(first posted 11/13/2-15) Aspen, Colorado is a beautiful Rocky Mountain playground for well-heeled adventure seekers, with plenty of excellent skiing and snowboarding to be enjoyed. With such desirable connotations – adventure, prestige – it seems only fitting that an automaker would use the name on a car, perhaps a luxurious SUV or crossover. Well, Chrysler did, launching the Aspen SUV in 2007. But they were actually dusting off the nameplate after 27 years, as they had previously used it on a compact sedan, coupe and wagon bearing the Dodge logo. While the Dodge Aspen and the related Plymouth Volaré are most remembered for their deplorable reliability and quality, they also continued a tradition of interesting special editions from their predecessors, the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant. Today, let’s take a trip to Aspen and take a look at some of those special editions.
Dodge Aspen Super Coupe & Plymouth Volaré Super Coupe
Years produced: 1978
Total production: 531 (Aspen), 494 (Volaré)
The Dart and Valiant/Duster had proved to be extremely successful cars for Chrysler, particularly in the post-oil crisis era. With a solid reputation for reliability, a low price and, in coupe form at least, stylish lines, there was quite a lot riding on their replacements, the 1976 F-Body Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volaré. As we all know by now, these were initially very well-received (Motor Trend’s 1976 Car of the Year) but then the recalls started. Take aside their well-deserved criticism for poor quality control, and these were quite competent Malaise Era compacts.
Although the F-Body Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volaré were virtually identical, the Plymouth had the Dodge beat in terms of special editions. There was the Volaré Duster, distinguished by its rear window louvers, tape stripes and different upholstery. Then there was Plymouth’s range of “Fun Runners”: Volaré Road Runner, with heavy-duty suspension and sporty trim; Volaré Sun Runner, notable for its standard t-tops or sunroof; and Volaré Front Runner, a bright orange coupe with a body kit. Dodge did get in on the action with special editions, picking the most interesting ones. First, there was the Super Coupe, a $1416 option package.
Lest you think this was just another wheezy, Malaise Era tape stripe special like the Charger Daytona, initial impressions don’t bode well. The standard engine was the same old 318 cubic-inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburettor, with 140 hp and 245 ft-lbs. But to beat those contemporary Camaros, you would have wanted the optional 360 4-bbl V8. Horsepower was rated at 175 hp, while 280 ft-lbs of torque were available at 2000 rpm. The only transmission was Chrysler’s three-speed TorqueFlite automatic. This powertrain made for a Super Coupe that was actually quicker from 0 to 60 than the Camaro Z28, Corvette and Firebird Trans-Am at 8.1 seconds. As for handling, the Super Coupe option added a heavy-duty suspension, rear sway bar and GR60 x 15’’ Aramid-fiber radial tires (regular R/Ts and Roadrunners had only 14-inchers).
Of course, there were tape stripes on the Super Coupe as well. Every Super Coupe was painted Sable Tan metallic (Aspen) or Crimson Sunfire (Volaré), with yellow, blue and orange (Aspen) or yellow, red and orange (Volaré) tape stripes. Other visual changes included a flat-black hood with matching bumpers, black-out grille and moldings, wheel-arch flares, and rear quarter window louvers.
For a sporty domestic compact in 1978, this was as wild as you could get. But the hottest-selling compacts were cars like the Ford Granada, which emphasized comfort above all else. Because of this preference towards luxury, even the Aspen R/T and Volaré Road Runner were niche players. The more wild Super Coupe was a dismal sales failure, not helped either by the F-Body’s rapidly deteriorating reputation, not to mention its corporate parent’s well-publicized struggles.
Dodge Aspen Sport Wagon & Plymouth Volaré Sport Wagon
Years produced: 1979-80
Total production: ?
The Aspen and Volaré Sport Wagons were available at the same time as the Buick Century Sport Wagon but despite outward appearances, they followed a slightly different format. While the Century Sport Wagon came standard with the rallye suspension option, the Mopar wagons were merely a cosmetic option package albeit one you could select with the Handling/Performance package as well as the 360 cubic-inch V8.
The Sport Wagon option package in itself consisted of front air dam, sports mirrors, wheel arch flares, blackout grille, attractive aluminum road wheels and some of the 1970s more subtle tape-striping. Inside, there were standard vinyl bucket seats and a sportier steering wheel.
Chrysler mystifyingly gave the Aspen/Volaré a completely new front fascia for 1980, their last year on the market. The Sport Wagon option was again offered and, with this more modern fascia, looked better than ever, although the 360 was no longer available and engine choices were limited to the 318 V8 and the Slant Six. It would be the last sport-themed wagon from the Chrysler Corporation until the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo of the mid-2000s.
Dodge Aspen Street Kit Car & Plymouth Volaré Street Kit Car
Years produced: 1978
Total production: 145 (Aspen), 247 (Volaré)
The Aspen and Volaré Sport Wagon were almost elegant with their restrained visual enhancements. The Street Kit Car could be accused of no such thing. Another 1978 limited edition like the Super Coupes, the Street Kit Car was mechanically identical but visually quite different. Intended as a tribute to Richard Petty – thus explaining the big “43” decals on the doors – Chrysler was embarrassed when Petty jumped ship to racing GM vehicles in 1978. Street Kit Car production was wound up shortly thereafter; there were originally plans for around 1,000 units to be produced. Those that were produced languished on dealer lots; echoes of the unpopular (at the time) Plymouth Superbird. The “43” decals were allegedly left in the trunk on many examples, much like those Superbirds had their nose cones removed.
Aspen Kit Cars were painted in a two-tone red scheme, while the Plymouths were two-tone blue. The wheel arch flares had a bolt-on look and there was a prominent rear spoiler, along with de rigueur visual modifications like window louvers and raised white letter tires. There wouldn’t be an uglier NASCAR-themed car until the limited edition Monte Carlos of the early 2000s.
Chrysler Aspen Hybrid & Dodge Durango Hybrid
Years produced: 2009
Total production: 800
One of these is not like the other. One of these just does not belong. Obviously, this is no 1976-vintage compact, but Chrysler decided to right a wrong and re-use the Aspen name on a more appropriate vehicle, as well as one that was more reliable and better-built. The short-lived Chrysler Aspen was introduced in 2007 as the Chrysler marque’s first SUV. But Chrysler would be a victim of bad timing twice during the Aspen’s short, three-year run. Firstly, the Aspen was launched right after fuel prices spiked and tanked SUV sales. Chrysler would partner with General Motors and BMW on a two-mode hybrid system, introducing an Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid for 2009… Right as Chrysler entered bankruptcy and had to shut down the Newark, Delaware plant where they were manufactured.
The 2009 Aspen Hybrid and Durango Hybrid featured a 5.7 Hemi V8 and two liquid-cooled electric motors. The regular 5.7 produced 376 hp and 401 ft-lbs, but the electric motors were claimed to bring horsepower up to 400 hp although torque was listed at a slightly lower 390 ft-lbs. An electronically controlled planetary gear continuously variable transmission featured two modes, controlled by the transmission’s clutches: four fixed forward gears for higher speed driving and a second mode which functioned much like a regular hybrid’s CVT.
The trucks could be propelled by the electric motors alone at speeds up to 25 mph. Like the regular 5.7 Hemi, there was Multi-Displacement System (MDS) cylinder deactivation technology that could switch off four of the cylinders; in addition, there was regenerative braking that utilized energy ordinarily lost in deceleration and stored it in the batteries for later use.
The two-mode hybrid system was innovative and boosted fuel economy overall by 25% and an impressive 40% in the city. That put EPA-estimated gas mileage ratings at 20/22 mpg, with the Tahoe/Yukon 4WD Hybrid achieving 20/20 mpg. The 4.7 V8 Aspen 4WD achieved only 13/17 mpg, the 5.7 slightly more with a rating of 13/18 mpg.
Unlike the GM hybrids, which employed various weight-saving measures like an aluminum hood and tailgate and lighter seats and wheels, there were no such changes with the Mopars. The extra hybrid gear added 400 pounds, bringing curb weight up to almost 5700 lbs. Of course, the slightly smaller Mopar duo weighed 700 pounds less than the GM trucks to begin with, which put the Mopars and GM hybrids on a fairly equal footing weight-wise. When the towing package was selected, the Mopar trucks could tow up to 6000 lbs, just 200 pounds less than the GMs.
The two-mode system commanded a $4000 premium over the regular 5.7 V8. However, both trucks came fully-loaded – options were limited to sunroof, rear-seat DVD and a towing package – and yet undercut the GM trucks significantly. List prices of the Mopars were $45,340 and $45,570 for the Durango and Aspen, respectively; the GM trucks listed for $53k. In that comparison, the Mopars came out looking like bargains, even though they were older designs (the Durango debuted in 2004) and thus not as good to drive. The Mopar hybrids also came only with four-wheel-drive, a logical decision by Chrysler to reduce complexity on the production line; 60% of gas-engined Aspens and Durangos were optioned with 4WD anyway. One could argue the extra $8k wasn’t worth it for slightly better road manners and a nicer interior (albeit one that was less practical; the GM trucks’ rear-most seats didn’t fold flat), but one could also argue that the extra cost of opting for the hybrid engine would have taken quite a while to recoup.
Chrysler Aspen dash (top); Plymouth Sundance dash (bottom)
The Aspen and Durango Hybrids were little changed to drive, with the hybrid technology operating seamlessly. The most glaring flaw of the trucks were their cheap interiors. These were some of the most expensive Mopars for sale and yet their interiors were swathed in the same cheap, nasty plastics that permeated the Mopar lineup in the mid-2000s. When your $45k luxury SUV has an interior that resembles a Plymouth Sundance from 15 years before, you know you have a problem. In comparison, the Tahoe and Yukon Hybrid had a much more attractive interior, even though their wood trim was just as fake and there were still plenty of cheap touches like the door locks.
The light color scheme of the Aspen’s interior would have been nice had the materials been of a higher quality and the wood a little less fake. The Durango’s interior, thanks to an oppressive black color scheme, was somewhat less offensive although you could still opt for fake wood. Both trucks had an economy dial in lieu of a tachometer, as well as hybrid system readouts on the dash screen.
Alas, given Chrysler’s financial troubles – déjà vu, weren’t we talking about that earlier? – we will never know how successful the Aspen and Durango Hybrids could have been. Given that, in 2012, GM sold 533 Tahoe Hybrids (0.8% of Tahoes sold that year) and sales were generally slow throughout most of the GM Hybrids’ 2008-13 run, it’s probably fair to say the Mopar trucks wouldn’t have fared much better.
I hope you enjoyed your stay in Aspen. Be sure to visit again at the links below. For our next two instalments, we will be looking at some short-lived high-performance Mopars as well as some big, bad trucks.
Related Reading:
Curbside Capsule: 1980 Dodge Aspen
It’s only in the past 2 or 3 years I’ve been interested in these cars. My brother snapped a Volare Roadrunner at a show and it sparked an interest. Monteverdi made a stylish car from the Aspen & Volare though it was very expensive
My recollection is that the luxury trimmed SEs were more common than these sporty variants. It was an era where there were more Concours Novas than SS’s. In retrospect it might have been better just to give the Valiant a light updating that shrunk it back to 108 wb and took out enough weight to allow for the Mitsubishi 2.6 and it’s 5 speed to be the new base drivetrain. This would have been a better package than the Fairmont and ensured that the Valiant could have lived into the Kcar era. The volume than might have justified the slight investment needed to keep the 225, 318, and 360 from being choked to death.
The Valiant would have been a tough act to follow under any circumstances. But the fact that the Aspen/Volaré were such epic failures during the dark days of the mid-to-late seventies, really drove the point home.
As to the dilution of the Road Runner name, I read a story over at Allpar by one of the Road Runner’s original product planners that John Riccardo (who, at the time, hadn’t quite made it to the top rungs of Chrysler management), after the Road Runner became a smash success, wanted to expand the model to a line of sedans and station wagons. I have no doubt that, if he wasn’t directly behind it, he certainly gave his blessing to the Volaré Sport Wagon variants.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Ford also had their Pinto Cruising Wagon out at the same time.
The V/A have a bad rep now, but they weren’t epic failures. Total sales stayed over 300k through 1979, despite creaming sales from the high end with Diplomat and Lebaron badged variants and introducing a new line of smaller fwd economy cars. 1980 was bad for everyone, and Chrysler smelled dead to a lot of customers.
Wow great connection between the Aspen SUV and Sundance dashes. I knew there was something familiar about it when I was writing my Aspen article a while back but couldn’t place it.
That picture of the Volare Sport Wagon on the beach seemed to be used a lot by Chrysler in promotional material and it catches my attention every time. The combination of larger wheels and ground effects really make the car look so much better and less chintzy.
These were the cars that prompted our family to buy Japanese. My dad bought my sister a coupe and the family a wagon. After 3 months of sheer hell, he called in some favors and the dealer bought them both back. We never bought another American car and never regretted it.
These fell down a memory hole for me. I guess I was more into the big cars at the time and had kind of given up on the Volare/Aspen by a couple of years in. I would love one of them now.
The modern Aspen was appropriately named – there just never seemed to be anything appealing about it.
Time has not been kind to the special edition Aspen! Still looks like a car covered in J.C.Whitney add-ons.
I love reading these special edition write-ups. This one offers a really interesting comparison between two very dark eras in Chrysler’s history. In the 1970s and again in the 2000s, Chrysler product planning seemed late and lost.
The 70s were rife with blunders and bad timing, punctuated by the occasional surprise hit. While the Aspen/Volare itself was timely, the sport packages seemed to be calling up a Road Runner from 10 years prior, while the market had clearly moved on. The luxury versions of the Aspen/Volare were better positioned, and were it not for the abysmal quality and cost-driven engineering shortcuts, I think these cars would be more fondly remembered.
To me, an even darker period was the early aughts, and the Aspen/Durango was a real low point. The wrong vehicles at the wrong time, with questionable styling and poor quality to boot. Adding a hybrid to these SUVs was ludicrous–people who wanted the efficiency of a hybrid would be appalled by such a wasteful, oversized machine, while people seeking the virtues of a traditional SUV would have no interest in new-fangled “green” powertrains. Lose/lose, and typical for Chrysler at the time.
While I knew these Aspen/Volare special editions were rare, I had no idea the production numbers were so low.
While you have to give Chrysler credit for trying to carve out a “new” market niche with these “go fast LOOKING” models of what were (supposedly?) upmarket compact sedans, your mind boggles at what Ford might have produced had it gone the same direction. Example? A Cale Yarbrough edition Mercury Monarch 2 door painted in red over white.
The sport wagon would almost seem to be ahead of it’s time. It might have been interesting to order one that was more Euro sport wagon, as in 360 4 barrel with a console and floor shifter and NO ground effects…..instead of Chevy’s later Eurosport wagon on the Celebrity platform
IIRC, the theory of the ‘Kit Cars’ was that they were a take-off on a class of car that was actually going to be raced on smaller, local racetracks (‘Sportsman’ class). In fact, they were released in conjunction with a body-in-white Aspen/Volaré already stripped and prepped for circle-track duty, sort of like a latter-day 1968 Hemi-Dart designed to go in circles rather than a straight line. You could actually purchase a race-ready ‘Kit Car’ along with your street-legal version.
Unfortunately, the whole idea never caught on. No one on the small, local track circuit had the money to buy a new Aspen/Volaré race car (those guys almost universally ran old, gutted Chevys). As someone else pointed out, Kit Cars sold about as well as the 1970 Superbird; it was just a less expensive fiasco this time around since the modifications were substantially less extensive (mostly just tacked-on spoilers, wheel arches, and a bunch of decals) and there was no ‘two-per-dealer’ build requirement.
I suspect the other factor which greenlit the Kit Car program was the popularity of the similarly festooned Trans Am and Mustang Cobra II.
Once again, great work on this series! Very interesting. I think that Volare sport wagon is still a good looking car. Hopefullly there is somebody crazy enough out there to do a pentastar swap…
I always wondered if the Volaré Sport Wagon was the inspiration for what Clark Griswold originally intended to buy before he was forced to take the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. It seems like he mentions ‘Sport Wagon’ a few times at the dealership.
Chrysler got some of the bugs worked out and the basic F-J-M body lasted until 1989.
A simple name change can work wonders too.
Just as the GM X cars make some go crazy, the basic design was reworked/renamed and ran until 1996.
My parents bought a 77 Dodge Aspen wagon new in June of 1977 (I was just 4 months old). That car served the family very well for 360,000 miles and was in the family for 35 years. It was my car to go to college in, and I had it for the last 5 years. It is the car that is responsible for my undying love for wagons.
Regardless of what everyone says about the Aspen/Volare, I will always have a soft spot and a want for these cars. The ultimate car that I would love to have would be the 1979 Aspen Sport Wagon, 360, HD suspension. Thank you for mentioning the Sport Wagon in this article. I heard that the Volare was called the “Load Runner”. Haha. Hopefully one day I’ll have one…. right now my Magnum SRT8 is the spiritual successor to that old family friend.
Attached is my Aspen that I had.
Sharp looking wagon!
Yes, a co-worker bought a 77 Volare wagon new. Beyond normal maintenance ,it gave him trouble free service for close to 170,000 miles.
Looks great with the retro 5-spokes. Not too shabby for a 300K+ mile car! What finally caused its demise?
I, too, am enjoying this series, William. My pick of all these cars would have been the orange Volaré Road Runner “Fun Runner” in the third picture. For some reason, the basic broughaminess of the frontal styling somehow, inexplicably works with all its sporty accoutrements.
+1 with Blue Oyster Cult’s Spectres on the 8 track.
I was thinking some Bachmann Turner Overdrive, but I like where youre going with it too!
Don’t mind a bit of BTO, I enjoyed them in the mid 70s. You got good taste in cars and music, 2 of my main interests
– I like the Sport Wagon and I’m surprised it didn’t catch on more as an alternative to the dreaded fake-wood look for people who wanted a midsize wagon that wasn’t a stripper.
– Does that red car on the Motor Trend cover have a *blue* interior?!?
– I’d forgotten Chrysler used the same hybrid system as GM on those. And why was that system never offered in any WORK trucks, in particular vans and cube-van chassis that get used for multi-stop city delivery?
As a Volare owner, this article makes me very happy. I knew there was a Dodge Super Coupe but I didn’t know there was a Plymouth version. Ive also never actually seen a Sport Wagon from either marque but that would be a cool car.
Here is a white 1979 Aspen Sport Wagon i found for sale several years back. i wasn’t in the position to buy it at the time, I really wish I had.
Bummer you missed that. Those are rare and sharp looking cars. Underrated, a bit like your screen name which is another favorite of mine.
sweet wagon. Id hate to have to replace those wheel flares and chin spoiler, they must be impossible to find
I love these super coupes. The tape stripes are a bit much, but the blackout color schemes and wide fenders were very anti-brougham. And those 6 slot wheels with the bright trim rings and center caps would never look better, although theyre still popular now in ‘mopar cop car wheel’ form. Its a crying shame that they were rushed to market half-baked since the bones were there for really great cars in their time. That’s proven out by the longevity and reputation of the M bodies. Whats REALLY a shame is that Ma Mopar didn’t keep the coupes around at least thru the 80s. With a little restyling and some work wringing the max performance of the 318 and 360, these would’ve been a more direct answer to the Fox Mustang and 3rd gen GM F bodies. Sure, there were contemporary turbo 4 cars that were faster, but to Mopar V8 faithful those weren’t really an answer. Having both on the table would’ve kept street creds fully intact and well rounded.
Besides, if these coupes were good enough for Ruff McThickridge, theyre good enough for you!
I liked that steering wheel from the Sundance in my 95 Voyager since the horn buttons were off to the sides which is handy should the airbag deploy. More than once I used the horn on my Voyager while heading toward a hefty object and while the airbags never deployed had my hand been in the middle of the wheel like the 2009 Chrysler it might have been broken. Also, the horn buttons sometimes got stuck on (I called it the New Jersey Horn) requiring some light prying to shush them up.
I saw an aspen super coupe at a car show this past summer
I rather like that Super Coupe. It looks like the street legal version of a race/rally coupe from that era. The SS package. As in SuperSized.
Irmscher Kadette! Sweet!
Also similar to the Holden Torana, which had flared arches installed to fit 10″ wide wheels for racing but came with 6″ rims from the factory.
Sweet !
One segment up were the Irmscher Opel Manta models.
The Dodge dealer where I purchased my 87 Lancer ran a promotion in the late 1980’s where they were raffling off a pristine 1978 Aspen Super Coupe. It was one of those affairs where you had to listen to a particular radio station and be the first caller when the radio station broadcast a “key” word.
I annoyed the Hell out of my then-coworkers by leaving the radio on all day and dialing furiously whenever I heard the “key” word. As you may have guessed, I didn’t win the car, nor the hearts of my coworkers…
I really liked these cars when they came out, but as I was in high school when that happened, I wasn’t likely to get one new. Now, you see so few of these Super Coupes they’ve become a real rarity.
In 1978 for reasons that now escape me, I was with a co-worker at the local Chrysler Plymouth dealership. My friend happened to mention to a salesman that I was a Mopar person and drove a 74 Plymouth Duster 360.
The salesman was then on me like a pitbull trying to get me interested in a Volare Roadrunner they had on their showfloor
I thought the Roadrunner looked kind of cheesy with its air dam, louvered side windows, and striping down its side.
That being said I would definitely like one of these Roadrunners now,
With nearly 40 years hindsight, some of the styling and trim details on the Roadrunner and Sport Wagon look more like a last-gen Nova, than the Nova itself. As for the revived Aspen/Durango hybrids, were they indeed all 4wd? I’ve seen a few of the Durangos in taxi duty and assumed that the extra cost and complexity of 4wd (or awd) wouldn’t have been wanted, at least in San Francisco.
There wasn’t a volare model or option called front runner or sun runner. Those were marketing ideas for regular volare options. T-tops, sliding sunroofs, regular two-tone paint, and Road Runner decoration could be mixed or skipped. The ‘Front Runner’ shown is a volare road runner with the Super Pak body kit. The ‘sun runner’ is à Volare Custom with the two-tone paint option.
Most of the coupe options are a bit much (though cool in a retro 70’s sort of way) but I *really* like that Sport Wagon. Subtler than the coupe, but still has some appealing features like the air dam and those great alloys. Order up one with a 360, and you could have quite the sleeper wagon, especially with some work done to free up the breathing (and today, to remove the antiquated smog controls).
To my eye though it loses a lot with the ’80 refresh. It worked OK on the non-sport versions of the sedan and wagon, but it didn’t work well at all with the curvier coupe or with the sport wagon.
Great series on long forgotten special editions. I once had an acquaintance with a Spitfire Orange 360 ’77 Volaré Road Runner. He bought it brand new. Striped, louvered, and T-topped it positively dripped “late ’70s”. But it also was rusted into oblivion. Fenders, doors, and quarters all flapped in the breeze. Being a daily driver F-body in New Jersey had taken its toll on her.
Might I nominate another reasonably unknown Mopar special edition? How about the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited? I’ve been driving one as a daily for about a year now.
In 2000 I came across a car hoarder he had a acre lot hidden behind some tall bushes i peeked in and there it was i couldn’t beleave what i was looking at it was 1978 Aspen special edition with the t-bar tops it was sandy brown color with greens n reds in the paint i had to have it i got this car for a 100 dollars not runing clean title keys to ben working on it ever sense here its 16 yrs later but its a driver now with a mild 318 built up the 904 tranny and added a transgo shift kit put keystone classics on 15 by tens with a bf goodrich p295 50ty r 15 2 and quater inch exhaust with flowmaster mufflers that drop out behind the rear tires .
aspen special edition
Hello everyone where can’t find parts for a 79 volare roadrunner. Here is mine so far. E58code 360 cu inch. T-tops.
Hi George!
What kinds of parts are you looking for?
I own a 1978 Dodge Super Coupe and absolutely love the car! It drives, rides, stops, and handles fantastic! I’ve owned alot of older Mopars and the Super Coupe has to be one of my favorites!
Nice! Lets see some pics of the Super Coupe.
My grandfather’s pickup truck had some funky, non-Toyota wheels on it. After endless internet sleuthing, you’ve answered it! Thanks for sharing.
“and some of the 1970s more subtle tape-striping” Was there subtlety in the 70’s 🙂
I like all these super coupes. But back then it seemed that there were Mopar people and then there were the “Others.” Brand loyalty was still very strong at this time. I just can’t imagine a Ford or GM guy jumping ship, even though all Ford gave us was the Mustang II. I imagine that a lot of Mustang fans just held onto what they already had. At least GM still had the F bodies for the faithful. These Aspen/Volare coupes had the big 360 motor available for a lot of years, and the cars should have been even better with more refinement. Myself, I could never warm up to Mopars, I hated the sound the starter made, though it was loved by the fans. I stayed away until the minivan age, with a ’90 Dodge Caravan and later a ’97 Chrysler Town and Country
I know that it’s been posted before, and that it was for the previous generation 1975 Road Runner, but I just love this graphic.
The one-year-only, 1975 ‘Star Wars’ trunk decal was interesting, if not exactly aethetically pleasing. It’s also fascinating that it was only available in black and white, almost like an homage to the original 1968 Road Runner’s b&w door decals. It really looks odd attached to a white car, and I wonder if the Fury coupe’s trunk lid was specifically designed to be able to shmuck that goofy decal onto it.
I know it wasn’t a limited edition, but finding a 1975 Fury Road Runner with a column-mounted 3-speed manual (the only available manual, and then only with the base 318 V8) would be quite the rare find. I would venture to guess that it was the only Road Runner ever built with a column-mounted manual shifter.
Late to the party, but check out this (Mexico only) 360, 4 bbl 1978 Super Bee!!
https://www.motortrend.com/features/marco-sandin-1978-valiant-super-bee-chrysler-foreign-market-vehicle/
“… Chrysler mystifyingly gave the Aspen/Volaré a completely new front fascia for 1980..”
No mystery, the F body was meant to last longer, but near going belly-up, L:ido killed the cars off for 1981. The re-style was locked in place for fall 1979 intro. Also, per some Mopar sites, there were other mechanical updates. At least the basic design lasted until 1989, under the M bodies.
There were 254 1979 Aspen Spirtwagons and 80 1980 models sold in the U.S. and Canada.
I have not checked Volare Sportwagon sales numbers.