Plymouth Caravelle

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Plymouth
Plymouth Caravelle (1983-1986)
Plymouth Caravelle (1983-1986)
Caravelle
Production period: 1983-1988
Class : Middle class
Body versions : limousine
Engines: Petrol engines :
2.2-2.6 liters
(69-109 kW)
Length: 4717 mm
Width: 1737 mm
Height: 1349 mm
Wheelbase : 2625 mm
Empty weight : 1148-1192 kg
successor Plymouth Acclaim
Plymouth Caravelle (1986-1988)

The Plymouth Caravelle was a mid-range front-wheel drive sedan offered by the US automobile manufacturer Plymouth from 1983 to 1988 . This model differed from rear-wheel drive vehicles of the same name, which Chrysler offered on the Canadian market.

Model for the USA

The vehicle offered in the USA as the Plymouth Caravelle was introduced in 1984 and remained on the market until 1988. It was based on Chrysler's E-Platform , a 76mm extended version of the K-Platform . It was therefore related to the Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries ; Sister models were the Dodge 600 and the Chrysler New Yorker . It was only offered as a four-door sedan in the US; there was no coupé version here - unlike in Canada.

The introduction of the Plymouth Caravelle was essentially due to marketing considerations and was due to the separate marketing of Chrysler-Plymouth vehicles on the one hand and Dodge models on the other. Its introduction was related to the end of production of the Chrysler E-Class . The E-Class had served as a gap filler between the Chrysler LeBaron and the Chrysler New Yorker in the Chrysler Division's model range since 1982 . It had not proven successful; There was not a sufficient market for a vehicle in this position with the Chrysler emblem. However, the Chrysler-Plymouth dealers saw a need for a vehicle the size of the E-Class. There was already the Dodge 600, which was largely identical to the E-Class; Dodge vehicles were not sold by Chrysler-Plymouth dealers, but by an independent sales organization. In order to fill the gap in the model range of Chrysler-Plymouth dealers, Chrysler positioned the previous E-Class as Plymouth at the beginning of the 1985 model year. With this shift to a different brand, the car could now be offered at a lower price than was possible under the Chrysler emblem. The Plymouth Caravelle was largely identical to the E-Class, but had a simpler grille.

The Caravelle was powered either by Chrysler's 2.2-liter four-cylinder, a turbo variant of this engine or the 2.6-liter four-cylinder with balancer shafts supplied by Mitsubishi . In the first year the Caravelle was only available in the higher equipment level SE, from model year 1986 there was also a more simply equipped basic version. In the same year, the Caravelle also underwent a slight facelift with a modified radiator grille and indicators moved next to the headlights. At the same time, the Mitsubishi engine was replaced by a 2.5-liter variant of the Chrysler four-cylinder. The Caravelle remained in production in this form until the end of the 1988 model year.

Plymouth built a total of 134,000 copies of the Caravelle in five years. The production figures are distributed over the model years as follows:

  • 1985: 39,971
  • 1986: 34,352
  • 1987: 42.465
  • 1988: 16,889

Canada models

A version of the Chrysler M-Body: the Canadian Plymouth Caravelle Saloon

In the 1980s, Chrysler offered three largely independent vehicles on the Canadian market under the Caravelle name:

  • The Canadian version of the Plymouth Gran Fury was called Plymouth Caravelle until 1982, after which it was called the Caravelle Saloon. This model was a variant of Chrysler's M platform .
  • The Canadian version of the American Dodge 600 sedan was sold as the Plymouth Caravelle from 1983.

swell

  • Flammang, James M./Kowalke, Ron: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999. Krause Publication, Iola 1999. ISBN 0-87341-755-0

Web links

Commons : Plymouth Caravelle  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files