Produced for a lengthy nine model years (1987-1995), the final generation of Chrysler LeBaron coupe and convertible is a car that holds many distinctions. Riding on the officially designated “J-platform”, this extended-K LeBaron was ultimately the last of many very different and often unrelated LeBarons produced, as well as one of the very final K-car relatives, surviving through the final year of production.
The J-body LeBaron was also the first Chrysler in decades without a comparable rebadged Dodge or Plymouth variant. While originally positioned as an upscale “personal luxury” sports coupe, highlighted by features such as turbo engines, digital instrumentation, and sleek styling, later years saw the LeBaron lineup reduced to its far more popular convertible bodystyle, often in modest trim. With that in mind, a few high-spec and highly special LeBarons made their way to dealers as late as 1992, including this 1992 GTC convertible with the available Performance Package.
In addition to replacing the far more traditionally-minded K-body LeBaron coupe and convertible, the J-body LeBaron also replaced the G-body Laser personal luxury sports coupe, resulting in its sleek and sporty sheetmetal that was quite frankly one of the most captivating Chrysler designs of the 1980s, in your author’s opinion.
Now the fact that it lacked a near-identical Dodge or Plymouth sibling left the LeBaron with more hats to wear than other Chryslers at the time. On the one hand, it was indeed the upscale personal luxury model that fit most in-line with the Chrysler brand. Yet on the other hand, the LeBaron also was sold in more modest configurations, as well as performance-oriented variants to fill the gap with Dodge and Plymouth, a strategy that somewhat muddled its mission in life.
Initially, GTC was the highest-priced, and most performance-oriented trim level, though following 1993, all 2-door LeBarons were GTC convertibles as part of Chrysler’s strategy of having just one reasonably-equipped model with several available options and packages.
While actually driving dynamics only went as far as its K-car roots could take it, this 1992 GTC convertible with GTC Performance Package features the 152 horsepower/211 lb-ft torque 2.5-liter SOHC turbo I4, high-capacity 5-speed manual transmission, 16-inch spiralcast aluminum road wheels (not currently on this one, but they do come with it), and performance handling suspension with upgraded shocks, struts, and front and rear anti-sway bars.
Inside, GTC Performance Package cars added performance front bucket seats upholstered in either unique cloth or perforated leather, with driver gaining a 14-way power-adjustable “Enthusiast” seat that included power lumber and side bolster controls.
This LeBaron also features the top-of-the-line Infinity RS Sound System, consisting of AM/FM stereo with seek-and-scan, cassette player, CD player, 5-band graphic equalizer, and 10 speakers.
It’s complemented by a trunk-mounted Infinity BassLink subwoofer from a newer Chrysler, possibly a Crossfire.
Among other factory options includes this digital mini trip computer — ultra high-tech in the age before massive colorized screens taking up the majority of landscape of car dashboards.
Now regarding the interior goes as a whole, there is somewhat of a disconnect between its design, controls, and features. Replacing the original boxy, upright K-car dash, the 1990-on interior featured a much more modern and driver-centric dash, instrument panel, and door panels.
Indeed, some controls, such as those for headlights and windshield wipers, were rather futuristic. Likewise were the warning lights, concealed in what looked like merely a black trim piece that swept across the upper dash.
Yet rather conversely, Chrysler fitted all LeBarons with the dated-looking parts bin slider bar manual climate control, and the vehicle lacked any option for automatic temperature control and the ever-important heated front seats.
Additionally, while a select few models were equipped with the optional CD player or mini trip computer, most were not, with hollow “storage” dash cut outs in their place.
Adding to the car’s somewhat clouded image was the confusing nature of styling on 1992 models. As far as J-body LeBaron chronology is concerned, 1992 was an odd year as although it was the final season of the original (and quite frankly, awesome) hidden headlamp front fascia, GTC models previewed a new “European-inspired” rear fascia with full-width amber turn signal taillights.
This rear fascia would spread to all models in 1993, replacing the full-width black mask effect taillights, along with a revised front fascia with composite front headlights replacing the costlier hidden headlamp setup.
Regardless of its shortcomings, this 1992 LeBaron GTC is a very interesting example, and quite frankly the cream of the crop as far as 1992 LeBarons go.
Unfortunately, this particular example raises too many red flags that would prevent me from ever recommending anyone to purchase it.
First and foremost is its exorbitant price tag. $6,800 USD for a 26-year old 1992 Chrysler LeBaron with 84,000 miles on it?! That asking price is nearly the same (actually several hundred dollars more) as Kelly Blue Book’s fair dealer purchase price for a same-mileage 2011 Chrysler 200 Touring convertible!
Lastly, there’s the car’s condition. Notwithstanding any mechanical issues, and there are most likely some, the car’s physical condition is less than stellar.
As expected, the paint has numerous imperfections, including swirl marks, scratches, fading, and peeling, and then there’s the rust.
Despite the description of “no rot surface rust only”, there is widespread rust on the vehicle underbody, axles, and numerous suspension components. Most troubling, is that the significant rust on lower body panels looks much deeper than surface rust only.
So is this a car I’d advise anyone to make an offer on? No. But nonetheless, it is one of the more interesting J-body LeBarons out there, and it deserves an honorable mention here on CC.
Cool car, but a ridiculous amount of money. I would probably pay 3K, because though it is a very pretty shape, and that means more to me than some, it is a Chrysler of that era and odds are not on it’s side. For that price it has to be absolutely perfect, and they were rarely that way when new. I do appreciate the best version of a car, and this is (was) that. The interior looks badass, the black is cool and that front with those lights is about perfection looks-wise. Chryslers’ looks have never been their problem. Well the Sebrings/200s maybe…The horsepower ratings seemed good back in the day, but seem dull even a few years later. But this is a classic nonetheless. Okay, I have contradicted myself enough for now…
“. . . quite frankly the cream of the crop as far as 1992 LeBarons go.”
Can’t tell of that is praise or sarcasm. Great write-up and good find Mr. Saur!
“Performance Package features the 152 horsepower/211 lb-ft torque 2.5-liter SOHC turbo I4”
How far we’ve come…. That’s a healthy amount of torque, but only 150 hp from a turbocharged 2.5?!? That’s less HP than most naturally aspirated 2.0 I4’s nowadays, the 2.5 in my old Altima made 184 HP even. The good ole days, they weren’t….
Does no one in the Rust Belt pressure wash the underside of their car in the Spring? Or is there so much salt even that wouldn’t help? I pressure wash our car undersides 2-3 times a winter as we have quite bit of salt use in the NC mountains. But, it’s not a continual salt bath for sure.
In New England the salt use is such that for daily use winter-driven cars even a weekly undercarriage wash won’t prevent some degree of corrosion. I once owned a ’97 Nissan Quest that was taken through a good quality automatic wash weekly during the winter, including high-pressure undercarriage wash, and still by 2002 the rot had set into the framework and suspension bits. In central Vermont it often snows nightly, meaning a fresh coat of salt on winding mountainous roads. You can try as hard as you want, spend as much as you can afford, and it’s gonna get ya, like it or not. That van was treated religiously to the full-on spa treatment every week, as the car wash was located right next to the grocery store that my ex shopped at, so the (then $12) fee was budgeted in to our grocery expenses. I suppose the rust was kept at bay longer than it might have been, but in the end it might have been smarter to have been less vigilant and banked the $ to account for inevitable repairs.
Nowadays, in the corner of Massachusetts up near Vermont and New York, the car washes close for the winter. It’s a rust-belt economy in a feedback loop.
This brings back memories of my 1989 GTC coupe, which I bought used in 1996 & was a bit of a money pit, including getting the A/C running & having the lower portion of the body repainted (it was two toned beige/brown). I would have loved having that combined CD/cassette player. That front end design was great & I always loved hearing that “clunk” sound every time I opened or closed the lights. I wish that I bought one in better condition since I still like the styling. I often dream of getting another one in restro mod mode, painting it in one of those obnoxious 70s Mopar colors.
In the mid 1990’s I weekend rented 3 different LeBaron drop tops while on a TDY job assignment in SOCAL.
With the top down and floating down the PCH at 35-40 mph; they were quite enjoyable.
With the top up and interstate cruising……not so much.
Not bad, not great….just kinda-sorta blahhhhhhhhhh and bland. Like the vanilla pudding served at the Woolworth’s lunch counter.
A very attractive car that should had been refined into a better under-the-skin car; as time went by.
One of the nicer dash designs of the era, I had it on my ’93 Dodge Daytona. Which was essentially the same car other than hatchback body shell. Mine was the base four cylinder, five speed, and really a very nice “blue collar GT” car.
Totally agree! I remember when this ‘new-style’ dash was introduced across some product lines, and thought it looked SO much better than the old one. I had a Plymouth Sundance (a ’93) and (who knows why) I loved the way it looked on the outside, but wished it had gotten that new-style dashboard!
This car seems to fly under the radar, but looking back it’s as refined and distinctive as a ‘61 Continental or any classic American design. And holds its own globally pretty well to. In that context, the price doesn’t seem bad.
I always found these visually appealing, especially in some of the sportier variants like these. But not enough to own one. A relative did and while it was a decent car for her, the repairs she had all seemed unduly expensive.
I drove it once and was taken aback by how close the top of the windshield came to my head. I would pick a Fox Mustang if I were looking for a convertible of this era.
Excellent find and analysis Brendan. Looking at the very gray interior, it looks almost spartan compared to some of the multi-hued and textured mid 80s interiors seen in the Daytona and other Chryslers. I always had the impression these were targeted at a senior demographic.
This LeBaron era reminded me visually as almost a ‘limo’ version of the Shadow/Sundance coupe. I felt the styling similarities with the Shadow/Sundance were too close. In fact, in the early 90s, a Shadow convertible would likely have interested me more so.
If this is a regularly driven 26 year old LeBaron from a road salt region, I would say it appears in pretty good condition, including the rust. If driven in summer and winter for much of its 26 years, I would say the level of rust appears normal, or even less than average. If it hasn’t been given special treatment. Though the price is definitely too high.
Man, that’s pretty on the outside! But those photos underneath….um, no thanks.
I’ve always liked these, too. But yeah, way too much money.
Great find – haven’t seen one of these in even reasonably good condition for at least 5 years. I can’t remember – were the amber turn signals real or fake on these?
I’m with Daniel M. I think that car has not seen that much regular winter driving. Road salt here will kill anything in short order.
Case in point. A friend inherited her dad’s 1999 caravan in 2011 when he died. It was stored every winter’ had about 60,000 miles on it and was like new.
She drives year round but not a lot and washes her vehicles regularly. It has just turned 100,000 miles and she is hoping to get one more winter out of it and replace it with a new car when she retires in the spring. I say hoping because structurally it is to the point her garage will not put it on a hoist and she is now hand washing it because the commercial wash literally took chunks out of the body the last time.
This is the reality we northerners live with.
I’ve been looking for a new toy for a while now. I was hoping for another L body but a J coupe is a pretty attractive alternative.
Thanks!
Every time I see one of these J bodies with the top down and one or bolth rear windows up It just screams Fix the windows. It looks rediculous cruising around with one quater glass up.
They are failure prone. I repaired countless numbers of them when these cars were popular. Did one very recently. Parts were available and arrived in FCA packaging.
I owned this exact car, with an automatic however… but it was even a 1992 with the body-colored grille. Had the old-style rear end with the fully red taillights though, and cheaper looking wheels with whitewall tires (although it was loaded inside with leather, power everything, etc). I wasn’t aware they added the amber turn signals a year early for certain models… I always thought it was part of the 1993 facelift that also introduced the ugly exposed headlights.
I used to contribute a lot of automotive images to Wikipedia in those days and my old bright blue LeBaron is still the main thumbnail photo for this generation! I took that picture in 2009 when I bought it used for around $2,500 my junior year of high school and kept it for about a year or two. It only had 93,000 miles on it and was in vastly better condition than this black one. $6,800?? My 2013 Focus isn’t even worth that much, and these have NOT reached any sort classic status to have “appreciated” in value since I owned mine almost a decade ago. My example never had any problems, but I didn’t drive it much and sold it off for about what I paid with barely 100k on the odometer. Good memories! I never see these on the road anymore, they went totally extinct in Michigan a few years after I sold mine.
I’d lose the subwoofer in the trunk, it takes up way too much space of its limited capacity.
As soon as I saw “14-way adjustable seats”, I couldn’t help but think of the ill-fated K-car convertible in Planes, Trains and Automobiles.