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Junkyard Gem: 1978 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe

From the early 1930s through the middle 1970s, Chrysler used the LeBaron name (taken from a coachbuilder eventually consumed by the car company, much as Fleetwood and Ghia were absorbed by GM and Ford, respectively) on high-end Imperial models. Then, facing decreased demand for mammoth land yachts thanks to certain geopolitical events, Chrysler created a separate LeBaron model, based on the midsize platform used for the Dodge Diplomat/Plymouth Gran Fury. Production of this LeBaron began in 1977 and continued until the debut of Lee Iacocca's famous K-Car LeBarons for the 1982 model year. While you'll find the occasional Diplomat these days, the 1977-1981 LeBaron has become all but extinct. Here's a crash-victim '78 in a Denver car graveyard. Plenty of times, I'll find discarded cars of this era that seem to have moldered outside for decade after neglected decade, but this one drove to its final crash. That means that the 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) V8 under the hood would be a good bet to buy for another Chrysler project… but nobody seems interested, because this Malaise Era engine made only 140 horsepower when new. The base engine in the 1978 LeBaron was a 110-horse Slant-6, so at least this car had the upgrade. Sure, the Diplomat was the not-so-plush successor to the non-plush Aspen/Volare and the even-less-plush Dart/Valiant, but Chrysler installed a reasonably nice interior in the Diplomat's Chrysler-badged sibling. This one has the standard "Cortez" cloth-and-vinyl bench seat, but not the optional power windows or door locks. This one has stickers for Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, Slayer, and MegadethÂ… plus one for the Oakland Raiders, hated rivals of Denver's local sportsball team. I'm pretty sure the car was not being driven by the original purchaser when it crashed. Believe it or not, this car was available with a four-on-the-floor manual transmission and a V8 engine. Were any sold that way? I wouldn't bet on it. Molded-in faux stitching proved very popular in American cars of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This advertisement may have resulted in some cannibalization of Cordoba sales, though the Pontiac Grand Prix stood as the primary rival for the '78 LeBaron coupe. Featured Gallery Junked 1978 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe View 39 Photos Auto News Chrysler Automotive History Coupe Chrysler LeBaron Junkyard Gems

What we think we know about Chrysler's plug-in hybrid minivan, CUV

When the 2016 Town & Country comes to Chrysler dealerships, it will sport something no production minivan has ever had: a plug. That was on bit of news hidden in the massive Fiat Chrysler (FCA) product preview held in Detroit on Tuesday. All FCA would say about the minivan was that the Town & Country PHEV would get 75 MPGe. We know from the product preview slide (click to enlarge) that there are actually two plug-in hybrids coming from FCA. The minivan and a "full-size crossover," due in 2017. While that could describe the next-gen Dodge Journey, it could also be a brand new peoplemover. All FCA said officially was that it will be a "new vehicle or renewal of existing nameplate," which seems like an awful broad definition. We were curious to know more about these products, so we asked FCA spokesman Eric Mayne. Sadly, he was less than forthcoming, telling AutoblogGreen, "I can only refer you back to the presentations in which the PHEV is mentioned. If the answers aren't there, you'll have to wait." There are actually two plug-in hybrids coming from FCA. Well, sure, for actual facts we'll have to wait, but we can still speculate and look into the archives to see what plug-in vehicle technology FCA has offered in the past. Chrysler had an electric vehicle working group called ENVI that created products like an all-electric minivan for the US Postal Service (pictured). ENVI was disbanded in 2009. At the time, the company said plug-in vehicle work would continue, and since then we saw PHEV minivan and PHEV truck test programs from Chrysler and Ram. In early 2012, Chrysler started testing a small, 25-unit fleet of plug-in hybrid-electric Town & Country minivans with the city of Auburn Hills, MI, where the company is located. The $26-million demonstration project was funded in part by the US Department of Energy, which covered $10 million. The stated plan was for those minivans to each hit at least 16,800 miles over two years, but there were hiccups. In September 2012, for example, the liquid-cooled 12.1-kWh batteries from were found to overheat. Those batteries came from Electrovaya and were mated to a 3.6-liter Pentastar engine that could burn E85. Will any of this make it into the production Town & Country PHEV? No idea, but now we know where the company's coming from. FCA also has some EV experience with the Fiat 500e. Chrysler says electrification has been over-blown by the media.

The 2020 Chrysler Voyager is a cheap Pacifica minivan

The Voyager is back, baby. Yep, you read that right. FCA is leaning hard on the nostalgia button right now, and the age-old minivan nameplate has rowed its way back from its long voyage (sorry) out to sea. We'll be seeing the Voyager name on a familiar vehicle, though, not a totally new minivan. You're looking at photos of a Pacifica with a Voyager badge on it, because that's essentially what the new Voyager is. Chrysler took the lower trim levels of the Pacifica and decided those would now be Voyagers. Higher trim levels of the Pacifica are still the Pacifica. To quell confusion, just consider the Voyager a budget-conscious Pacifica with a different name. Specifically, both the L and LX trims of Pacifica will be Voyagers, and Chrysler is introducing a fleet-only LXi model with a leatherette (vinyl) interior for mass appeal to rental car companies and businesses with similar needs. Pricing for the 2020 Voyager hasn't been announced yet, but the non-fleet version will probably start right around where the Pacifica L starts now at $28,730. That makes this more of a marketing play than an actual reduction in price. The Voyager is the cheap one, while the Pacifica is the expensive one. Simple as that. Interestingly, FCA still sells significantly more Dodge Grand Caravans than they do Pacificas every month, and it's all down to price. Despite the Pacifica being leagues better than the old Dodge, the average transaction price for the Pacifica in 2019 is over $13,000 more than a Grand Caravan — $38,540 for the Pacifica, versus $24,972 for the Grand Caravan. That makes the Dodge much cheaper than any comparably sized vehicle it competes with and results in the Dodge doubling the Pacifica up on sales regularly. Maybe the introduction of the Voyager could sway some folks in the direction of the new car, rather than being turned off by the high prices of the Pacifica. The feature set for the Voyager is similar to that of the Pacifica-badged models it's replacing. You'll only be able to tell it's a Voyager on the outside from the badge on the liftgate. Chrysler added satellite radio, second-row quad seats and in-floor storage bins to the interior. You'll still get the same Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 and nine-speed automatic transmission in the Voyager, but no plug-in hybrid model will be available. We'll be interested to see how this ultimately affects sales of the excellent Chrysler minivan.