The Chrysler LeBaron is a line of automobiles built by Chrysler from 1931 to 1941 and from 1977 to 1995. Chrysler also used the LeBaron name for the Imperial LeBaron from 1957 to 1975.
The model was introduced in 1931, with a body manufactured by LeBaron, and competed with other luxury cars of the era, such as Lincoln and Packard. After purchasing LeBaron with its parent Briggs Manufacturing Company, Chrysler introduced the luxury make Imperial in 1955, and sold automobiles under the name Imperial LeBaron from 1957 until 1975. Chrysler discontinued the Imperial brand for 1976 and reintroduced the Chrysler LeBaron in 1977 to what was then Chrysler's lowest-priced model.
Chrysler has used the LeBaron name across five cars: 1977–1981 M-body (mid-size) LeBaron sedan, coupe, and wagon 1982–1988 K-body (mid-size) LeBaron sedan, coupe, convertible, and wagon 1985–1989 H-body (mid-size) LeBaron GTS hatchback 1987–1995 J-body (personal luxury) LeBaron coupe and convertible 1990–1994 AA-body (mid-size) LeBaron sedan The last Chrysler LeBaron was manufactured in 1995, to be replaced with the Cirrus and Sebring. The LeBaron was one of Chrysler's longest-running brands.
The LeBaron background
LeBaron was one of the many prominent coachbuilders in the 1920s and 1930s to provide bodies for luxury cars. It was founded in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1920 by Thomas L. Hibbard and Raymond H. Dietrich. It was later purchased by Briggs Manufacturing Company of Detroit in 1926, the major manufacturer of bodies for Ford, Chrysler, Hudson, Packard and others, and operated as a Briggs specialist subsidiary.
LeBaron supplied exquisite custom bodies for various car companies such as Chrysler's luxury Imperial line, Duesenberg, and Cadillac. LeBaron's last projects for Chrysler were the Chrysler Newport Phaeton, a super-streamlined dual cowl phaeton with an aluminum body, and the 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt, a sleek roadster with concealed headlights (like the 1936 Cord 810/812) and a retractable metal hardtop styled by Alex Tremulis, who would later style the 1948 Tucker.
Chrysler purchased the Briggs Manufacturing Company in 1953. Two years after the Chrysler introduced the Imperial as a separate luxury division, the LeBaron name designated the top-of-the-line Imperial models from 1957 through 1975.
Classic generation (1931–1941)
The LeBarons started in the 1930s during the automobile's classic era and competed directly with the luxury brands of its day, such as Lincoln, Cadillac, and Packard. In the mid-1930s, Chrysler added a radical new "Art Deco" design shape, known as the Airflow Imperials, to the Chrysler line. LeBaron supplied the high-end CW series. The design features were considered advanced and perhaps ahead of their time. However, the shape was too radical for buyer's tastes, and non-Airflow models outsold Airflows by about 3 to 1. Raymond Dietrich, co-founder and former stylist at LeBaron, was hired in 1932 to be Chrysler's in-house stylist. Dietrich restyled the Airflow line and moved Chryslers to more mainstream styles. As a result of poor Airflow sales, Chrysler's designs became quite conservative for the next two decades. Auto manufacturers continued to build up their in-house styling departments and bodyworks. LeBaron thus became less important to most of its customers for design ideas and bodies. Toward the late 1930s, LeBaron/Briggs built more bodies for Chrysler and fewer for Ford. Chrysler became their biggest customer, with additional bodies built for Packard, Hudson, and Graham-Paige. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, the LeBaron name and division became less critical for Briggs, although it remained a division of Briggs until the Chrysler buyout in 1953.
LeBaron's last projects for Chrysler were two concept cars: the Chrysler Newport Phaeton, a super-streamlined dual cowl phaeton with an aluminum body, and the 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt, a sleek roadster with concealed headlights and a retractable metal hardtop styled by Alex Tremulis, who went on to later style part of the 1948 Tucker. Only six of each were made.
Imperial generation (1955–1975)
For the 1955 model year, Chrysler Corporation spun off Imperial as a separate make and division, making it the company's flagship luxury brand, taking its name from the original Chrysler Imperial series. Intended as a direct competitor to Cadillac, Lincoln, and Packard, Imperial was a completely distinct vehicle make/brand that did not use the Chrysler nameplate.
Through the existence of the division, Imperial used two nameplates alongside a nameless base model (Imperial Custom from 1960 to 1963). Its mid-range line was the Imperial Crown, with the flagship line branded as the Imperial LeBaron (in deference to the coachbuilder); Southampton was a sub-designation applied for pillarless hardtop body styles.
In June 1975, Chrysler retired the Imperial brand in response to declining sales of the marque. The Imperial LeBaron was repackaged for 1976 as the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham.
First generation (1977–1981)
For 1977, the LeBaron model nameplate made its return after a year's hiatus. Released in response to the Cadillac Seville and Lincoln Versailles, the 1977 Chrysler LeBaron was the smallest vehicle ever marketed under the Chrysler brand at the time. While Cadillac and Lincoln offered its mid-size lines solely as four-door sedans, Chrysler also offered a two-door LeBaron coupe. For 1978, the Town & Country station wagon joined the model line.
Sharing its body with the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Caravelle, the LeBaron used the Chrysler M platform on a wheelbase. A new generation of the F platform introduced by the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volaré, the LeBaron sedan and wagon shared much of its roofline with the Aspen/Volaré; sharing its wheelbase with the sedan, the LeBaron coupe was fitted with a sleeker roofline than its Volaré counterpart. While visibly similar, the LeBaron was fitted with its own hood, trunk lid, and front and rear fascia panels. Both platforms shared a common powertrain lineup, with a standard Slant Six; or V8 engines are optional. A three-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission was offered with all three engines, though a four-speed manual overdrive transmission was offered with the 225 and 318 engines.
1980 model update For 1980, the LeBaron underwent a mid-cycle revision. The exterior underwent several aerodynamic enhancements, featuring sharper-edged front corners, and a narrower radiator-style grille (similar to the 1975 Imperial, debuting a design used by Chrysler into the early 1990s). The roofline of the sedan was revised for aerodynamic upgrades; a squared-off look ended its design commonality with the Aspen/Volaré, and the coupe adopted a more formal profile.
To position the model line upmarket, Chrysler introduced the limited edition "Fifth Avenue" option package for the four-door sedan. A conversion by American Sunroof Corporation, the Fifth Avenue featured a padded vinyl roof covering the quarter glass of the rear doors and interior trim upgrades.
In response to the discontinuation of the Volaré after 1980, Chrysler introduced a police-equipment option package for the LeBaron for 1981, sold alongside the Chrysler Newport and R-platform Plymouth Gran Fury. For 1982, Chrysler replaced all three vehicles as it moved the Gran Fury to the M platform (joining the Dodge Diplomat), offering the option for the Diplomat and Gran Fury until Chrysler ended production of the M platform after 1989.
Production Figures:
(For 1979 and 1981, coupe and sedan production figures are not separated) +Chrysler LeBaron Production FiguresCoupeSedanWagonYearly Total19777,28012,600 -19,880197847,31359,57521,504128,392197996,40017,463113,863198024,53031,0107,93963,479198137,0106,12343,133Total53,029368,747
Second generation (1982–1988)
For 1982, the LeBaron moved to the front-wheel drive Chrysler K platform, where it was the upscale brand's lowest-priced offering. It was initially available in just sedan and coupe versions. In early 1982, it was released in a convertible version, bringing the first factory-built open-topped domestic vehicle to the market since the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado.
A station wagon version called the Town & Country was also added. A unique Town & Country convertible was also made from 1983 until 1986 with a 1,105 total produced, which, like the wagon, featured simulated wood paneling that made it resemble the original 1940s Town & Country. This model also offered the well-equipped Mark Cross option package for the latter years. Despite being mechanically similar to the Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant, its fascias closely resembled the larger E-body sedans. This generation featured Chrysler's Electronic Voice Alert, a computerized voice that warned drivers about various conditions with phrases such as "A door is ajar" or "Your engine oil pressure is low".
The LeBaron was facelifted for 1986, receiving rounder front and rear ends to improve aerodynamics. A landau padded top replaced the sedan's full vinyl roof. The instrumentation cluster was revised from a rectangle speedometer and fuel gauge with a message center to round gauges similar to the Reliant/Aries, but with an argent surround for a more upscale appearance. Coupes and convertibles were dropped for 1987, replaced by the all-new J-body LeBaron released that year. The sedan and wagon continued with minor changes until 1988. A new digital dashboard replaced the analog gauges for a more modern appearance. A larger LeBaron sedan based on the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim would arrive for the 1990 model year.
1985–1989 LeBaron GTS
The 1985 LeBaron GTS was a somewhat different car than the standard LeBaron, and was based on the Chrysler H platform. It was available at the same time as the Cadillac Cimarron as a luxury-brand model while offering a similar level of equipment to the small Cadillac. As a 5-door hatchback still derived from the K-car, the GTS (and the similar Dodge Lancer) was more of a performance vehicle than the softer-tuned K-car LeBaron sedan. In base configuration, the car was powered by Chrysler's 2.2 liter inline-4 engine, later replaced by a 2.5 L TBI version generating . A turbocharged 2.2 L engine producing was also available. The GTS moniker was dropped for 1989, the final year of this vehicle's production, after the K-based LeBaron sedan was discontinued after 1988.
Trim levels High Line - 1985–1989 Premium - 1985–1988 GTS - 1989 (replaced "Premium" after the "GTS" was dropped from the name of the car) "Pacifica" 1986 (replaced by Shelby Lancer in 1987) Limited 500 run Production Figures: +Chrysler LeBaron Production FiguresCoupeSedanWagonConvertibleGTSYearly Total198227,15142,5347,80912,825 -90,319198318,33130,86910,9949,891 -70,085198424,96347,66411,57816,208 -100,413198524,97043,6597,71116,47560,783153,598198624,76140,11619,68419,68473,557177,8021987 -54,6785,880 -39,05099,6081988 -24,4522,136 -14,21140,799Total120,176283,97265,79275,083187,601732,624
European market - the Chrysler GTS After some years of absence, Chrysler officially started offering some models under its brand on the European market in April 1988. One of them was the Chrysler GTS, a rebadged version of the Dodge Lancer ES. Sales figures were moderate.
Third generation coupe/convertible (1987–1995)