Another Broughamish artifact from the late ’70s/early ’80s? You betcha!
I work for a great company. As a result I have been off since 1 PM Wednesday. This has given me a lot of free time to go to Mexican restaurants, do a little shopping and have a fine Thanksgiving.
So today I was lounging at home perusing Marketplace and ran across this Chrysler, from when Chrysler Corporation still existed and wasn’t a sad, soon to be electric humping only offshoot of Fiat. (Buy that 300C now, while there’s still time!)
And here we have a next to last year ’80 LeBaron. 1981 would be the last year for them in this iteration; come 1982 the LeBaron would become a Del Griffith-approved, Broughamed out K car compact.
The basic car would continue, becoming a New Yorker with giant padded landau top (another Klockau favorite) in 1982 and last way, way, wayyy to 1989, with a driver side airbag, believe it or not.
But in 1980, it was Chryslers kinda-sorta Seville competitor, though much cheaper than the Caddy. ’80s got a facelift front and back with new headlights, signal lamps and more formal grille, but retained the “upside-down” headlight treatment with the turn/parking lamps situated above them.
Of course, Chrysler was still in pretty piss poor shape that year and buyers were still shy, waiting to see if Iacocca could turn things around or not.
As a result, around 80K were sold, down from about 125K sold in 1979.
This one is currently for sale. As the seller related, “Everything is original on this car. It has 66,000 original miles, Leather (Narrator: it was not leather) seats are good, no rips. Original vinyl top, no rips or scratches. Rides like a boat in water. Message me if you need more pictures and video.”
Seems like an honest car, though I wish it had power windows. From a time people were less obese and didn’t buy combovers, lol. Hope she finds a good home. And only $2500, such a deal!
Thats quite a basic interior for a Lebaron. never mind a Fifth Avenue. The later Fifth Avenue was such a great retirement car with that extra helping of comfort and dignity. This might remind him too much of the strippo Valiant he took to work all those years.
Soooo much room out front with a column shift and without a fat console between the seats….I really miss cars like this.
Dash mounted rear view mirror is not very useful placed face down, but hey for $2,500 you would be the only one in the Wally World parking lot….. 🙂 🙂 Also, notice on the speedo that “55” is printed in RED, a reminder everytime you drove of the malaise of the Carter years…. Really supprised rust mice have not eaten this one alive.
PS: Tom, glad the company gave you a four and a half day weekend, but you need to worry about how significant your presence is to the operation of the organization if they can spare you for four and half days over a busy holiday, just a thought…. 🙂