People may laugh at Chrysler’s K-car, but is it because popular culture hasn’t embraced GM’s X-car? I cannot answer that, as I know there have been several K-cars that piqued my interest when new. Certainly, Chrysler Corporation did a good job of developing several models for enthusiasts despite humble K-car origins, and our Pick of the Day is one of those: a 1987 Chrysler LeBaron GTS. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Ft. Worth, Texas. (Click on this link to view the listing)
Of course, you know Chrysler Corporation’s K-car as the platform that saved the company as it was being led by the iconic Lee Iacocca. If there was a car class to exploit, Iacocca led the charge and figured out a way for the K-car platform to give what the people want . . . and then some, as evidenced by the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan minivans.
Perhaps the first “hot” K-cars were the 1984 Dodge Daytona and Chrysler Laser. Both were neo-pony cars that cut a nice figure and could be powered by engines that were supposed to be the new-fangled replacements for V8 performance cars like the Pontiac Trans Am, which still carried an image that few could match. While the V8s ended up being king (with a certain turbo V6 from Buick showing what technology could do), enough people were curious about Chrysler’s approach with the 2.2-liter turbo.
So, what other need could be filled in the market? Pontiac was flaunting its 6000 STE with its distinctive three headlights per side. While no acceleration champ, it was an American take on the European cars that had taken hold of the market—after all, America was insecure about the cars we had been building and the Germans had been showing us the way all along, right? Iacocca’s response was the LeBaron GTS (and Dodge Lancer).
Chrysler already had a LeBaron on its roster, which was a fancy version of the Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries, but this was the Chrysler Corporation we’re talking about, famous for recycling or brand-extending names for no good reason. Of course, the original LeBaron was a coachbuilder out of New York City that had a close relationship with Chrysler. By 1953, LeBaron’s holding company was purchased by the Chrysler Corporation, which eventually led to LeBaron being an upscale Imperial model. However, for 1977, Chrysler christened its first small car as the LeBaron, and that name was carried over into the K-car realm.
The LeBaron GTS was on a slightly stretched K-car platform and featured a short rear deck that looked like a trunk but functioned as a hatchback, giving the GTS nice proportions and utility. Though most were powered by underpowered four-cylinders, the 2.2-liter turbo four was available. At the time, 146 horsepower was impressive enough, and it was possible to have a five-speed manual behind it—something unavailable on the STE. Back in 1985, Car and Driver felt that “conceptually, the Lancer/LeBaron GTS may be the most intriguing four-door built in America these days.” Yet the magazine took issue with the stiff tires (which highlighted the lack of structural rigidity in the body), a shifter that felt “like puling cables rather than shifting gears,” and clutch effort that may elicit a grunt or two. Nonetheless, the periodical ran 0-60 in 8.3 seconds and the quarter-mile in 16.2. That’s quite good for the time.
So, when’s the last time you’ve seen a Chrysler LeBaron GTS? Definitely one of the more interesting American sport sedans from the 1980s, and this 1987 example as only 24,532 miles on the odometer, so it sounds like a creampuff too. “The maroon exterior presents a refined look, complete with factory-correct body lines and an integrated sunroof that adds an extra touch of class,” says the seller. “The maroon leather interior matches the exterior’s sophistication.” Features include optional digital dashboard, leather-wrapped automatic shifter with console, AM/FM cassette stereo, air conditioning, power steering with tilt column and, yes, the turbo four.
Such a lovely car from an era that’s not oft thought as lovely needs a caretaker to preserve history. Will it be you? For $13,995, we cannot figure out how anybody can go wrong.
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com