The K-Car That Saved Chrysler

Chrysler Corporation appeared doomed as the 1970s came to a close, kept on life support by federally guaranteed loans squeezed out of Congress by Lee Iacocca. Few wanted to buy bloated Cordobas or poorly assembled Volarés, while the Simca-derived Omnirizons were too small and the Chryslerbishis were too Japanese.

Then, salvation appeared for the 1981 model year: Iacocca's new K-Cars! Here's a centerfold magazine advertisement for the Dodge Division's original version of the K.

This is a very wordy advertisement, because Chrysler had a great deal of interesting brags to make about the new Aries-K, so we're breaking the text up into four sections for easier reading. Look here, 11,284,963,742.6 miles of experience selling small cars (the Colt and Omni/024 get shout-outs, but—understandably—neither the Simca 1204 nor Plymouth Cricket do).

Going to a front-wheel-drive design allowed for both reduced weight and increased interior space for the K-Cars (which also included the Plymouth Reliant and Chrysler LeBaron for 1981).

The platform proved so versatile that dozens of additional models ended up being based on it through 1995, including the revolutionary Chrysler minivans that debuted for 1984.

The engines in the Aries (which was badged and marketed as the Aries-K at first) weren't given white-glove inspections, for fear of "leaving lint on any part." Presumably, this restriction extended to the engine factories in Japan where the 2.6-liter Astrons that went into some Ks were assembled.

The "Trans-4" name for Chrysler's 2.2-liter (and, later on, 2.5-liter) engine never really caught on in the automotive world.