K-ah-Car-ah: 1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati
The Chrysler TC by Maserati is one of the strangest things you’ll ever find on the road. It looks like a Chrysler LeBaron because it was built on the same K-Car platform…technically a shortened Dodge Daytona chassis. The body panels were stamped in Turin, the assembly was done at Maserati’s Milan plant, so this car was actually built in Italy…but its DNA was as American as you can get. The engine used the regular Dodge Turbo II bottom end, but with a Cosworth head made in England and some Maserati final assembly to make it a “Maserati” engine. I guess if I put a feather on my pug’s head, that makes him a cockatoo? The price tag, however, was definitely Italian — almost $90K new in today’s dollars, which sounds like a lot until you learn that to build each TC cost almost $200K in today’s dollars. It was a complete financial black hole for Lee Iacocca’s Chrysler Corp, and interestingly enough, Maserati and Chrysler were eventually both purchased by the Italian conglomerate known as Fiat. Today, a used TC in nice shape makes an interesting statement for the cheap car collector, and less than 8000 were built when new, so probably half that remain on the road. Find this 1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati offered for $10,000 in Mt Jackson, VA via facesler maseratiplace.
From the seller:
1989 Chrysler tc by maserati
$10,000
Listed a week ago in Mt Jackson, VA
About this vehicle
Driven 46,610 miles
Automatic transmission
Exterior color: Yellow · Interior color: Tan
VIN: ZC2FR110XKB201250
Fuel type: Gasoline
Horsepower: 192 hp
Excellent condition
Clean title
This vehicle has no significant damage or problems.Seller’s description
Garage Parked
16V Turbo Engine
5 Speed manual transmission
2-passenger convertible w/ removable hardtop & manual cloth soft-topFuel tank capacity 14 gallons
See a better way to drive something Italysler? tips@dailyturismo.com
Only 500 of these were ever made with the “Maserati” 16v head, all of them with a Getrag 5-speed, and all in the first model year. The rest got an automatic, in the first year with a standard Mopar 2.2L Turbo II engine, then a Mitsubishi 3.0L V6 after that.
The original plan was for the TC to debut first as a “halo car”, then a couple-few years later the LeBaron coupe and convertible would launch with similar styling to inherit a bit of cachet from the TC at a more affordable price. Instead, development and production delays stalled the TC’s launch until well after the LeBaron, making it seem like an overpriced, tarted-up LeBaron despite sharing no body panels in common.
I’d never seen one with the DOHC 16v engine and did not know they were supposed to debut ahead of the LeBaron.
The more you know! Also, I’ve somewhat softened on my disdain for them, this one sorta blew my skirt up.
The planned timeline makes sense. I’ve generally thought the J-body LeBaron looks a bit better, at least until they ditched the hideaway headlights.
An interesting what-if: Suppose instead of an American platform with a “Maserati” engine, they went with a Maserati platform and American engine, and put a hopped up 318 in a Biturbo?