Chrysler. If you were of car-buying
age back in the 1970s, the idea of a luxury sports coupe is
part of your automotive heritage. Distinctively stylish and
almost always sporting in nature, the "personal luxury coupe"
was the driving force behind the American car market a
quarter-century ago. By the mid-70s, these high-style, high-performance
luxury coupes were the top-selling cars for nearly every
American manufacturer. |
Chrysler. Those were the days when
Oldsmobile's Cutlass dominated the sales charts. Chevrolet's
Monte Carlo became immensely popular, and Pontiac's Grand
Prix turned into the division's biggest success story. The
Ford Thunderbird of the era broke sales records (the 1977-79
"Basket-Handle" T-Birds were the best sellers in the
nameplate's history), and even its sister car, the Mercury
Cougar, enjoyed a resurgence. Chrysler
For Chrysler Corp., the appeal of the Dodge Charger grew to
legendary proportions (even its successors, the Magnum and
Mirada, experienced short-lived success). Chrysler dealers
had the Cordoba, whose interior was clad unforgettably in "rich
Corinthian leather," and before the Fury took over, Plymouth
had a gussied-up midsize called the Satellite Sebring.
Why is Chrysler building sister versions of the same
nameplate off two entirely different chassis with different
drivelines? Perhaps the justified death of the LeBaron
nameplate left the company with two similarly sized cars
with two different niches to fill, so Sebring simply became
an umbrella brand for both. In any case, it's too bad
there's such a small demand for big coupes, because
Chrysler's entry is a pretty good effort in both design and
execution. Chrysler
The big appeal of the Sebring Coupe rests mainly in its
exterior sheetmetal. Its prominent, scooped-out nose leads
up to a gently sculpted hood and a low-slung greenhouse,
which flows gracefully into a stylish tail. Rakish and
purposeful looking, Sebring's fresh, sweeping shape is aided
by dual-straked flanks and raised rear haunches, making for
a decidedly sporty stance. The look is high style, more
classy than brash, yet more bold than beautiful. Halogen
headlamps, integral fog lamps, tinted glass, power mirrors
and a trunk-lid spoiler are all standard fare on the LXi,
and add to its curb appeal. |
