Images are from the brochure collection of the author.
It's impossible to understate the importance of the compact, front wheel-drive K cars to the Chrysler Corporation in the early 1980s, as the automaker's future was literally riding on those cars. Replacing the Volare and Aspen, the Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries sold strongly right out of the gate, moving 100,137 and 114,631 copies, respectively, in their first (1981) model year. Refinement was the name of the game for 1982, when these crisply-styled two- or four-door sedans and four-door station wagons received numerous mechanical upgrades. Those refinements paid off in still better sales figures, with Dodge moving 104,663 and Plymouth, an even stronger 139,223 Reliants.
This K platform would spawn numerous additional variations, including the Dodge 400, Dodge 600/Plymouth Caravelle, Chrysler Laser/Dodge Daytona, and of course, the game-changing minivans.
Considering that an awful lot of them were built through 1989, when they were effectively replaced by the Plymouth Acclaim and Dodge Spirit, have you ever experienced a Reliant or Aries?
I have a personal interest in the 1982 Reliant, as my parents traded in their much-loved but unreliable 1975 Audi 100LS on a new, Light Seaspray Green Reliant Custom station wagon -four-speed, vinyl bench seats, AM radio, pretty fancy!- at Young's Motors, my father being swayed by Lee Iacocca's televised promise of a $500 rebate. I picked up this brochure at Hershey one year, and it wasn't until I got it home and really looked at it that I realized it was actually a Canadian-spec piece! I'm still on the lookout for an American version, but in the meantime, behold the wonder that was Plymouth's contemporary cash cow.
Click on the brochure images below to enlarge.
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Did we leave out your favorite? If so, let us know in the comments. And if you're interested in reading more about classic American luxury cars, keep a lookout for the special feature in the July issue of Hemmings Motor News.
1964 Cadillac Series 62
Photo: Hemmings Marketplace
1964 Imperial LeBaron
Photo: Hemmings Marketplace
1964 Lincoln Continental
Photo: Hemmings Marketplace
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Nick grew up like many of us, infatuated with muscle cars at an early age. “When I was six or seven, I received my first model kit. My dad pretty much built it, but soon after I was totally obsessed with building muscle car models. At ten years old I received a kit of a ’65 GTO. I was in love. At that moment I vowed to get a GTO as my first car. It was a necessity as far as I was concerned," he explained.
By the time Nick turned thirteen, he was on the hunt for his first car. “If we saw a GTO in a parking lot, we left a note on it. If it was in a driveway, we knocked on the door and asked if they were interested in selling. We soon found out that the people that really wanted to sell their rides, owned cars that were typically cobbled together from parts, or full of Bondo. Dad was adamant that I buy something in good condition, and hopefully get one with the original drivetrain so it would appreciate in value for years to come.”
Fast forward to the spring of 1993. “I was turning sixteen at the end of July and I still didn’t have a car.” That's when it happened: Nick’s best friend at the time was eighteen months older and already had his license, which helped in scouting the local area. One day he received a tip from his buddy that he had spotted a gold GTO on someone’s lawn for sale. The kicker was that it was right in his town. “That was weird to us because it’s a pretty small town and we had never seen that car before.”
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Regardless, Nick and his friend went and checked it out. What the car turned out to be was a 1970 GTO in Granada Gold with its original 400-cu.in. engine, backed by an automatic transmission. Somehow this golden treasure made its way all the way from Tacoma, Washington to the east coast, and had lived out its last few years right there in town. “It still had a 1988 car show plaque from Tacoma affixed to the dash,” according to Nick.
Amazingly, this twenty-three-year-old Goat was in good shape, so Nick decided to have his dad have a look at it to get his opinion. Once there, dad took the GTO out for a spin, with non-licensed Nick riding shotgun. “I remember having perma-grin while riding shotgun during the test drive. I couldn't contain myself.”
Dad agreed that this Poncho was the perfect starter car for his son. The only thing left was financing, and that was done through the family. “I borrowed half the money from Grandma, who was on a fixed income, and over the next couple months made three payments to the seller to meet the $5000 agreed on purchase price.”
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
After it was paid up, the owner brought Nick’s new ride to his house and delivered it to the young gun, which turned out not to be the best idea. “My older brother and I were home alone that day while my parents were out at work. Since it was summertime, my brother would have his friends visit and go swimming in our pool. If they were gonna be there for a while, they would let me take their license plates of their respective cars and I would put them on the Goat so I could take it out for mischief around town. I guess no harm, no foul, right?"
Nick got his own insurance policy and had the GTO road-ready prior to his birthday. Two weeks later he received his New York State license and drove it to the first day of school that September. “I felt like I was king when I was behind the wheel in that GTO.” From that point on, Nick always had a bad-weather beater and stored his Goat through the snowy, salty winters of the Northeast. “There were times where I had the opportunity to sell it, but never did, because I didn’t want to have the same regrets my dad had after selling his original Challenger.”
Since then, Nick has kept the GTO’s looks up, and has plans for the car’s future. “I had it repainted in 2012 and we did the interior. I plan to pull the engine, since I've never had it out, and give the mill a full rebuild. I wanted to do it last summer for our 30th anniversary together, but after the passing of my dad in the spring, it just wasn't in the cards. Hopefully this is the year I get it done. Time will tell.”.
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Since then, Nick has kept the GTO’s looks up, and has plans for the car’s future. “I had it repainted in 2012 and we did the interior. I plan to pull the engine, since I've never had it out, and give the mill a full rebuild. I wanted to do it last summer for our 30th anniversary together, but after the passing of my dad in the spring, it just wasn't in the cards. Hopefully this is the year I get it done. Time will tell.”
Gallery - 1970 Pontiac GTO
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
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