(first posted 3/28/2012) On the Dodge Mirada’s Wikipedia page it states that one was used in Kenny Rogers’ theatrical acting debut, Six Pack, a film garnering an impressive 5.2/10 on the Internet Movie Database scale.
The story is of Brewster ‘Brew’ Baker, an auto racer who finds himself in the very relatable position of having his race car stripped bare by a gang of six unruly orphans while stopping for a chicken fried steak in a small Texas town. The movie’s Mirada is owned and driven by Turk, Brew’s competitor in the important final race of the movie. Befitting Dodge’s general reputation in the early 1980s, Turk furtively calls his Mirada a Buick.
Being that the mechanically-inclined children soon become Brew’s pit crew, they probably knew that the Mirada was based on the same platform that begat Sinatra’s beloved Imperial which itself was closely related to a Deadly Sin.
The Mirada featured the familiar 225 slant six or 318 v8s along with 1980’s CMX-only 360 also being available, engines so simple that even a kid (or six) could work on them.
The CMX trim level featured a veritable buffet of delectable items, the fake carriage top and 10-spoke wheels being not the least of them. The padded top was so convincing that it took me a good 10 minutes to verify for certain that it is, in fact, an impostor. Its appearance is far more natural than many Hollywood stars’ exterior revamping efforts.
He hasn’t changed a bit!
I also discovered actual Mirada convertibles were created by Global Coach, hacker uppers of yet another car some would call a Deadly Sin.
Not too many people were seduced by the Mirada even when in sexy CMX trim, and only about 53,000 Miradas were produced over its 4-year run.
Our movie hero Brew had markedly better prospects as he found himself being subtly seduced by the oldest of the orphans, a (very) young Diane Lane. However, Brew apparently was not much of a gambler and ended up doing the right thing, going with his older-model girlfriend, though one wonders if he ever pictured growing old(er) with she who I will forever think of as Miss Lorena Wood.
Hope and leaf springs were almost eternal with Chrysler, featured here and on countless other Mopar vehicles through the years, though the newest Ram light duty trucks now have rear coil springs.
The roof’s side profile has a very distinct Lincoln Mark V and VI feel to it, especially wrapped in the white canvas. The fender vents, while looking suspiciously like ones I saw last weekend under a layer of plastic AutoZone chrome, work well enough here, as do the alloy wheels.
Perhaps the things that let this car’s appearance down most are the disposable razor grille and the single sealed-beam headlights, though the overall effect is decent if admittedly one of a car that doesn’t know whether it wants to sporty or broughamly.
In the end, however, art imitates life with Brew, the orphans, and this Mirada all living happily ever after.
Find these and other forgotten treasures at the Cohort, and thanks to Davo for the photos. One of these days I’ll get Paul to buy him a bucket of chicken!
That’s a picture of Paul Deen’s husband, not Kenny Rogers, but then that might be the joke. 😛
I’m always fascinated by cars that were intended to be “mass market” but sold in such low numbers that they end up being rarer than some cars classified as “exotic.”
Paul or Paula?
Congratulations. No Miradas in my extensive collection so far. Now we need to find us a Dodge Magnum, its spiritual predecessor.
I saw one yesterday sitting in someone’s driveway, looking rather weathered. Unfortunately I couldn’t stop to get a picture. I was participating in an organized cruise and didn’t want to fall behind and get lost.
There’s always a Magnum or two at Moparfest that I could provide pictures of, but those don’t count as “curbside”.
I know I’m late to the game on this but there was as of June 2020 a black Dodge Magnum curbside model that at least moves around the apartment complex way down in Steilacoom Washington where my daughter lived for a couple of years. No reason to think it’s not still there. Most likely driven by a fellow USAF Airman.
I guess I should have taken a picture as I really doubt I will drive down there to do it now. Sorry.
I liked the looks of these but can’t recall ever seeing one in the wild. I did have a Hot Wheels Mirada stock car as a kid though!
I wonder if you could have gotten two-tone blue and white with the white cabriolet top. Then you’d have your own faux Bill Blass Mark V.
I’m pretty sure that that color combo was available on the Mirada’s platform mate, the Chrysler Cordoba.
You were right. Here’s a pic from the ’81 Cordoba brochure with a blue and white version.
I’d forgotten about the Cordoba LS, which had a 300-inspired grille instead of the regular Cordoba’s formal chrome version.
Yes you could..,sort of. The Cordoba was available in navy blue with white canvas top, spoke hubcaps and Vogue Tyres (white walls with gold stripes) gold pinstripe. Very sharp.
I wonder if a Lebaron convertible could have been ordered in dark blue, white top and interior? (with dark blue carpet.) That color scheme would be positively orgasmic.
I, too, had the Hot Wheels, which made me want a real life Mirada! I’ve seen a few, but they’re not common. At least I did augment my well-worn Hot Wheels example with a near-mint one courtesy of eBay.
I also had the red “Mirada Stocker”! That one was one of my favorites.
I really like these, it’s like a toned down Magnum XE. Funny you mention the roofline, the Mirada SE roof looks like they ripped it off of the 79 Tbird.
Those 10 spoke rims look really nice when they’re polished up properly.
My FIL had one of these as a company car back in the early 80’s. A base Mirada, not a CMX. His company was a supplier to Chrysler back then, the company policy was to buy their cars from Chrysler. My FIL was having a middle aged crazy moment back then, and took the Mirada, as it was as close to a sporty RWD car that Mopar had back then. Anything was sportier than his previous sled, a St. Regis.
Emblematic of the industry and the times, the car was a great looking POS. It stalled, misfired and generally got poor gas mileage. The ills were attributed to that car’s Lean Burn setup, but the dealership could never get the car to run satisfactorily. He left that company not too long after, and gave back the car.
About 15 years ago, I ran across a very nice ’79 or ’80 Mirada with the V8 at an iron lot in Atlanta. I was a bright red with a white top and interior. It was nicest car on this lot, which was otherwise full of old beaters on their 15th owner. I thought about it for about 10 minutes, until I remembered my FIL’s Mirada. That, and the fact that this was the nicest car on the lot raised my suspicions well beyond my comfort level and I walked away from the car.
No regrets.
I loved these back when they were new. Those 10 spoke artillery wheels are still among my favorites.
The main reason that this looks so much like a Conti Mark V is that when it’s stylist (Don DeLaRossa) left Ford, he went over to Chrysler and did this car. This car (and the Mark V) are the only ones that really, really looked good with the fake convertible top. I think that it is the rake of the C-pillar and rear window that is so much like that of most convertibles, and the thing comes off looking genuine, even though it is a fake.
My mother was shopping for an Omni in 1980 and even ordered one in Baron Red, which I believe is the same color as this car. I thought that this was one of the most attractive cars made in the early 1980s, but Chrysler’s death stench was too strong for these to make any headway, particularly in an era of high fuel prices and a bad economy. And yes, Geozinger, the Lean Burn contolled engines were really a crapshoot. Some ran decently (for awhile) and others not, and nobody seemed able to figure them out in most areas.
@jp: to expand on the Lean Burn diagnosis a little bit: The Mirada was the second car with Lean Burn ‘issues’. My FIL hated the dealer that he was forced to use because of the company leasing the cars.
He was convinced he could have gotten the cars to run well, rather than having the dealerships ‘clods’ do the same tests and procedures over and over again, without resolving the issues.
He had ideas of how to fix them, but wasn’t allowed to try. It was an extremely frustrating situation for him.
The easiest fix for the Lean Burn system was to REMOVE it! 🙂
+1
The frameless glass and the roof angle also help the real convertible look, I wold nominate this as best fake ragtop of the era.
+1
This was one of those few models in the 1980s that I wanted to experiment with – you know – trying to manufacture something that would allow that fixed quarter window to retract! Hey, what did you expect? It’s ME, okay?
I was dead serious about experimenting, too. This car along with the 1977 Impala coupe (it did have window channels), the Cadillac Biarritz coupes, Rivieras and all other fixed-window-that-should-have-rolled-down-genuine-pillarless-hardtops.
Nowadays? Not so much – If I did have a chance, I still would, however. That, and up to a year ago seriously researching a design possibility to manufacture/modify the rear panel on my Impala to allow three tail lights on a side.
Don’t have as much free time anymore…
I saw one of these when it was about ten years old that I wanted. It was bright red with a white interior, bucket seats and console, and the same wheels as the car pictured here. I just absolutely loved the looks of it. Then I sat in it, noodled around with the controls on the dash and saw how tinny most of that stuff felt, and ended up just walking away from it.
I suppose I was mentally comparing it with my old 300L. Well, you know which one’s going to win there….
The 1980 Mirada CMX I bought from a used car lot in Garland, Texas in 1985 was a bright red with a white vinyl top and white leather interior. It had the trusty 318 engine. It not only was a beaut with very minimal wear and tear, but I swear it was completely trouble-free for the 2 years I owned it. Was very comfortable to drive and ride in. I actually kinda regret letting it go, and would love to find an equally nice and good-running one today.
How about a T-top version, red and white inside and out? Sharp car!
Now you’re talkin’, Tom! It should come with a color-coordinated warm up suit, so you can get friendly with the divorcee next door and her Fila Edition T-Bird:
I Test Drove one Of Those and wanted it Badly. I was convinced The Grand Am Was A Newer More Current looking Car, and That Was Its Draw…
Though It Quickly gained a Reputation… and its 3.0 v6 was No Match For The 5.0 Ford… Did I Live and Learn? No, I drove a Cavalier Convertible for 9 years before realizing Just How Much more Fun Was 2 b had in a Mustang GT, car of my dreams at 5 years old
and a t-bird, my favorite line… i still need to, well i did drive my moms 73 quite extensively, so its not on the bucket list.
Digging the Fila Bird! And the car’s pretty nice, too. 🙂
Yes, you could have had these with T-tops, even though they are most associated with F-bodies and Corvettes, there was a virtual T-top explosion in the late 70’s, All the 2-door GM intermediate coupes through 87 had it, Thunderbird, Cougar, Mustang, Fairmont/Zephyr(maybe?)Volare/Aspen, Diplomat/LeBaron, Cordoba/Magnum/Mirada.
Thats just off the top of my head, I might be missing a few
Did AMC offer any T-tops?
@Carmine: If they did, it would have been back in the mid to late 1970s with the Hornet or Spirit AMXs.
T-tops could be had on at least a couple of imports: the 280/300ZX and the Subaru BRAT.
I believe that GM also produced a few prototype Olds Toronados with power t-tops around ’77 or ’78.
Oh, yeah, I was just mainly sticking to the domestics, the Z-cars kept their t-tops until they stopped making them in the 90’s, the Nissan Pulsar of the late 80’s also had T’s along with the NX2000 replacement.
Did any german cars get der T-topzen?
Don’t know about German T-tops, but there was one Citroen SM T-top, the “Espace” by Heuliez. Just one or two were made.
I personally like the grille it reminds me of the old Cord grilles, but a set of aero headlights would make it better. This is one of the few cars from Chrysler in the era that I actually like the style of.
IIRC, this car’s grille was designed to ape the Cord. Similar to the Magnum that preceded it.
I wanted one Of These… But $ was Way More Than The 6000 that a Mazda Glc could be had for in 1981.
Loved The Red with White that Mimicked a Mark Vi…
sad only 52 k in 4 model years!
Great Looking Convertible.
Dont Want 2 buy a great looking POS, Which I Think is Why People Shied away in such vast numbers.
wonder how many are still on the road, 5000?
It also looks in The Convertible shot To BE, a great Looking Pontiac LeMans or Downsized Catalina/Bonnieville.
how Far Diplomat Coupe Was The Mirada>?
Finally, I have found a place to post the most unbelievable ad I have ever seen on CL! Picture one post below
here it is…
Well, you know, that could almost be me. Was recently checking craigslist for a Mirada as well as a few other old cars. You see, I owned one, used, from about 1985-87. Had a nice one that I liked the looks of and which was entirely trouble-free. It had the 318 engine. Did fine around town, and did a smooth road trip from Texas to Ohio and back. Have some regrets about selling it for a smaller, more economical and fun-to-drive car.
My dad had one of these for a brief while; it was a repossession auction purchase. Oversized, underpowered, made of styrofoam cups, tuna fish cans, and shag rug. Opening one of the doors produced noticeable body lean; closing them required effort and a good aim (they were sagging under their own weight. The car was 5 years old). Impossibly, he loved that car. We all hated it. It stranded him enough times to make him mad, so he finally sold it.
I like the looks of these for some reason.
I also like that shade of red too, almost a burgundy color and this one’s badly sun blasted as the paint on the hood is gone in places, literally as the bare metal is showing through on much of it.
I also noticed the 2 rear corner pieces are missing, but the car otherwise looks pretty good, judging from the photos here.
The days of large, RWD cars were over by that point and thus the success of the soon to be K car and the Omni/Horizon twins as both were smaller FWD cars that were much more modern overall.
I’ve been searching for a Mirada ( or it’s sibling Cordoba ) for a while now to convert to a 24 Hours of Lemons racer. Almost all the examples under $1000 for sale are missing the rear plastic bumper pieces — and some are missing the front too! These pieces get very brittle with age, and simply disintegrate.
Nice car. A friend had one in about 1987. Same color, but not the CMX model. One vivid memory of that car: bitterly cold morning (about -40C) and the back window shattered while driving to work. I love that picture of the hood.
In the fall of 1983, while stationed with the Coast Guard in Virginia, I was a very disgruntled owner of a Norwood-POS ’82 Camaro. I was a big cheerleader of Mopar when it was emerging from the doldrums, and being disgusted with an ever breaking Camaro, to Dodge I went. Ultimately, I left Tidewater Dodge (Norfolk, VA) with an ’83 Dodge D-150 long bed “Miser” (slant six/4 speed OD) pickup.
I did look longingly at a tan with padded (not faux mid-western style converitble) top in dark brown ’83 Dodge Mirada with the aluminum spoked wheels like our CC example. 318 V-8 in this one – pretty well loaded – really, a very, very nice car. Light tan velour seats – tan carpet. Attractive. The ’84’s were about to be introduced and the salesman was throwing deep discounts on the last remaining Mirada they had. Ended up with the truck as I liked IT better, although I did consider the Mirada. Had it been a 360 4bbl, it might have been a sale!
I never did think this generation of Miradas (or Cordobas) were bad cars; they were very cleanly styled and should’ve done better in the marketplace, but Lido & Co. were (at the time wisely) betting the Mopar farm on the K car.
I think to find a clean example of this car of a Cordoba and “massage” a 318/360 with some neat speed toys (sorry, California – gotta wait a few more years for that magic 25 year mark) – you’d have one hell of a sleeper. Not to mention today’s youths would have no idea what you were driving. Fun.
Twice this week on my way to work, I saw a running Dodge Mirada for the first time in many, many years. Just east of Columbus, Ohio. It was cream colored; far lighter in color than the pictured convertible.
I owned one for about two years in the mid-eighties. It was a bright red, loaded, 1980 Mirada CMX with a white landau vinyl top. And, a white leather interior. The 318 V8 and AM/FM/cassette with factory CB radio! It was comfortable, solid and trouble-free. Never did anything more than put gas in it. Only traded it off in order to get a 1-year old, hot little 1986 Shelby Charger. So, I still have a fondness for the rather rare Miradas. And, would also love to find a white, 1981 Cordoba LS like the one in the brochure.
I still have this 83 Mirada convertible, Global Coach actually did a good job on the conversion.
I had no idea that the Cordoba/Magnum/Mirada existed until Curbside Classic entered my life – well ok, I’d heard of the Cordoba because my 90s issues of Car & Driver occasionally joked about “Rich Corinthian Leather” (or the sad lack thereof in modern cars). But the Magnum and Mirada were completely new to me. I for one love the Mirada/Magnum/Cordoba styling, and like the Mirada grille too. That’s the great thing about CC, I learn so much about vehicles I’d heard little or nothing about, so thanks all 🙂
Back in the day, “Hot Rod” magazine ran a series of articles entitled “Magnum Mirada” where they converted a stock Mirada into a Pro Stock race car. It might have been right at the end of the Pro-Stock era where the cars originated as real cars, rather than as tube-frame race-only vehicles.
Never heard of a Mirada until now. Thanks for the article.
They downsize this & the Cordoba & they can’t give them away. New car interest rates were pretty high then, along with Mopar’s health. Since the 1958 Thunderbird, you’d think the mid sized, or full size sporty coupe would have an been easier, clone job. Seems Diane Lane has aged better than our Mirada.
These were not good looking cars due to that hideous extra window on the C-pillar. If Chrysler had taken a cue from GM’s G-platform cars and sized them close to those models, and styled them similar to the predecessor Cordoba and Magnum, then maybe the cars would have sold better. The later models looked better when the C-pillar window was removed.
The strange thing is the Datsun 200SX notchback introduced the same year had a more or less similar C-pillar design to the Cordoba/Mirada http://www.productioncars.com/gallery.php?car=1024&make=Datsun&model=200SX
When these duo replaced the Magnum and Corboba in 1980, the Mirada and Cordoba which acquired the new stretched chassis from the RWD F-Body Plymouth Volare’/Dodge Aspen were not really that significantly shorter than the older RWD B-Body Plymouth Fury/Dodge Monaco based Magnum/Corboba. Only 5 1/2″ separated the older and the newer redesigned models so these cars were still huge compared to GM’s RWD A/G Bodied 1978-80 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix and Ford’s Fox Bodied 1980 Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar XR-7.
Ive always liked these cars, when all the details are lining up properly. Whitewalls and fake convertible tops do NO play up the best in these. But when you bring out the COUPE and downplay the luxury, theyre pretty sweet. The Cordoba LS with the gunsight grille and monochrome paint never made sense as a Chrysler to me. THAT should’ve been the updated Dodge Magnum, the Mirada should’ve been a Plymouth.
Chrysler briefly made a 300 from the 1st gen Cordoba. They planned to make a 300 out of the 2nd gen Cordoba too. However, they changed their mind, which is where the Cordoba LS with the 300’s gunsight grille came from.
Yup, Im somewhat familiar with that one. As I remember, it was the exact formula for performance used in the Dodge Lil Red Express Truck. 2 of the fastest, and highest performing vehicles you could get in ’78/’79. Its a real crying shame that the drivetrain didn’t follow thru to the J cars. A T-top 4spd de-broughammed Mirada or Cordoba LS running that potent 360 (which skirted a number of the smog regs) would’ve been a total world beater for those times. And Mopar performance MIGHT not have been limited to turbocharged Daytonas thru the 90s.
By checking that customized convertible, I wonder what if Chrysler had tested the water with a convertible Cordoba instead of a LeBaron in 1982?
I love my convertible Mirada
Looks cool. You certainly have a rare car, a very rare car. While I’ve seen pictures of them, have never seen one. I loved my 1980 Mirada while I had it.
Wow. That’s pretty amazing to find not only the owner of a Mirada, but a convertible! Very cool car you have there.
I liked these cars as a teenager but even back then knew their horror stories. Chrysler’s Lean Burn system is well known as the cancer that must be cut out of a car. Of course my Riviera’s Computer Command Control was never able to be tamed by the Buick dealership.
As for the fake convertible top, I never understood it. For me that would be like trying to teach my dog to meow,,,Why? A convertible top was never attractive when raised. It was just a necessary evil.
The lean Burn system is still on this car and runs 100%, yes I know that’s a rare deal
another view
The mechanic belongs in the Chrysler Hall of Fame.
While I do think these CMX versions are among the best-executed fake convertibles out there, I may be one of the few who actually liked the C-pillar window treatment on the steel-roof version. It’s busy but, for some reason, it works for me.
And like Tom stated above, I had the Hot Wheels version, which was one of the favorite cars of my miniature “fleet”, which always led me to like the real versions. Very angular, yes, but I think in a well-executed fashion. Yet another in the “I’d love to have one someday” files. Make mine a first-year car with a 360 and the 10-spoke wheels, either that or find me one with a tired 318 and it would be summarily replaced with a worked-on 360. That could be a fun car, and a good-looking one too!
Ive always liked those cars, I think they would have sold better if Chrysler wasn’t on the skids in those years. It looked as good as any of the GM G-Bodies and certainly better than the first Fox bodied Thunderbirds and Cougars and it had had the bulletproof 318/TF drivetrain that actually still made decent power for the time. Replace the Lean Burn with a conventional Mopar electronic ignition and keep the salt away from it and its a car that’s good for 150K miles.
I came across a grey on grey T-Top Mirada at a swap meet last year, I think it was an 82? that I could have bought on the way cheap but I have too many damn cars, plus it needed parts like the plastic fender extensions that are probably near impossible to find. I also remember them in NASCAR but Chrysler had pulled their factory sponsorship long before and I don’t think any big names were running them.
I always liked the look of these. Aero headlights would have worked too, but they were a few years away.
I’ve seen a photo of a black Mirada that someone put smoked plexiglass headlight covers on, following the angle of the fenders. it’s a good look!
I wanted to like these, but the details usually didn’t work for me. Bumper integration was not very good, some versions like this got a body colored front bumper with chrome on the back – not a fan of that. Chrysler couldn’t be bothered to give the Chrysler and Dodge versions unique rear ends, and could not seem to commit the sporty details to the Dodge, and luxury to the Chrysler, so both cars covered the same market position – too much badge engineering. Quality was iffy, in particular the plastic on the door interior panels was pretty nasty, featuring Instacrack door sills.
I’ll agree that the general hardtop profile is attractive, and was quite unique by the time these came out. But, the details made this one hard to love, and that was reflected in its poor sales numbers.
I still remember the son of the local Dodge dealer brought a brochure for the upcoming 1980 Dodge Mirada to school during the very first week. His father told him that he could pick any car he wanted as a graduation present, and he was leaning towards a Mirada. (I can’t remember what car he eventually did choose.) The new Mirada made quite an impression on me.
These were quite sharp for the time – better looking than the 1980 GM personal luxury intermediates, and miles ahead of the awkward 1980 Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar XR-7. Between Chrysler’s reputation for terrible quality, and the publicity surrounding the debate over whether the government should extend loan guarantees to save the company, however, most people wouldn’t touch them. A severe recession, a recent fuel shortage and double-digit interest rates on auto loans for people with GOOD credit kept even most Mopar loyalists out of the market.
The top interior door panel on these cars always cracks near the door lock button. A friend (who has posted on this site) told me of a Mopar fan who ordered NOS replacement parts for his Mirada. When they arrived, they were already cracked!
I had one and I LOVED it. I would still have if not for my crazy stupid EX husband!!! I would love that one back!!!
Loved the general style of these cars, but it was the little details that seemed off: the blocky, nondescript taillights; the rear overhang; the rear quarter windows that didn’t line up at their lower edges with the door glass. Minor things (well, not the wheelbase) could have taken the looks of these from an 8-point-something to the upper-9’s.
After the excitement of the disco brougham coupes of the 1970 decade, the imported car craze began to take hold of not just the cheap car market, but also started giving new direction to other car markets as well. By 1978, the new look was angular, spare, and efficient, not curvy and bloated. Ford caught on by 1976 and straightened out their smaller Torino-based Thunderbird, followed by a new Fox body line of cars. GM’s winning full size cars were dramatically different from what preceded them. This left Chrysler with the new small FWD Omnirizon cars, but little else.
Coupes lost favor to compact sedans. Once again, we see the Germans putting new design into the VW line while the Audi showed the shape to come. The 1970 ginormous coupe with the bordello, opera-windowed crushed velour back seats were replaced by upright efficient rear seating with large windows.
Chrysler won millions with the Cordoba, but as the styling aged, the stacked headlights, upright squared tail light treatment and more upright roof didn’t fit the Jaguar-esque original. It was the most popular Chrysler and it was rapidly losing sales luster by 1977. Few really understood where the popular personal luxury coupe was headed as the 1980s approached.
The Mirada and the Cordoba were attractive designs, incorporating the new straighter clean lines with their personal luxury coupe past. Chrysler attempted the find a sport/luxury mix and used Dodge’s Cordoba, (Charger SE, Mirada), for a niche sporty coupe market, but the sales results weren’t encouraging. Yet we see that Chrysler, once more, gave the Cordoba/Mirada the old college try. These cars look better than what Ford/Lincoln was producing, but the quality of the Chrysler cars were notably poorer than Dearborn’s cars.
Chrysler couldn’t afford orphan cars like these. Good enough, just wasn’t good enough when the company’s very existence was at stake.
I had a ride in one of these in the 80’s …a co-worker owned a navy blue one. He was a real MOPAR fan, having a ’64 Polara at the same time. He had a shop built next to his home, I went there once actually to help another co-worker who was building a recumbant bicycle…including the frame tubes from my ex-bicycle which was in an accident.
My Dad had an ’80 Dodge Omni co-incidentally when these were sold, and a 600 bought in 1986…his only 2 Dodges. I drove the predecessor to the Mirada, the Magnum, when I worked for Hertz as a transporter. I think the Magnum was more substantial than the Mirada (though I’m more of a fan of the styling of the Mirada), based on the intermediate platform, and without all the plastic filler panels that seemed to eventually crack, deteriorate, and go missing. The Magnum was triple green and a very nice car…they only made them for a few years, at the time Chrysler was rapidly downsizing, and the intermediates were quickly eliminated in favor of the compacts. I guess I picked a good time to work at Hertz, got to sample some cars which were soon phased out….but gas was again in short supply, and I’m sure the Chrysler loan wouldn’t have happened if they kept any of their larger cars around….even the “R” body cars introduced in 1979 were gone by early 80’s.
My Dad was shopping for a full-sized wagon in the fall of 1978, and though he considered a Ford, there was no full sized Mopar wagon in the R body offering; he ended up with a leftover ’78 Chevy Wagon, probably the most loaded car he ever was to buy…and the only one that he bought out of the showroom. His first car was a Plymouth Plaza, and might have owned a full sized Mopar at the same time he owned the ’80 Omni, had they offered a wagon…though a few years later, he stopped buying wagons (since his family had grown up, he no longer needed the space…and a few years later they stopped offering them).
Had a 81….supersix on 225…..got 300000 miles outta it….miss that car
Believe it or not, as a young kid the Mirada was my ‘dream car’. I thought it was the best looking car in 1980. I loved the crisp, sleek lines, the 10 spoke wheels and the razor grille. The fallaway dash, while an ergonomic nightmare, was really cool too. Never got the chance to own one, which was probably a good thing.
Great Times!!
Indeed
This is my cmx,