(first posted 3/4/2014) Chrysler had its first brush with bankruptcy in 1978-1979. And like it would again later, it reached out to Uncle Sam, but then in the form of government loan guarantees. And just how did Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca convince Congress that it was backing a viable player? He showed them pictures and details of the upcoming K Cars, not unlike how GM trotted out its Volt prototypes in Washington in 2009. Congress bought Lee’s K-Car dog and pony show, and the company was saved. And the K-Car would become the cornerstone of the “New Krysler” for seemingly decades to come.
Lee didn’t really have all that much to do with the actual K-Car, as it was already under development when he arrived in 1978. His job was to restructure the company drastically, in the process shedding a huge segment of its workforce and overhead, and sell the K Car to Congress and then the American public.
The second part turned out to be trickier than he thought. The early K-Car production mix heavily leaned to highly-optioned cars, in hopes of padding the profit margins; Lee was probably still getting over his success at Ford peddling Marks and such. But in the recession of 1981, folks were looking for basic transportation, and it took a drastic switch in the product mix to lower priced cars to salvage first year sales, which managed to still top 300,000 for Aries and Reliant combined.
The basic boxy outline of the story is well etched into the memories of us that lived through the K-era. In the years leading up to it, the Valiant and Dart kept growing, and were eventually replaced by the now mid-sized Volare/Aspen twins. Arriving in 1976, those were already one or two sizes too big, given the spiraling rise of oil prices and the downsizing already underway at GM. In fact the Volare and Aspen eventually morphed into Chrysler’s “big” M-Body cars, the last RWD sedans until the modern 300.
image: allpar.com
That doesn’t mean that traditional “big” cars were actually all that roomy inside. In a graphic testament to just how space-inefficient traditional American cars of the time were, the drastically smaller K-Cars (176″ length) equaled most of the key interior dimensions of the 1972 mid-size Satellite and the Volare-based 1986 Grand Fury (both about 204″ long). Seating for six and bench seats were a major criterion for the clean-sheet K-car design, and who can blame them, if you’re a polygamist and you want to take your two wives and your buddy and his two wives out for dinner like this happy set of trios above? Who else would find themselves in this scenario above?
Yes, the K-car was one of those rare times when American designers and engineers were given the chance to start from scratch, although Chrysler’s experience with the (mostly) European designed Horizon/Omni came in mighty handy. The suspension design was quite similar, and quickly becoming ubiquitous: front struts and rear twist-beam axle. Chrysler already had FWD transaxles, including the automatic TorqueFlite from the Omnirizon. That still left the body, a new four cylinder engine, and to make it all work together harmoniously.
The result must be considered a qualified success. Let’s leave the qualifications for later and focus on the good: given the times and Detroit’s state-of-the art, the K-Car structure was not only space efficient, but fairly stiff, sturdy and sound, especially given its light weight (2300-2400 lbs). This contributed to a decent ride quality, and adequate, if totally uninspiring handling.
The new 2.2 liter OHC four, which does look quite a bit like a slightly scaled up VW 827 engine (as used in the Chrysler Omni/Horizon), turned out to be a rugged basis for future development, even if the early units had a an appetite for head gaskets and a few other maladies. And, of course, it suffered from the horrible state of smog-controls of the time: electronic-feedback carburetors that were balky, expensive to replace, messed with the ignition timing, and gave mediocre power: all of 84 hp was the result, in the first two years of production. The optional Mitsubishi 2.6 four had a hint more torque, and was a bit smoother with its pioneering balance shafts, but had its own set of issues. This Aries sports the 2.2 and a column shifted three-speed automatic.
I had the distinct displeasure of being an Aries (or was it a Reliant?) driver for a couple of months in 1985. It was my temporary company car (extended-term rental) right after a stint with the all-new Nissan Sentra, and just before I finagled a brand new 1986 Mercedes 300E W124 company car. Sandwiched between the remarkably brisk and tossable Sentra and the superb 300E, the Aries was bound to disappoint. It did.
My (reverse) commute then was a dream, for LA standards. Straight through Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive, and up, over and down scenic and winding Coldwater Canyon into the Valley. Or Laurel Canyon, for a change of scenery and even tighter twisties. Running against the usual traffic flow, the canyons were a wonderful way to start the morning, but not in a Reliant. The Sentra was eager, willing and brisk, if a bit primitive. The Aries, with its bigger motor, had the typical tip-in and torque to “feel” powerful from a start, but was strangled as the revs (didn’t) build. Early versions of the K car tested at 13-16 seconds for the amble to sixty. The Sentra (with a stick) could do it in ten. And driving a K-car down Rodeo Drive every day didn’t exactly do much for my self esteem. Bring on the Mercedes!
The steering was too light, and the car just wasn’t set up to deliver any fun. Yes, it did beat the totally feeling-less power steering of the bigger Chryslers of the time, but don’t even ask what it felt like compared to an Accord. And therein was the crux of the problem: The K-Car was a big step forward for Chrysler and Detroit, and a reasonably capable car. But by the time it arrived, Honda was readying the second generation of the killer Accord. Comparing the two is an exercise in futility. The Honda simply felt (and was) profoundly better in every possible metric. It took a long time for Detroit to finally narrow that gap.
Although Iacocca arrived at Chrysler when the K-car program was already well on its way, he successfully made it his own. Although the K-car was not originally developed with any thought to the endless permutations it spawned, but it was quickly stretched, spindled and mutilated, a testament to the simplicity and adaptability of such a straight-forward design, as well as the talents of the Chrysler engineers. The various offshoots lasted at least until 1995, even though the Aries and Reliant were gone by 1989, replaced by the Spirit/Acclaim, or Sundance/Shadow, depending on your point of view.
The upscale LeBaron and Dodge 400 expanded the total first-gen K-car sales to over 350k per year, and maintained close to that through 1988, when their replacements appeared. The K-cars did exactly what Lido sold Congress on: they were profitable from the start, and generated enough profits with which Chrysler repaid all its government-backed loans by 1983. And that was just the start: the cash really started rolling in with the mini-vans and other off-shoots, allowing Chrysler to buy Jeep, and invest in a whole new line of cars in the 1990′s. The K-car truly created the New Chrysler.
And given the missteps that GM made with their hyper-recalled X-Bodies of the same vintage, the K-car’s launch was relatively trouble free; hardly a given in those times. In Chrysler’s case, that was literally essential; if the K-Cars had arrived with serious problems, Chrysler’s resurrection might have turned out quite different. Yes, the early versions had their issues; good luck finding a 1981 or 1982. But build quality, performance and refinement steadily improved, especially with the ’85 refresh. A Toyota or Honda it wasn’t, but after the botched launch of the Aspen/Volare twins, and GM’s X-Body woes, the K-car escaped the wrath. As did Chrysler.
Related: Chrysler K-Car Executive Limousine 1986 Chrysler LeBaron 1985 Chrysler New Yorker
I’ve had eight of these and their derivatives (nine if you count the Rampage, which I don’t), including two turbos-and I loved them all. They weren’t too fancy-excepting maybe the N/A Laser and the turbo Lancer-in fact, the two Aries & the Caravelle were downright boring, but they got the job done and well.
Would love to get another turbo K-even if the Lancer decided to self-immolate.
3, 5, 6 & 8 are look-alikes.
I don’t remember, what did the Aries and Reliant compete with? No one in my family had one, we were GM people. My much older brother’s in-laws had a blue K wagon that i rode in a few times. In my 10 year old boys appraisal it was better than a Cavalier, but not a real competitor to the A body Celebrity. A Caprice was a real car.
Speaking of the in-laws K wagon, they were a realtor and University of TN professor. Despite being well educated and heeled, they didn’t come off as elitist or pretentious like many middle class professionals do now with their douchebag “entry level luxury” cars and McMansions. The point is back then, folks like them would still buy Detroit’s vehicles and give them the benefit of a doubt. Shortly after this time period Detroit lost these types of folks forever.
When did the manufacturer of one’s automobile become such a polorizing class / social status indicator? Sure, back in the day driving a Ford or a Chevy meant you probably didn’t make as much a your Buick driving neighbor, but it didn’t mean you were a backwards hick or being ghetto. My wife grew up in a Ford family and has driven mostly Ford’s including her current 2012 Edge, but each time it gets harder to buy one for her. Her colleagues poke fun at her about it when they talk about their X5’s, RX350’s, and MDX’s. We just don’t see any reason to spend twice as much for an X5. It’s just a damn car.
Jason’s fabulous story on President Truman shows that even the President used to be able to drive a Dodge. What happened?
Happy driving,
Patrick
My parents had gotten burned by a truly horrid 78 Dodge Omni so they would have NEVER bought another Chrysler product, including a K-car. I have never driven one, and can only recall riding in a Plymouth Caravelle??? that was a stretched K derivative…nice upholstery, nice carpet, cheap chintzy construction. I seem to recall that it was the same size as the Dodge 600/Chrysler E-Class pictured above.
There is something endearing about stripped down, boxy little cars. I find that more “honest” than dressed-up versions with vinyl tops and fancy trim. I could see myself driving the beige one in the initial post.
Just as the Fiat based Dodge Dart replaced the Dodge Omni, Dodge Shadow, Dodge Neon and Dodge Caliber, the original larger RWD Dodge Dart, RWD Dodge Aspen along with the Dodge Aries, Dodge Spirit, Dodge Stratus and Dodge Avenger were also replaced by the Alfa Romeo Giulietta based Dodge Dart as well. The similar sized Mitsubishi Sedans were added in this photo montage compilation as well for comparative purposes.
In 1993 I bought a 1988 Dodge Aries station wagon (without the fake wood trim) with a 2.5 and 3 speed auto. It had 90,000km on it. About 3 years later it blew the head gasket which became a repeating event about every 2 1/2 years. Who the heck thought an aluminum head with an iron block was a good idea!!!
When I moved to LA in 2001 I took it with me. As it was built in Delaware there was no problem bringing it into California even though it only had federal emissions. I wonder why they had separate California emissions controls as this federal model passed California smog check just fine.
I likely had the only car in LA without A/C as the Canadian model was rarely bought without A/C. I had the engine rebuilt in 2003 (after another head gasket failure) and the transmission in 2006. In 2008, with 313,000 km on the clock I gave the car away to a friend who is still using it as a daily driver in LA.
Other than the head gasket failures, these were tough cars and I loved the bench seat. I have not owned another car as long as the 15 years my K-Car was my daily driver.
I think the American car industry seems to have had the same problems the British car industry had when the K cars were introduced, a major car producer facing bankruptcy( click), some truly awful cars( click), serious union problems( not as bad as Britain, but the UAW were quite keen to strike). Also imports were on the rise and home produced cars weren’t seen as good enough, in Britain by 1980 a staggering 55 per cent of new cars were imported.
This article does show that not only Britain had serious problems with its car industry, but America was in a terrible state 35 years ago. Just as we had such horrors as the Morris Ital and the Rover 2300( a real lemon), it seems America had equally bad cars like the Dodge Aspen and the Chevy Citation and buyers were hot footing it to the nearest Japanese car dealership, as in Britain.
I really think these first, pre-facelift K-cars are the best lookers of the bunch. Further reading (another CC ’83 Aries) here.
http://cars.chryslerkcar.com
Look at all the K Love goin’ on here people!
It’s beyond belief to think that the horrible looking, lowly K car, is what “saved” Chrysler. Boy oh boy were things messed up with the American automobile world (and America itself) in those days.
I remember when my boss at the time purchased a 1981Plymouth Reliant in metallic poop brown when they first came out. He asked me if I wanted a ride in it. I got in scrunched up to the dashboard (I’m 6 foot 4) and I tried to straddle the uncomfortable bench seat with all my might.
My boss starts the Reliant. Its engine was rough, noisy and underpowered. The interior was cheap looking and poorly finished with plenty of creaks, squeaks and rattles. The Reliant also had a tremendous amount of wind and road noise to accompany the ill sounding motor.
After my little jaunt in that Reliant I was a confirmed cynic of Chrysler’s miserable little K cars. Yet, this is what America wanted in a car at the time. LOL!
I drove a 1978 Honda Accord back then and my Accord was like a Rolex watch compared to that horrible Reliant.
Where were the pictures in this article taken at?
Not only was the K-Car platform new, from the ground-up., the base 2.2 litre engine was Chrysler’s first original in-house engine design in years. They wisely referred to it in marketing, as the ‘Slant Four’. Cast iron block, aluminum head. MacPherson struts, and trailing beam in the rear. Greater use of galvanized steel. Modern, and very safe technology for 1981, assuring none of the teething problems, GM had with the X-Cars.
Very conventional, but also very competitive in the market, at the time. As GM, Ford, and AMC, all had their own troubles.
They were just good cheap family cars and they did save Chrysler long enough for the mini-vans to kick them into overdrive. Lido, for all his bull & bluster, did the job and deserves the credit, along with the over-broughamized creations he’s also known for. It’s colorful auto executives like him that make the industry so fascinating. I wish people like Iacocca, Lutz, and Ghosn who ruled with flair and bold decisiveness, right or wrong, were still around instead of boring technocrats like Barra and Tavares (good riddance). The industry is much more interesting, if flawed, for strong characters like them
“When the K appeared – good enough was good enough. As a matter of fact, every auto manufacturer benefitted (sic) from being good enough. We were used to buying lemons. We were used to heavy maintenance”
I have to strong exception with the last sentence of this statement… if you’re talking Vegas, maybe, and all makes have had their lemons even Toyota, but US mid and full-size V8 RWD cars of the ’60s and well into the ’70s were some of the strongest, most durable, simplest and least fussy cars ever made anywhere. With just minimal care the drivetrain (and body if cared for, unlike Japan’s) would last a long time with little hassle, unlike the fragile or tinny Euro or Japanese cars of the time. The oils weren’t that great, but using Sears best oil with 3k changes they’d easily go 200k+ miles, I know because I did it with several full-sized Mopars and big GM cars of that era, driving over 40k miles a year for decades. An Aries probably wouldn’t do it, but it was good cheap transportation for the time.
I drove a new 4 dr Reliant about a month at Western Motors in Westminster MD after it came out, with 4 speed manual shift. We had a Plymouth Custom Suburban wagon we’d bought from them, and still had our Volvo 122s at the time for my wife’s commuter car w/ 220k on it and were thinking of replacing it. The Reliant reminded me a lot of the Volvo but not as solid feeling, the 4 cyl with 4 speed was sorta kinda fun-ish to drive, the Volvo’s laundry truck shifter not being exactly real sporty either. We decided to wait and that winter when the Volvo was totaled on I-95 when it slid off into a guardrail during a winter storm we were given a black & red ’63 Fairlane (260 V8 Ford-o-matic) from the estate of her great-aunt, and that car served us OK for a while, quite a change from the Volvo!