(first posted 5/15/2012) If you grew up in the Seventies, you know this car. You know it very well. If any one car could best define that wild and crazy decade, the Chrysler Cordoba may be it.
The Cordoba was Mopar’s answer to the burgeoning personal luxury car market. For years, Chrysler Division had a “no small cars” policy and thus the entire lineup was land yachts. But after the muscle car era faded in the early ’70s, it was replaced with personal luxury cars such as the Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Monte Carlo and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Chrysler did not have an entry in this new and hot market. Something had to be done. The 1975 Cordoba, advertised as “the small Chrysler”, was the answer.
The Cordoba originated as a premium Plymouth coupe, but as it was nearing completion (with its sibling the Dodge Charger SE), Ma Mopar decided that it would sell better – and at a greater profit – as a Chrysler. The ’75 model had all of the mid-1970s Brougham/luxury car cues: shag carpet, power everything, opera lamps and available wire wheel covers. And let us not forget the soft Corinthian leather! Buckets and a console were also there for the taking.
The Cordoba was based on the B-body Plymouth Fury and Dodge Coronet, but had unique sheetmetal, a 114.9 inch wheelbase, and the longest doors in the industry, at 58.5″ long. It also had several “neoclassic” features, the most obvious being the headlamps and parking lamps being set into tunneled pods. While it was meant to recall classic cars of the 1930s, there was more than a passing resemblance to the contemporary Jaguar XJ6 and XJ12 sedans. A two barrel, 150 hp 318 was standard, with Torqueflite automatic transmission. A 400 V8 was available for an extra $73.
While the Dodge Charger Special Edition (the standard Chargers were basically Coronet coupes) was virtually identical to the $5581 Cordoba, it did not sell near as well as its corporate cousin. The flossier interiors and snob appeal of the Chrysler led to 150,105 Cordobas vs. 30,812 Charger SEs in their inaugural year, despite a much lower price of $4903. It just wasn’t as Broughamy enough, apparently. Plus, Ricardo Montalban didn’t do any Dodge commercials.
The Cordoba was Chrysler Division’s only bright spot for 1975, as sales of New Yorkers and Newports slid by 12% from 1974. Cordobas made up 60% of total 1975 Chrysler production. It was the right car at the right time.
Cordobas were engineered in typical Mopar fashion, with unibody construction and front torsion bar/rear leaf spring suspension. An optional Sure-Grip differential helped keep Corbobas from getting stuck in the snow. Chrysler wisely chose to not mess with success. The 1976 Cordoba was virtually identical, but sported a simple vertical bar grille instead of the ’75’s busier version.
While 1976 sales were not quite as wonderful as 1975’s figure, it was still very good, with over 120,000 sold. It was Chrysler’s hot new product, and very different from the New Yorker Broughams, Town & Countrys and Newports it shared showrooms with.
While even the basic Cordoba was very comfortable, there were naturally many, many optional comfort, convenience and appearance options. While all Cordobas came with opera windows and an opera lamp on the B-pillar, a “halo” full vinyl roof or landau roof could be added. I doubt many Cordobas were delivered with the standard steel roof.
I first spotted our featured Cordoba on Easter, as I was returning home from my parents’ house. It was dark, but I spotted it immediately. I haven’t seen one of these in probably twenty years, so I returned the very next day for pictures. But it was gone. Several days later, I finally spotted it again, in the very same spot. It is in remarkably nice shape.
The ’76 is my favorite year of Cordoba. I like the simple vertical bar grille much better than the overdone ’75 and ’77 grilles. It hits all the Brougham-era luxury cues: landau roof, wire wheel covers, Spanish-doubloon type emblems, opera lights, and opera lamps. Could it have fine Corinthian leather?
No, but this is clearly a 1970s luxury car interior. This was one of the several optional interiors (other choices included brocade, velour or leather), dubbed “Castillian” by Chrysler. It was apparently the industry’s first Jacquard interior upholstery, formulated no doubt by leisure suit-attired scientists.
Cordoba’s appearance was little-changed for the 1977 model year, with the expected grille and tail light revisions. A new Crown landau top was introduced, however. Shown above, it featured a different window treatment and an illuminated band on the B-pillar. I would have loved to see a Crown-roofed Cordoba at night; it must have looked pretty cool all lit up!
Again as usual, Mr. Montalban was the official Cordoba spokesman. He would remain in Chrysler advertising even after the Cordoba was discontinued in 1983. Does anyone else remember the Chrysler Crystal key commercials he did in the 1980s?
Walking around this car, it’s hard for me to imagine this being advertised as “the small Chrysler”. But it was small when parked next to a New Yorker Brougham. And it’s much more svelte than the ’74 T-Bird I had photographed a week earlier.
1977 was the last year the Cordoba wore its attractive tunneled headlights and parking lamps. 1977 was also the Cordoba’s best production year, with 183,146 produced.
I can’t help but wonder where this car came from. It was absolutely mint. I haven’t seen one of these in a long time, and even twenty years ago most of them were major rustbuckets. A nearby neighbor had a nice navy blue ’78 or ’79, but other than that one, every Cordoba I saw was really worn out. Someone really loved this car, and it shows.
As for the Cordoba itself, a questionable facelift in 1978 (CC here) resulted in stacked quad headlamps and flatter, plainer tail lamps. While not bad looking, the 1975-77 was much more attractive in my opinion. The facelift also had the unfortunate effect of making the car look a lot like a 1976-77 Monte Carlo, at least from the front. Sales dipped to 124,825, but how much of that was due to its styling is questionable, as Chrysler was sliding into one of its periodic crises.
These Cordobas just screamed the 1970s personal luxury Brougham era, and may well be the only car non-automotive people will remember. Just say “Corinthian leather” and they will know what you’re talking about!
I watched Chrysler cars get killed quickly by the rust monster in Northern Virginia from 1969 through the early seventies. The fuselage bodied cars were beautifully styled and then they all went away. I can’t recall any Cordobas looking good for very long there.
Didn’t these things also have the power lock switch which was actually the manual door lock button but it was electrically powered? If so, I just thought that was so ridiculous and cheap.
As a kid and teen, with much time on my hands and loving cars, I detailed our cars to perfection (this is when “detail” had a meaning and didn’t = just a wash/dry/vacuum and maybe window cleaning).
Anyway, I was so good that I gained the entire neighborhood and beyond as clientele. I was in/out of ALOT of cars. These Chrysler things were always so cheap and trying to be something they weren’t. Even the “vinyl” roof wasn’t even padded or vinyl. It was like hard plastic and reminded me of the one piece plastic “hair” snapped on top of one of those little Fisher Price people that came with the school bus. I almost had my mother buy one of these things because I wanted the “power everything” car and they were obviously affordable. I’m so glad we never got one.
Yes, these are them. They’re stamped “Electric Lock”.
My 78 Córdoba has the power door lock buttons. Kind of odd really and I always worry about accidentally locking myself out.
Note that Mercedes used the same type of system for a long time!
And some Japanese cars do/did as well but there was still a separate power lock button in a convenient location. I couldn’t imagine the demographic for this vehicle, someone like my mother, reaching behind her to lock the doors. That cheap set-up is definitely not an American thing.
This brings back ptsd-like flashbacks of highschool in the ’70s when our principal owned a white Cordoba. I think it was a ’75. The man was known as “The Elmer” and had an unfortunate physical resemblance to Danny DeVito.
The year was 1979 and Dad wanted to replace Mom’s ’72 Toronado. She mentioned that she always loved the styling of the Cordoba so we went to the local Chrysler-Plymouth dealership to check one out. They even had one in the color she wanted in the showroom – dark brown with a tan top and tan ‘Corinthian’ leather interior. Well, the salesman goes to open the driver’s door to let us see inside and he has a very hard time getting it to open. Once he did, Mom sat in the driver’s seat and said it was comfortable. She got out of the car, and the salesman slams the door. When he does, the glass comes loose and crashes to the bottom of the door, breaking in a million little pieces. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Dad ended up ordering Mom’s new Riviera the following day.
My mother-in-law and step father-in-law purchased a new 1976 with almost all the options. I was never a Chrysler fan, but this car had the looks of classic design. He changed the oil and filter every 1000 miles and when it reached 50000 miles, he sold it to a distant family member.
I’ve always wanted one. I test drove one in the early 2000’s. It had that crazy Carolina blue leather bucket seat interior. It had belonged to the seller’s mother. It had been taken very good care of. He played a “Deep Purple” 8 track tape during the test drive. I decided then I would have one. Finally got it ! A “Spinnaker White” 1977 Chrysler Cordoba. Dark red “Corinthian Leather” buckets, with console and floor shift. 400 big block V8. Mechanic had it for three months sorting out electrical issues. I know the car has a questionable history. I don’t care. I absolutely LOVE this car ! It’s a nice smooth ride. It’s a powerful, and torquey engine. I want to drop a HEMI 426 in it. It came with a radio, but I had to go online and get the original factory 8 track. Guilty !!! I also love AMC Pacers and Corvairs. I’m for the underdog what can I say.
SO
How did it come to be that after years of seeing Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Grand Prix, Mark III, Eldorado, Thunderbird, Riviera and Toronado success, Chrysler WAS STILL NOT CONVINCED that it needed an intermediate size luxury car? We keep reading about Chrysler saying that it would not build a small car, yet was aware of that everyone else was aware and make boodles of cash doing it? Is that really the story here? I call BUNK. “Was going to be a Plymouth – BAH!” Who wants to drive a Plymouth sold as a Chrysler? This doesn’t wash.
If true, what the hell were they spiking in their lunch martinis at Mopar? Honestly, it doesn’t make any sense. Someone somewhere in Highland Park must have known someone who was driving around in a personal luxury car built by a Chrysler competitor, right?
I recall reading similar lines: “For years Chrysler said that they would never build a small car…” then revealing the Cordoba. Is this another Chrysler “1960 winter picnic where a rumor was overheard” story?
Did Chrysler not consider the plethora of personal luxury cars not luxurious? Anyone heard of someone explaining the reasoning behind “no small car”? Was Chrysler filled with blind marketers? If Chrysler considered Lincoln or Cadillac their competition – well, they had a small personal luxury car. If Chrysler considered Oldsmobile, Mercury or Buick their competition – well they also had a small personal luxury car. What is the thinking behind this commonly told tale regarding the Cordoba?
I think it is going to end up being debunked or a marketing set up by Chrysler to make the Cordoba appear to be a truly revolutionary car – which is was not. I don’t just dare anyone to dig further into this – I go immediately to the “triple-dog dare”.
Where these the last cars with a horn ring?