar's got some seriously long chops. Back when I did the Plymouth list, I was astounded at how quickly my first pass list filled up. As I prepared for today's list of Chryslers, I was similarly astounded. And I'm saving Dodge for the last Chrysler offering because it's a slam-dunk...
With that said, here are my Top Ten favorite cars from Chrysler:1.
1932 Imperial. This car is, in a nutshell, stunning. From the long, tapered fenders that flow into the running boards to the half-windscreen for the rear passengers to the grill that looks like it belongs on a Rolls Royce, the styling of the pre-war Imperials was breathtaking. These cars look like they should be chaffeuring Monty Burns around...
2.
1950 Newport. More chrome than an art deco apartment. A front bumper you could hold a dance on.
Wood grain paneling. Deep dish hubcaps, wide white walls, a delicate balance of wood, chrome, and lacquered steel, the Newport maintained the good looks of the post-war woodies while foreshadowing the bombastic styling of the '50s.
3.
1957 300C. The first of the muscle cars, the 300C had a 390 horsepower FirePower hemi under the hood, a surprisingly powerful engine given the more refined pedigree of the marque. Power ran through the push-button TorqueFlite transmission, which was in use in one form or another from its introduction in 1956 until the early 2000s! Even as a monstrous land barge, the 300 had something about it that said "fast".
4.
1970 New Yorker. Ah, truth in advertising. The New Yorker was about as large as the city that shared its name, and seated about the same number of people... There's no truth to the rumors that the hoods of New Yorkers were used as emergency landing pads for medivac choppers...
5.
1963 Turbine. Okay, so it wasn't a full-run production car, but a limited number were given to the general public for testing. The turbine engine offered certain advantages over the traditional pushrod motors of the time, but never really caught on, most likely because of the noise level and acceleration lag.
6.
1978 Cordoba. Of course the Cordoba, with it's "rich Corinthian leather" would make the list... Twin to the Dodge Magnum (before it became a Hemi-powered monster wagon), the Cordoba was Chrysler's first mid-sized car (!!!). Sure, today the Cordoba would be classified as ZOMG size, but in the spirit of the times it was small by comparison to the other land yachts offered.
7.
1987 Conquest TSi. Yes, I know it's technically a Mitsubishi Starion, but not acknowledging the Conquest would be doing the marque a disservice. Rather than rebadge a Daytona as a Laser (spit) they borrowed their partner Mitsubishi's sports car and made a pretty darn sporty little Chrysler out of it.
8.
1971 Imperial. For some reason, Chrysler decided that their cars in the early 1970s would be sized along the lines of aircraft carriers. The Imperials of the early 1970s were powered by a 350HP 440 ci engine, and yet were only moderately powered. These are cars large enough for JATO units.
9.
1934 Airflow. Yep, I gotta love the odd. In the 1930s, Chrysler was the first manufacturer to produce a car designed with aerodynamics in mind. Hence the Airflow. It was actually tested in a wind tunnel, and led to the discovery that automobiles of the time were actually so unaerodynamic that they were better served going backwards!
10.
1961 Newport Wagon. The Newport wagon of the late 1950s and early 1960s was... interesting. From the tail fins protruding past the ginormous rear window to the trademark trapezoidal grill, no one can accuse the Newport wagon of borrowing styling cues from, well, anything...
So there's my list of Top Ten Chryslers. Once again, this list pulls heavily from the earlier years of Chrysler's heyday. I just can't get all that excited about the boxy 300s or the oddly styled Crossfire currently being offered. And the Chryslers of the 1980s and 90s were positively dreadful.
What Chryslers of note have I missed?That is all.
