It was the American journalist Murilee Martin who came up with the expression “malaise area” to define the period 1973-1982 in the American automobile industry. It comes from a speech given by Jimmy Carter in 1979 about the second oil crisis. And that’s good, because the word “malaise” also applies to French. And when we talk about the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volaré, we are actually talking about a big discomfort!
In the first half of the 1970s, Chrysler could rely on the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant in the compact vehicle segment. They are cars without the slightest thrill (the Demon and Duster versions are gone) but reliable means of transport. In 1975, these models were still selling very well, even if they had not undergone major changes since 1967. Chrysler began working on their replacements in 1971 but the first oil crisis and the new emission standards did not not make life easier for the corporation, which must amortize large investments on smaller quantities than Ford and General Motors. Chrysler lost 250 million dollars in 1975. The brand needed a vehicle to bail itself out and relied on the Aspen/Volaré duo.
It begins well!
The cars were introduced on the market in October 1975. The differences between the two models were limited to the front and the rear part as well as the height of the protective strips (lower on the Plymouths and higher on the Dodges). For the rest, it’s the same, including the passenger compartments where no distinctive sign is visible.
Photo: Chrysler
The Aspen and Volaré are in tune with the times by favoring comfort and equipment rather than performance. The monocoque F platform uses torsion bar front suspension (a Chrysler tradition of the time), but here they are installed transversely. The rear is more conventional with a rigid axle mounted on leaf springs. The running gear is particularly well insulated from the body. The result is satisfactory handling (for the time) and good level of comfort.
The mechanics are three in number: 3.7-litre in-line 6-cylinder (225 hp) with 100 horsepower, 5.2-litre V8 (318 hp) with 145 horsepower and 5.9-litre V8 (360 hp) with 170 horses. The buyer can choose between a 3-speed manual, a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed Torqueflite automatic, all three at the column or at the floor, depending on the models and engines.
Three bodies were available: 4-door sedan or wagon (a body that Ford and GM would not introduce in this segment until 1978) on a 112.7-inch wheelbase and a coupe on a 108.7-inch wheelbase. Three trim levels are offered: base, Custom and Premier at Plymouth or Special Edition at Dodge. The list of equipment, standard or optional, is particularly complete and has little to envy to larger cars. Options include R/T packages for the Aspen and Road Runner for the Volaré. Chrysler emerges from the prestigious names of the era of muscle carsbut they are in fact only aesthetic groups with reinforced suspensions.
Photo: Chrysler
The reception is excellent and the cars receive the title of “Car of the Year 1976” from the magazine motor-trend. The publication appreciates the comfort/road-holding compromise and the interior space, worthy of an intermediate in a compact body. You should know that the competition is not too tough: Chevrolet Chevette, AMC Pacer and Cadillac Seville. To “apologize”, the magazine will say in 2021: “Would you have liked us to elect the Pacer? »
And although the Dart and Valiant were still sold (68,538 and 85,686 units respectively) for one last year, Chrysler managed to sell 219,449 Aspen and 291,619 Volaré in 1976. The sunny days seemed to be back!
It should be noted that three Dodge Aspen were modified to serve as test vehicles for the seventh (and last) generation of turbine.
It slips!
Quickly, we discover many quality problems, both by defective design and by sloppy manufacturing. Recalls are piling up: hood latches not closing, engines cutting out on acceleration, seat belt tensioners not working, premature wear of suspension and brake components, lack of protective shield around the damper. exhaust, leaking fuel lines, steering rod that can disconnect from the steering box and fenders that rust in just a few months…
The Aspen and Volaré inherited the title of “Most Recalled Cars in History” at a time when recalls were not common, a title that they would lose a few years later to General Motors’ X-Cars (Chevrolet Quote) . And that’s not all, buyers also have to deal with leaky trunks, broken engine mounts or repeated electrical problems.
Photo: Chrysler
As Lee Iacocca, who we’ll talk about later, explains in his autobiography: “The Aspen and Volaré were introduced in 1975 but they should have been delayed for six months. The company needed the money, and this time Chrysler did not follow the normal cycle of designing, testing, and building an automobile. Customers who bought the Aspen and Volaré in 1975 were actually acting as test engineers for the brand. When these cars came out, they were still in the development phase.” These models which were to put the manufacturer afloat cost him a fortune in warranty and financially sink him in addition to tarnishing his image a little more.
But word of mouth has not yet done its job and the Aspen and Volaré sold very well for 1977: 312,646 and 382,418 units respectively. There are logically not many changes for this vintage: appearance of a “Super Six” variant with a 110 horsepower twin-barrel carburettor (available until 1979), the 318 hp V8 remains at 145 horsepower but the 360 hp is offered at 155 or 175 horsepower, new optional T-Top roof. In fact, the engineers have mainly focused on improving quality and the efforts are starting to show. Nevertheless, the damage in terms of image is already done…
Chrysler is moving on…
For 1978, the Aspen and Volaré received a first (very slight) restyling of the front end and benefited from “Super Coupe” variants in homage to NASCAR cars. They are distinguished by widened fenders, larger tires, a prominent spoiler and sticker sets. The engines remain standard. They are particularly rare: 521 Dodge and 494 Plymouth. Sales fell significantly: 197,707 Dodge and 256,778 Plymouth. The corporation is rather busy launching the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon, Chrysler’s first front-wheel drives that will help pass the new CAFE consumption standards.
Photo: Chrysler
The 1979 vintage did not see any major changes (wagon with a sports package, 318 hp V8 at 135 horsepower and 360 hp V8 at 195 horsepower) and sales continued to decline: 143,584 Aspen and 209,686 Volaré. For the final year, 1980 models received a square headlight front, more in line with the competition. The 360 hp V8 disappears while the 6-cylinder increases to 90 horsepower and the 318 hp V8 offers 120 horsepower. Sales are then only 85,469 Aspen and 109,772 Volaré.
At this time, the company struggles for its survival. The new boss, Lee Iacocca (who arrived in November 1978), must appear before Congress to obtain a loan guaranteed by the government. As we have seen, he did not like the Aspen and Volaré too much and bet everything on the K-Cars which were to (and were to) save Chrysler from 1981.
So, the Aspen and Volare, bad cars? Yes and no. As Iacocca made clear, development was botched and early buyers acted as testers. But Chrysler quickly corrected the situation. Ironically, in 1977 it introduced the Dodge Diplomat and Chrysler Le Baron (and the Plymouth Gran Fury from 1982) on the M platform, largely derived from the F platform (no one ever understood that name) , and which did not experience any serious reliability problems. The models on the M platform will be manufactured until 1989 and will be very profitable for Chrysler in the 80s. Six months, six more months of development that would have changed everything!
Photo: Chrysler
Aparté: luxury according to the Swiss or the Monteverdi Sierra
The small Swiss manufacturer Monteverdi, which produced between 1967 and 1976 superb sports coupes (with Chrysler engines) capable of competing with Ferrari, produced between 1977 and 1980 an ultra-luxurious variant of the Plymouth Volaré. The cars saw their front and rear parts modified, the interior was upholstered in leather and new gauges and a central console were installed.
The most surprising thing is that the running gear was revised: the front torsion bars gave way to more conventional coil springs. All the transformations were made by the Italian coachbuilder Fissore. The only mill available was the 175 horsepower 318 hp V8, mated to the 3-speed Torqueflite. Monteverdi will produce only about twenty copies, including two exclusive convertibles. What a weird basic choice anyway…