The Top Ten Chrysler Cars We Shall Always Remember Fondly
With the current turmoil surrounding the future of Chrysler, I would like to jog your memories of some of the company's more interesting models.
10. 1984-2007 Dodge Caravan - Lee Iacocconut had a really good idea with this one!
9. 1993-97 Dodge Intrepid - Chrysler's sportiest of their cab-forward design models was certainly one of the sleekest four-door sedans this side of a Maserati Quattroporte!
8. 2001-09 Chrysler PT Cruiser - How could we exclude this cute little retro-buggy from the list? The later copycat Chevy HHR was even styled by the same person who created the PT Cruiser. Since the convertible was sold only from 2005 to early '08, it will always be especially rare.
7. 1991-96 Dodge Stealth - Although Chrysler marketed many Mitsubishi models built in Japan, the Stealth has always been what I call the most attractive Dodge in history. This opinion is arguable, considering some of the other classics on this list, but the Stealth is certainly a beauty, and even rarer than the Mitsubishi 3000 GT.
6. 1965-66 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S - Few people today realize that the Barracuda predated the Mustang in 1964 by at least a few months. The very rare Formula S package was introduced the following year as the precursor to the Mustang GT.
5. 1966-67 Dodge Charger - The first generation Charger with its fastback-to-the-tail body and four bucket seats was quite unlike anything else produced at the time. The engine choices included the 318, 361, 383, 426, and the 440 added in '67, with the 318 and 383 probably being the most common. Bullitt and the General Lee would encourage sales of the later, smoother, more conventional design to explode, making this first design a rarity today.
4. 1970-74 Dodge Challenger - The last ponycar to the party was one of the best. A little larger and heavier than its cousin, the 'Cuda, the Challenger R/T would be immortalized in Vanishing Point, still one of the best car-chase movies ever. The short-lived original model was offered with an enthusiastic choice of engines and other performance options. The T/A homologation special is even rarer than the R/T, and of course, there is an all-new Challenger from a company that desperately needs a Prius!
3. 1997-2002 Plymouth Prowler - One of the more unusual American production cars ever built, the Prowler was sold as a Plymouth until the demise of the name and then re-branded as a Chrysler. There were less than 12,000 Prowlers produced, so it's still an event whenever you see one of these mass-produced hotrods on the street.
2. 1992-2009 Dodge Viper - Everyone knows about the Viper, the Cobra copycat obviously inspired by Carroll Shelby's association with Lee Iacocconut. With a swoopy, sexy, retro body housing a monstrous V-10 engine, what's not to love?
1. 1970 Plymouth Superbird - This was a stunning car then and it's still stunning now. The extended nose section and unmistakable rear wing introduced aerodynamics to NASCAR. Some were powered by the legendary 426 Hemi, but most of the street models used the 440. Although the Superbird was preceded in 1969 by its even rarer stablemate, the Charger Daytona, there is no subsitute for a car that looks like this and beeps like a cartoon bird!
See Also: Timeline of America: Sound Bytes from the Consumer Culture
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