The K Car - The car that saved Chrysler
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- The remarkable story of Chrysler's savior - Lee Iacocca's Chrysler K car.
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Incredibly, the K car platform spawned the following variants:
Dodge Aries
Aries K
Plymouth Reliant
Chrysler LeBaron
Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country
Dodge 400
Dodge Dart K (Mexico)
Valiant Volare (Mexico)
Dart by Chrysler (Mexico)
Volare by Chrysler (Mexico)
Plymouth Caravelle (Canada)
Chrysler Executive Limousine
Dodge 600
Dodge Magnum 400 (Mexico)
Dodge Magnum Turbo (Mexico)
Chrysler 600 (Mexico)
Chrysler E Class
Chrysler New Yorker
Chrysler New Yorker Turbo
Chrysler Laser
Dodge Daytona
Chrysler & Dodge Minivans
Chrysler Maserati TC
...and the list goes on with approximately 20 more variants!
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I just found out Lee Iacocca has passed. I did this video as a tribute to him as he was a childhood hero to my car loving self. Let's all take a moment to remember this remarkable figure of American history. Farewell Lido.
I just saw that he passed away too. RIP
He was truly one of a kind.
One product that still bears his name is Olivio butter-flavored spread. I have to say that it tastes better than anything short of real butter.
Yeah, it's hard to believe Ford fired him and that his family knew he got fired before he did,,,nice. Quality may be job #1at Ford,,, scruples a distant #100.
Lee A. Iacocca was a great car guy. Without him, Chrysler definitely would not have existed. And without Chrysler, there would not have been the Caravan/Voyager minivans, and there probably would be no more Jeep if Chrysler wasn't around to take it over.
Does anyone else remember the show ‘Hunter’ where the female lead drove a Daytona?
Ronin Kraut I love that car !
Yes, her name was Stephanie Kramer and she drive a red Daytona turbo Z.
Sgt Dee Dee McCall drove Daytona's for the 1st 5 season's .
Or how about the Daytona's featured in the movie The Wraith?
@@mikegrantham7440 I tend miss my Laser when that movie plays: The Chrysler version of the Daytona. Mine was a blue 5 speed 2.2L engine, digital dash. I preferred the quad headlights of the older Daytona/Laser as opposed to the flip up style. The 1993-1994 version bulb style and standard 3.0 V6 was cool but too late by then.
I don't think Chrysler would have survived without Lee Iacocca at the helm. His plainspoken style was also critical in winning back car buyers.
his genius was paramount in turning the corp around,i worked for Chrysler from 1968-1989 they gave a damn in those days
And talking the government into loaning Chrysler the money.
It's such a shame they sold it off to the Germans a few years after he retired
Chrysler was doomed in 1980 even with the K Car and Lee Iacocca at the helm. They have been absorbed and risen from the dead and kept on life support many times since 1980.
The Chrysler in this video exists in name only today.
@@scdevon if he hadn't had the foresight to buy Jeep when he did, Chrysler would have died under his watch. All anyone's been able to do is forestall the inevitable. They are probably still doomed as they tend to have successes only to unwind them by resting on their laurels.
Anytime a company can put the boss on tv it tries to show a kind of trust. Dave from Wendys and Col Sanders are a few examples. Iacocca knew that and made it happen.
And Jarred from subway.
@@carbunkle9902 Ouch, that one hurt 😂
Dave Thomas is missed also!
Iacocca was the first to go on camera.
@@grocerygoat06At least Jared Fogle is experiencing prison justice.
Today July 2nd 2019 Lee Iacocca passed away, rest in peace. He will forever been known as a historical icon in the automotive world
I've been so preoccupied with an issue on a recent video, I had not heard this news. Thanks so much for commenting. A very sad day indeed.
@@TofersCarTales - A great man but his record was less than perfect. (who's is?) He gets credit for the Mustang but few mentioned the Mustang II. The K was a savior but he kept it around too long.
The Mustang II was a huge success for Ford, 384,000 sales in 1974. That was Iacocca's job, to sell cars. The sales of the previous, bloated car were tanking and would not have survived the 70s.
@@falcon664 - Initial sales were sluggish. What saved the 2 was that Arab Oil Embargo. While gas was cheap and plentiful, Mustang buyers wanted a V8. And yes, the 1971-73 Mustang was too big. I blame Semon "Bunkie" Knudesen for that. The ideal Mustang, in my opinion, is the 1969 with maybe a 351 motor. I own an early 1965 coupe, build dare 9-17-64, C code 289, C-4, factory air. Currently running a 302, Holly 600, and "midi" headers.
Best thing about the Mustang II was the front suspension. Swap that into an early Mustang and the damn shock towers go away, making for a lot more space under the hood. Ansd while the Mercury Capri never came with a V8, I liked it a lot more than the Mustang II. The GT 5.0 brought back the performance Mustang.
Scooter George
I respectfully disagree. Those 71-73 mustangs are my favorite. They were actually smaller than the 2nd gen F bodies. That Boss 351 is the most underrated mustang if not car on the planet. Plus, the 74 and 75 mustangs had really good sales numbers but they started to trail off after 76.
9:37 The current corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills has a pentastar window at the top of the building, it was completed around 1992-93. A Chrysler executive told me that when the Germans took over, they wanted that pentastar gone, they wanted it out with no trace of it and structural engineers told them you can't take it out, if you remove it you have to tear the building down because the entire structural integrity was put into the pentastar framing. The engineer said If you remove it, the building couldn't stand and the only option would be to tear it down and start all over again. After the American engineers told them that, they went to German engineers and the same thing happened, the German engineers told him that you can't remove that pentastar frame. The Germans were not happy at all about it.
The more the Germans looked at what they bought, the worse it got.
Wild story. I'd have to find out how the structural integrity of the building could revolve around the roof. But it's a way to impose the message - Chrysler is there to stay.
@@broadstreet21 A Chrysler or a Dodge is no different than a Yugo, a Zastava or an Alfa Romeo- they’re all bastard Fiat products. They were an embarrassment in the 1980’s as much as they are an embarrassment now. There isn’t one new FCA product that succeeded in the past 15 years- the Dodge Dart is a bigger POS than any Korean car.
@@broadstreet21the Germans were told that they could encapsulate it by adding on to it but they refused that idea. They wanted that star gone with no trace of it. I don't recall the rest of the details, but he went on to explain a little bit more about the structural situation. He also went on to say that the building was bought and sold maybe close to a dozen times when the Germans owned it. When Chrysler would have financial difficulty they would sell it and rent it from the new owner and then they would buy it back. Anytime they sold it they would always buy it back when things were profitable. Some years after Iacocca retired he came back to visit and the whole place was cheering for him as if he were a king.
@@RADIUMGLASS I have to ask though, the entire structure of the building ran through the roof, I presume just the tower portion - not the whole complex, right? And even if it's just the tower, how does it work?
Honestly this video needed to exist. Keep it up mate, the production value is really high and you clearly have the knowledge to focus on these cars. Subscribed.
Always liked that guy. Read his book when I was younger. Sadly at the start of your video you mention mismanagement and quality issues at the heart of Chrysler’s problems...so sad many years later, history has repeated itself....mister we could us a man like Lido again!
“When Chrysler approached the US government for a bailout, president Carter refused so long as the current management team was still in place” EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wished that I could get a government bail out.
As an employee of Chrysler and assembler of the K-Car, I can tell you many of us resented all those Japanese engineers swarming the plant. They had been bashing us with their cars, now they were in our midst. We did however, learn better production methods, which benefited the entire US auto industry.
@@jeromebreeding3302 I think Chrysler should have tried to save the slant six engine however. Ford fuel injected the 300 I-6 and kept on selling it for another ten years. I currently drive a 1995 Dakota 3.9L Magnum V6 5 spd and I love the truck. Only thing I don't like is the poor turning radius. I ordered it instead of buying off the lot and got it with bucket seats which are great for long, even cross country drives.
@@glennredwine289 They could have tweaked it, say with overhead cam and twin cast iron exhaust. Aluminum casting. processes improved going forward, so the may have tried that once more.
Correct. You don't reward bad behavior. Of course we re-elect the same clowns over and over again.
I bought an ‘87 LeBaron turbo new. It was a good car for me - drove well, looked good, amazingly comfortable. To me, it was a quality product ...
I had a 1981 Plymouth Reliant that I bought brand new. I drove that car for 10 years and then sold it to buddy of mine who drove it for 2 more years. The car had well over 200,000 miles on it and outside of normal wear and tear items nothing major ever went wrong with the car.
Iacocca milked that K platform and its EEK (Everything Except K) derivatives for all they were worth... and then some...to get their unit cost to the lowest of the Big 3. NOT great cars...but they saved the company and made Chrysler the lowest cost auto maker in the US. Then Bob Eaton sold the whole works to Daimler-Benz, and things went to crap again almost immediately.
We had a Plymouth Relient from 1984 and it was still running in 2008.
What about now in 2024 ?
They were good cars and I'll fight anybody who says different. Affordable, reliable and damn easy to work on. One of those cars that still works when it's like 90% broken.
I’d like to see you replace the turbo on a Plymouth arrow and say it’s easy that was a piece of junk. I was an auto tech working on many Chrysler products and dodge products and I did not stand up to the German made cars
We had a 1981 Aries. At idle, the vibration and the fluttering steering wheel would drive you bonkers.
Iacocca wanted to do a mini van when he was at ford.
my father was a machine design engineer. this was back in the 60s he said this. "Great ideas and piss poor quality control."
In the 60s they were great. The 70s gave them the bad name
But how was the resale value on Chrysler Corporation’s cars? I would imagine it’s always been pretty good.
Fairfaxcat For K-cars? The most value they possibly had was whatever the scrapyards usually paid you.
Your dad was right. The cop shop bought 6 of them . You picked up pièces and screws after every shift. À small accident = total loss, a medium one killed the driver. It had zero take off power and being 6 cyl lol if you where under persuit you won. The 2 4cyl ones for office working cops Well maybe bikes would have been better. After 1 year they were all changed for the small ford LTD 2 v8, until in a day of logic the crown vic was bright back
@@masonmcdixon9294 In my town back in the 80s my dad said they had 318 powered diplomats and 302 powered Ford LTD's. He told me that anyone that had a car from the mid 60s to the late 70s could've easily outrun the cops, and they did lol.
Stellar video, excellent narration, extremely detailed information. GOOD job sir, I just subscribed.
My mother bought a brand new Reliant. She loved it.
My father owned a fishing camp in Upstate New York. We bought these from New Jersey Transit used at auction. Must have had a dozen of them literally. Towed drift boats thousand of Miles drove through back roads, beat the crap out of them had tons of fun. 2 door front wheel drive. We had a fleet. Great running little cars as far as I'm concerned.
I was a young salesman in ‘87 and I sold a ton of K-cars. I remember at the end of the ‘87 model year our management put $300 dollar bonuses for selling a new 1987 K-Car.
Our bosses begged us to bring our families down to buy a new ‘87 K-Car and many of us salesmen did. As soon as we sold the last 1987 K-Car we had a sales meeting. It was announced with excitement that the new 1988 K-Cars were reduced $1,500 compared to the ‘87’s. Us salesmen were mad as fire after many of us put our families in an overpriced ‘87. We never believed a word our managers said to us after that.
I too sold Chryslers in '87. I loved demonstrating the "Shelby Daytona Turbo II". Radio road, north of St. Thomas, a now dilapidated secondary, has a constant radius turn good for 90MPH four wheel drifts. Do you recall the, Sun, Sound, Shade package for the Horizon Shelby? Sunroof, cassette, and rear louvers. Terrible car. Pretty package. I too had a disgruntled customer berate me for the lower price after buying a previous K car. Another story is about the first car I sold. A new Daytona turbo. I was showing the customer the sales agreement with the list price while my manager was perched behind him against the concrete block half wall. When I presented the list price, (With the current $1000 promotion from Chrysler) the customer surprised me by agreeing to the deal and signing with no negotiation. What could I do? I knew there was another $1,500 in dealership money. Anyway, four months or so later he got tagged in a paternity suit, and the dealership took the car back in for a huge loss, some $5000. I only lasted about nine months. Interesting job for sure.
That’s quite a story...thanx for sharing that. Screwing their own people.
@@tek6423 well then. I have an absolutely worse one in that vein; an older couple were used truck shopping. I got them onto a 1/2 ton a few years old, for $7,800.
They returned when I was on days off, and they were sold that truck, for $8,700. Apparently wrote the numbers down wrong and when they submitted the offer the dealership didn’t even blink. I still think about that one.
Wife and I had a little 86 Chrysler 5th Ave, Had the 4 cyl Turbo. That damn car was fast!
Comfortable, great on gas. sold it with 155,000 miles on it. Still was a runner. Miss that damn car.
The "LeBaron" name became to Chrysler what the name "Cutlass" was to Oldsmobile.
97 i bought a 87 cutlass 307 with t-tops for 900.00..
I saw a K Car the other day. A rare site nowadays . Iacocca = Mustang, Minivan, Cobra . Kinda a Steve jobs for the car industry . Helped get the Statue of Liberty rebuilt . Not too shabby . Saved the Chrysler corporation that should have gone bust decades ago. I heard he had planned to run for president but got talked out of it . I drive a 1998 Plymouth Voyager with 180,000 mile . Looks awful but still runs ok and I plan to keep it till it blows up.
My father bought a 1985.5 Chrysler Laser XE in August 1985 while stationed in Arizona. That was the car that shaped my childhood, and eventual career (Chrysler restoration and preservation consultant; specializing in Chrysler Lasers and Dodge Daytonas). As it turns out, my father's '85.5 Laser XE was one of a scarce 14 1985.5 model Lasers built in PW2 White, and one of only two built in its' specific color combination. We still have the car today, all-original with 156K miles on it, and the car's EVA System still talks! People love it every time we take it to a show, and it's going to stay in the family permanently. Thanks for the great video; it's nice to see an unbiased review of the K-Car platform and its' variants (Jalopnik has a notoriously biased anti-Chrysler Laser video out there)!
Thanks so much for sharing! Definitely hold on to that Laser. I personally think it's a bit like walking into a room and announcing it has air when someone goes on about how imperfect 70s/80s cars were. They were a product of their time and deserve some respect for their place in our history and/or childhood memories.
Ah. You're one of those types that keeps splitting hairs until your car is rare. Well, guess what. I have 1 of 1 2016 ram 1500, two tone white and silver, ram box, 6.4 bed, crewcab, hemi, 4x4, tow package, laramie but without parking sensors or sunroof, black interior, 3.92, tow package, no running boards, air suspension in rear, with a scratch on the left wheel arch and a ding on the front right of the bumper. Extremely rare! I know what I have! No low ballers!
I have had rare cars. I dont give a shit about the exterior or interior colors. Body style, drivetrain, transmission, and engine are all that matter for determining rarity.
@@danielcostello7170 tbh in this day and age, his car is very rare to still have driving. Maybe not worth much, but how long has it been since you last saw an 80's Laser moving under its own power?
I remember reading at the time that Lee Iacocca had one convertible cut and fitted and drove it around Palm Beach to assess interest.
The leather "appeared of high-quality." Great writing!!
Never knew k car underpinnings lasted til ‘96
There may be some K-car commonality with the Neon and PT Bruiser, so it could be well into the 2000's. It's been a while since i worked the parts counter though
Thank you so much for uploading this! Very fine job indeed and brought back so, so many memories! First of all, this truly puts in perspective how much the auto industry has changed since the 80’s & 90’s.....Dodge/Chrysler lineup of vehicles are paltry in comparison to the MANY variations of MANY models available then! Even worse when you consider the 300 is at the end of its shelf life with no replacement in sight...oh wait, they might do what EVERYONE ELSE in the industry is doing, replace it with yet, ANOTHER SUV/CUV. Just what we need...SIGH! Anyway, whether you owned a K-car or not, you experienced it in one way or another and it was a sure thing someone you knew, relative, co-worker, friend, boss, classmate, etc. did! My high school used standard issue K-cars and Taurus’ for driver training and the K was perfect to learn on due to its compact size, basic layout of controls and their ease of use, and predictable handling! As a kid/teen in the 80’s, the memories of the K-cars debut is clear as yesterday, and though my favorite family sedan was the Honda Accord, there was something about these Aries/Reliant cars I couldn’t deny held a special place. Yes they were boring, and boxy, and super square, super compact, and very humbled beginnings but it was something new and different from Dodge and the overall packaging presented very well! God bless Lee for all he’s contributed greatly to the automotive industry...a legend and icon in his own right!
I own a 1985 chrysler new yorker, it wasn't ever ruined by age, has 129,000 miles, and is my daily driver.
Besides a worn ball joint it is wonderful
Not to be confused with Japanese “Kei” cars
It almost sounds like you're saying Kia, which is not a Japanese make. It's South Korean. It sources from many of the same suppliers though.
@@jclements007 nah kei cars are really small compact cars made in Japan
@@jclements007 Kei cars are tiny cars made for Japan that have like 30 hp
Two things I noticed while watching the video - 7:40 "Decontented" is just a buzzword for "they took out the cool stuff" and 7:58 "Cars built in the US then sold in Mexico." Which is hilarious to nowadays when you have cars built in Mexico going to the US!
Thanks! I listened to that bit three times and could not figure out what the narrator was saying. "Decontented". . . I learned a new word today.
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As a K car salesman, owner, and sometime car fixer, this brings back memories. Thank you.
@@MrOnemanop 👍👍
Why does this channel or any other channel for that matter, need to grow? Inquiring minds want to know.
The k car? The minivan fixed the bottom line.
@@johnc9546 UA-cam channels are like viruses. They need to grow. Also, UA-cam pays money for popular channels with lots of views (ad revenue).
I had a 1989 Plymouth reliant which was still going strong when I donated it in 2003 with 180,000 miles on it. Nothing luxurious but very dependable.
My parents had the hots for a Town and Country wagon in 1982.We all went down to the dealer to try one out.The one we test drove stalled every time we stopped.That was the end of that one.Dad went for a 1982 Mercury Cougar wagon at $9200.
Car manufacturers need to go back to basics, build an inexpensive, durable, reliable and fuel efficient car, that the everyman can afford.
they do - it’s called a VW Golf.
I grew up on military bases and when the United States Air Force used these K cars for security. Being teenagers, we laughed at this. Made fun of them for being slow. It just didn't make sense for a security police patrol car.
Another good video tofer!
I remember the Dodge Spirit was what they used as police cars in fort Leonard Wood, 1990.
Just wish they could have built them a little more timeless. Apparently after 50k miles these cars basically began to disintegrate.
I'll tell you one thing, I was born in 99, loved Dodge and Chrysler products my whole life because my dad always had Dodge trucks growing up and the two trucks I've had were both Dodge's but I honestly can't remember the last time I've seen a K car. I don't remember seeing many growing up and I can honestly say can probably count the number I've seen in the past 5 years on one hand. I've also never seen a Volare or Aspen either until I bought a 79 Volare Duster street/strip car last year. I get so many people coming up to me when I have it out saying "oh my god I havn't seen one of these in over 20 years!" Funny how little you see cars like those anymore but how many people owned them back in the day and get a kick out of seeing a young guy driving one haha
@@jaymoe5.7 99 babies stand up 🤜🤛
I used to see them around every so often back before the CARS system in 2009. I’m pretty sure that’s what wiped out most that were still on the road by that point.
You’re right, it is exciting to see someone interested in these. Unfortunately, no one is. The last K-car I saw was a beat-up old Dynasty driven by some bleach-haired bat hunched over the wheel the other week, the first one I’d seen in at least a good decade. Seeing the little “Dodge” in the taillights, though... oh man.
There might be a few still breathing out here in Cali. That’s usually the best place to find any old car.
@@olliegoria I live up in Northern Wisconsin in the heart of the rust belt, and it wasn't cash for clunkers or anything that took em all out, it was the rust up here. Last time I saw a nice one was my seinor year of highschool a kid three years younger than me had a turquoise Plymouth "Duster" that his grandpa gave him as his first car. Other than that I havn't seen one in forever. And I'm not super intrested in the K car platform but I can't ignore the fact they single handedly saved my favorite oem brand. I do like the F bodies tho, I'm in the process of doing some work to my 79, I love that ole thing because it's the closest thing I'll get to the real muscle cars for the time being. I have a few short videos of it on my channel if ya wanna check it out
Apparently not. I had 2 K cars, an 83 which I traded at 200,00 km for a 86 ( in 88) . Sold that in 98 at 300,000km ( 180,000 miles) The buyer drove it a couple of years more.
They were better than that. However they were meant to undercut other manufacturers on price with their base models. You don't see them for the same reason you don't see a ford escort or chevy Corvette. They are old.
That Cordoba was a great car . I had one . Loved it
The man that gave birth to the K Car, the mustang, the unibody Jeep cherrokee, the Mini-van and the dodge viper.
Lee had nothing to do with the Jeep Cherokee , it's design dated back to 1978 and was first produced by AMC in 1983 .
@@toledojeeper2932 The Cherokee came out in 1974, I believe. AMC built better JEEPS than Chrysler, less plastic, simpler, tougher and more reliable. The older AMC JEEP CJ's Wagoneers and Cherokees still command a high price on the used market.
@@davidbrennan5 ...he said unibody Cherokee so he was talking about the XJ .
I worked at Toledo Jeep Assembly and nothing changed on the assembly line when we were purchased by Chrysler . Used the same parts and same designs for a couple of years . Chrysler did upgrade a lot of things on the assembly line immediately that really made life better on the line .I believe reliability increased under Chrysler , my 2000 XJ and 2001 Wrangler are still going strong.
My first job at Jeep was taillight assembly on the SJ ( Jeep Cherokee "Big J ")
@@toledojeeper2932 The XJ came out in 84 way before Chrysler bought out AMC "Lee" Iacocca had nothing to do with the design. 2000-2002 engines had the heads that crack on the 6 cyl. I would buy a 86 CJ or a 2003-2004 TJ Rubicon if I wanted a Jeep, they have dana 44's on the front. The CJ is more reliable because their is less stuff to break and they are a simple design.
@@davidbrennan5 ...I said the XJ came out before Chrysler purchased AMC , the design dates back to 1978 . Actually production of the XJ started in June of 1983 as the 1984 model year.
i have a 1981 Plymouth Reliant K very nice condition it is a white 4dr with red interior the 1st model year the back windows do not roll down it has a am/fm radio with one speaker it is very basic but i love it i had a K car as my 1st car when i was 16 so when i seen this one i had to have it
I wish there were simple K Cars. except with better reliability. Cars without all the f-ing crap stuffed into ALL NEW cars. I HATE new cars, I cant buy a NEW car, there is to much junk in them. So I can only buy old used cars now. They all have so many cameras, airbags, traction control, automatic this, automatic that, power seats/windows/locks/automatic braking, automatic on and of engines at stop lights, etc... and SO many tiny motors to run all those little automatic toys in the car. And 'keys' that cost $500! For a 'FOB'. Not a simple $3 key!
I cant be the only person that thinks this way. And a car payment of $500-600 a month for 6 years, for a 'cheap car'? And the worst, turbos on all these new tiny engines, to get the 'CAFE' mileage that the government demands. For all this, you get rock hard seats in 1 color, charcoal. A huge range of colors. Recall the days of colors? Or pillow top soft comfy seats? The good old 'Corinthian leather! Pop up head lights! Style! Nope. All gone. :( Now we get rolling 'tablets' like the Tesla 3. That's suppose to be style now. Yawn......
@@mrpoohbearlvr...& what to think of people who laugh at my '12 Matrix with crank windows and no air conditioning .
@Joe Madej Thanks, i knew I couldnt be the only person that likes the old simple cars. Not just classics, but older cars,without all the junk in it.
@@martinmartin5904 Would liketo have your matrix, just have to put A/C in it, for south Fla. We have similar cars:) I have a 2006 Chevy Aveo, only 44K miles on it, looks & runs showroom new. But it isn't a Toyota damn it:) I also have crank up windows, no power anything except brakes. I do have A/C thankfully!! ,no cameras, automatic starting, traction control, turbos, none of that crap. I have 4 airbags, so I feel safe in it, and frankly, I could not even get a nice OLD Corolla now, with as little in it as this, in mint cond. Esp. at a price like $1,500 or less. And it would have 100-200K miles on it, reak of cig. have dead paint, etc. A simple car that even meets todays stupid over protective standards would be a big step in the RIGHT direction! So looks like I'll never get a NEW car again in my life. Or a new OLD old car:)
You can Join my k car group facebook.com/groups/772288472860192/
The firing of Lee Iacocca from Ford was the start of a string of mistakes that Ford made the following years. They had little idea what they had lost when they fired him, and only found out when he turned around Chrysler. He and Bob Lutz are two visionary auto executives who made many good decisions over their careers.
Agreed. Except the GTO Bob Lutz brought from Australia. Wouldn't have been so bad if it were cheaper and had a different name.
@@Brandon-xp1ob Some did not like that car but at the time it was among the few high performance options that GM had for Pontiac. It was very fast and handled well when I was in one. Did not own it, but I wish I did.
RIP, Lee Iacocca!! You were largely responsible for saving Chrysler. I got my driver's license in 1981 and remember my friend's dad having a new K-Car (Dodge Aeries). He let me take it for a spin & it was the first front-drive vehicle I ever drove.
The inside was very roomy for such a 'small' car and it could legally [although a tight fit] carry six passengers.
He traded it in awhile later and got one that had the 2.6L "Hemi" engine.
I loved my '87 Aries Wagon. Amazingly good ride compared with the '82 Escort wagon I traded for it. Very good little car, good fit and finish, decent sound system. I miss it.
Read the book "Ford, the man and the machine" and you'll see what Iaccoca really was. He was an awful man, he caused big problems at Ford, he had a dirty mouth, he used the company jet for his own enrichment and started a coup at Ford to try to push Henry 2 out as chairman. They finally had to get rid of him, first by making him VP of Ford Europe to get him out of the country then by firing him altogether.
I had the '89 Dodge Spirit, I drove that thing until 2005 and put 600k on it. Although I cannot say that it was the best for refinement, it was durable and inexpensive to maintain and repair as I could source replacement parts from just about any K based car from the "pick and pull" junk yards.
That's the kind of longevity that normally you would only see Honda or Toyota owners gush about.
@@thekidfromiowa Well to be fair, My old Dodge Spirit was almost like a "Ship of Theseus", where so much had been replaced it was almost like a new car every couple of years.
In the end I replaced it with a Honda, and after 17 years it is almost entirely original (except tires and Break pads, consumables)
@@thekidfromiowa yeah but read his other comment. There were a lot of available parts, that dosent mean reliable.
I worked at a Chrysler dealership in 83 right after the government bailed them out and we were offered, as members of the Chrysler family employees, half price stock options. $4.00 a share when it was opening at 8.00. I passed. ten years later it was 80.00 a share. Yikes! The Japanese Mitsubishi Supporo was a great little car! The Chrysler K cars....I despised those pieces of junk. You could buy a used 67 Buick Electra 225 convertible in mint condition for 200.00 back then (My first car) or a 63 Pontiac Grand Prix with a three speed standard 389 with 8 lug aluminum rims for 200.00 (my second used car) buying great American used cars from the huge pool of 60's super cars was a no brainer to me as a kid right out of high school. Those were the days....greatest cars ever dirt cheap! Anything made after the early seventies...forget about it!
Have a 81 Dodge k car.back in 1986. Never had Iny problem with the car.great car with no factory AC. Great mileage tho..
Rest in peace, Mr. Iacocca. You are a god among car enthusiasts
My mother had the Aries K "88" model and the aerodynamic and steering response is superb and for a 4 door sedan style car, very easy to control and easily Chrysler's saving grace. The car survived for nearly 20 years and It come to shows the reliability of the auto.
I'm still driving an 88 reliant today, & you're correct, it is a dream to drive it!
Definitely a improvement can't wait for your next video
The Chrysler nagging module.
"Your door is ajar. Your door is ajar..."
"I haven't closed it yet. Just a minute."
"Your door is ajar..."
"I told you, just a minute!"
"Your door is ajar..."
"Dammit! There, it's closed. Shut up!"
"Please fasten your seat belt. Please fasten your seat belt..."
"Gawd dammit!"
So true!!! Thanks for that memory!
At least they would break within a year or so due to chronic windshield leaks.
These are great unbiased car history videos. Keep up the outstanding work.
Iaccoco saved Chrysler, only for it to go bankrupt twice more, poor Lee, he must of shook his head with that corporation
Once more not twice. Unless they are going bankrupt now and I didn't hear about it.
Actually Ricardo Montalbán pitched Corinthian leather for Chrysler well before the K car's introduction
I skinned a Corithian last week. The hide is almost cured.
@@donalddoty5768 What was her name?
We sold K cars, Le Barons, New Yorkers & Minivans. Our customers loved em. My 1990 Caravan C/V was still running with 200,000 miles, we sold it Feb. 2021.
my son was looking for a car for a mature lady friend. we found a well maintained late model K car station wagon cheap. I told him buy it. she bitched about how it looked but it gave her over 5 years of trouble free service.
Join my k car group facebook.com/groups/772288472860192/
Chrysler was the car of the 80's. They dominated the 80's!
But never lasted like Toyota
Toyota dominated the 80s
Thank you for that video as brought back many memories for me. I started selling Chrysler products in the fall of 1978 about the same time Lee Iacocca took the helm at Chrysler. I was a young man of 29 with one child and another on the way and stayed selling Chrysler products until the year 2000 when I left the business. All the vehicles you mentioned were were my bread and butter and I was able to raise my family while selling them through the years.
*An outstanding job & achievement on this Chrysler / Dodge historical video, Featuring the late great front man Lee Iacocca ..Thank You Tofer from me and all of the other Car enthusiast ...that appreciate quality videos... Such as this !!!*
Very well done and interesting video. Interesting to me how the K car lasted the whole decade. I member the 80's clearly, K cars, the music, Mini vans, etc. The last decade that seemed in all respects to make sense- IMO. Iacocca I have no doubt is working on a car project in Heaven. Thanks again.
How do you save an American car maker? Put a Japanese engine into its product....
I recall my stepmom drove a Reliant K Car and she really liked it. Lee Iacocca was a real salesman and remember his appearances in commercials. He can be credited with saving Chrysler.
The *_'Mark Cross'_** leather option,* which cost A LOT OF MONEY FOR THAT TIME (several hundred dollars), really made what were truthfully low-end cars seem quite luxurious. The softness of the leather and the deeply cushioned, almost pillow-like seats made you feel like you were somewhere special. To drive home my point, it was (OK, not quite) like encountering a Yugo with a Cadillac interior!
Very cool video. They were way ahead of the platform game back then. A shame they can't seem to do anything but truck's and Jeeps these days.
REGULAR CAR REVIEWS NEEDS TO SEE THIS!! (also how do you have less subs than me??!! - very well put together. )
And then Chrysler was sold down the river to Daimler.
My late parents used to rent Plymouth Reliants back in the 1980's, and I really loved those cars! Unfortunately, those cars didn't stand the test of time, and you really don't see too many of them on the road these days.
Actually you don't see many 80's cars of any make still on the road.
@@ericripley9739 Except VW Golf II and Audi 80 B3. In Poland where I live there's still a lot of them, considernig their age. Every day a can see those cars on the road. Opels, Fords, Fiats, Skodas and French cars of the 80's and early 90's? Gone long time ago. They made double edged razors out of them :-)))))
I’ve had a few of the 82-86 convertibles all were comfy reliable and great on gas. Prettier than the ugly cheap plastic bubbles they make today
Something that always gets lost in automotive history was Lee Iacocca's insistence on a 5 year/50,000 mile warranty on the K cars. After a decade or more of horrendous quality, Chrysler's reputation was shot. This brought back a ton of buyers, as well as those who swore they'd never own one. No one, not even the Japanese car makers offered such a warranty.
Omg the 83 Chrysler lebaron was my first car
iam sorry
With fine Corinthian leather!! :-)
I'm glad that Iacocca was able to save all those jobs and the Chrysler brand. However, the first new car I bought was an 86 Lazer. It was an abject disappointment, very poor quality and plagued with irreparable and even some dangerous design flaws. It was all hype and little real change. This is, however a very good vid. Outstanding production, music and visual.
The world was a better place with Lee in it.
I totally agree.
They sold well because they were priced just right and at the right time.GM & Ford didn't have a model the size of K-cars.Ford Fairmount/Chevy Monte Carlo and its sibling models were larger while the Chevy Chevette was too small to compete with the room space of K-cars.
Lucky for Chrysler,Toyota & Honda were only obscure brands to Americans at the time and no one had a clue they would make the best cars only 10 years later.
My first car was a 1983 Plymouth reliant. I think I blew the engine in about three months because I was young and didn't know anything about how to add oil to the proper level. Once I learned about cars, I bought a few more after that, you just can't kill those things. Mr. Lee was a great man and a true American. Once the company merged with Diamler, Chrysler plunged even further than they did back in the late 70s
The K cars were actually good cars. Yes I said it because they were meant to be affordable, reliable and not suck your wallet dry at the pump. They were never going to compete with the Camaro for performance or the Buick Park Avenue for luxury. I know quite a few people who had them and yes they didn't spend much time at the dealer, were easy on the pocket book and quite comfortable for cars in that price range. That simple formula saved Chrysler and I wish some car makers would rediscover it.
no mention of my favorite the dodge Rampage !!! ( car with truck bed like elcamino)
The Rampage is awesome! It wasn't featured here as it's actually based on the L body Omni/Horizon.
yeah, I noticed that too.
@@TofersCarTales years ago I saw one on a used car lot in poplar bluff Missouri.
after seeing all the cars rolling out that could have had Ford badges the CEOs at Ford probably banged their heads against a tree for a while over their decision for cutting Mr Lee loose! lol!
I could argue that the Taurus was essentially Ford's K-car on the other hand in terms of the effects it had on the company being similarly massive to the K-car on Chrysler's end. Also, the X-bodies are what happens when you take the concept of the K-car, and do it in all the wrong ways with regards to GM (technically GM beat Chrysler to that idea by a couple years but Chrysler did it right).
I inherited a LeBaron turbo convertible.. That car taught me to hate FWD but glad Chrysler ended up with Jeep.. at least in the beginning.
I still have an early Chysler Jeep Sahara. Perfect original condition and still exploring Death Valley almost 30 years later. It will be at the Death Valley dunes from Wed. to Sun next week.
It should be mentioned that the first Ks (both Aries and Reliant) were the Motor Trend Car Of the Year for 1981.
RIP Lee Iacocca. He would have been a great president.
I miss the interiors of real cars. I looked at a new Ford interior the other day and it was all boring black, looked like no effort was exerted in the design, was made of cheap low quality materials and was so over bloated with useless electronic gimmicks that it looked like someone swallowed a Tesla and then puked all over what could have been a great vehicle. Iguess you really don't get what you pay for after all.
If I had a million dollars, I'd buy me a K car.
A nice reliable automobile
And have $999 999 change to play with
A nice Reliant automobile.
And we'd all eat Kraft dinner.
Bravo! A man of good taste.
I have been a Pro Auto Tech since 1975. The K car was a piece of crap! I can't believe that it sold so well.
It wasn't necessarily a new concept so much as it was the right concept at the right time.
Absolutely. It was never intended to be new, revolutionary, or great. The K-car was really built to do one and only one thing: it was built to SELL.
Chrysler k cars will be an awesome canvas for non japanese bosozoku style build!
Iacocca was a brilliant man. Not only did he have the business smarts, but the design smarts as well. Having been the father of the Mustang, he knew how to produce a winner. A lot of people laughed at the K cars, as they did Chrysler in general, but they sure sold A LOT of them. They weren't pretty, certainly not at the beginning, but they did get refined and more stylish over time. I had a Lancer and absolutely LOVED that car and would love to have one again today. I only got rid of it at the time because I was driving in city traffic with a manual transmission and just got tired of riding the clutch so much and up and down shift so often. Otherwise, I doubt I'd have let that car go for many years. RIP Mr. Iacocca. You were truly one in a million.
I remember my very first car was a 1982 Dodge 400, I bought in 1988. It was a nice dark blue 2 dr with a/c that worked well and a quarter vinyl roof. It was a good little car and quite reliable.
My second car was an 86 New Yorker 2.2 turbo bought in 1991. To this day it was one of the best cars I ever owned. Really comfortable to drive and travel with, peppy, and of course the digital dash and voice that warned of low gas, washer fluid, door ajar etc.. it was a great car.
What a piece of crap the 2.2 and 2.5 were!Couldn't keep a damn head gasket on them if you welded the head to the block.Loud,thrashy vibrating oil leakers.And by the way,I like Mopars.
I was little when these came out, but several of my friends families had one, and i recall they were not impressed with them. I remember being a passenger, i thought it was noisy, uncomfortable, and flimsy. I recall hearing it is a pos made of plastic
Head gaskets were the biggest problem with the ones equipped with the 2.6.
K cars served a purpose and provided some competition to the growing market for Japanese imports . Like most cars in the seventies and eighties, the Chrysler products were prone to rust and had under-powered engines. The Chrysler products were not bad looking, but they were also rather forgettable....they all kinda looked alike. Few survive because most were not well cared for and not many folks want a K car or its cousins in 2019..... the fifties, sixties to mid-seventies are the most collectible years. However our family owned two Plymouth Reliant wagons and they were great, no major problems with over 80,000 miles when sold and got about 28 mpg on the highway. I now have a 2012 Dodge Caravan, and they are still being sold in 2019, built in Canada. Nice tribute to Mr. Iacocca. Thanks. 🙂
Nobody really cared for them because nobody bought a K-car expecting to still be driving it in twenty years. Sure, some ran like miracles but most were usually undrivable within a few years time, either due to mechanical problems or just rusting out over the course of a few winters.
Shame too... I’d get one if I knew how to make it last.
A lot of people were (are?) surprised at the MoPar Minivans were based on a compact car (K) platform. Those folks forget that the original Ford Econoline van was based on the Falcon platform!
Lee was the right man at the right place at the right time. Also thanks for the Mustang.
I owned 5 K cars, all used, over the years. For as crummy as they were, they were remarkably reliable
I sold these . They were actually good vehicles
As a local independent auto repair shop owner told me, "Chrysler pays my mortgage every month." Bad engineering, cheep materials and dumb buyers keep a lot of auto mechanics busy.
Chrysler... Company Has Recommended You Start Learning Engine Repair
Here’s an old joke from Dad:
Why do mechanics love Chryslers?
They keep them in business
I've heard that one.
People seem to forget but what actually saved Chrysler was the Taxpayers. Yes they was the first American automobile company that the US Government baled out. And later on in the 90s the Government baled out Ford and GM. So give som credit to the American taxpayers. Because it sure wasn’t the UAW that help them stay in business.
I don't think you understand how any of this works.
I inherited a 1984 Dodge Caravan LE in 1997 from my parents, so you could say the K-Car touched even my life at one point! 👍😎👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Love those first gen minivans
Lido, an automotive icon, at the center of many of the most important automobiles to be manufactured in the last 50+ years. Responsible for saving countless jobs, and transforming many segments of the auto industry.
@Delightfully Charming Duping? How so? Did he dupe the public with the Mustang? The mini-van?
@Delightfully Charming The UAW workers were part of the reason US automakers were making inferior cars. I am extremely well informed on the subject. I don’t excuse management of Chrysler for poor decisions, but the UAW, with their outrageous contract demands, handed the keys to our auto industry to foreign competition. I would advise you to look it yourself.
Im just watching this video and wow I was a little familiar with the K car but u did an excellent job presenting this piece of history...I always loved the Cordoba and still do with the lean burn 400 ci. engine. Owned one and I want it back.......lol 😆