One of the earliest spinoffs from Lee Iacocca’s multipurpose, Chrysler-saving K System was a stretched-wheelbase model identified as the E System. These vehicles ended up meant to resemble European luxury sedans, to the extent that a pair of types ended up badged as the Chrysler E-Class and Dodge 600 SE and offered suspiciously Mercedes-ish badging. At 1st, the Dodge 600 was out there in convertible and coupe form, but only sedans had been marketed for the 1987 and 1988 model a long time. Today’s Junkyard Gem is 1 of these sedans, uncovered in a Northern California self-service boneyard a couple months back again.
Nevertheless the K-Automobile loved ones tree had numerous branches, with American revenue of new K-derived cars continuing right until the center 1990s, only a handful of U.S.-sector models were being pure Ks: the Plymouth Reliant, Dodge Aries, Chrysler LeBaron, Dodge 400 and Dodge 600 coupe/convertible. Chrysler minivans by way of 1995 belonged to the prolonged K tribe, as did the Chrysler Imperial of the early 1990s. There was even a K-dependent Maserati!
The Dodge 600’s main rival was the Chevrolet Celeb and its siblings, the Pontiac 6000, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera and Buick Century. The most inexpensive 1987 Movie star sedan outlined at $10,265, when its Pontiac and Olds counterparts value $10,499 and $10,940 (people prices would be $18,049, $18,460 and $19,236 in 2022 dollars).
The base selling price for the most inexpensive 1987 Dodge 600 four doorway was just $9,891, with the far better-appointed SE variation listing at $10,553 (that’s $17,391 and $18,555 today). Since this is an SE, it competed on cost with the Pontiac 6000 sedan (not to mention the incredibly most affordable Ford Taurus trim stage, which charge $10,491). If you were keen to push a guide transmission and insisted on a car or truck that would probably maintain jointly for a quarter-million miles, a new 1987 Toyota Camry could be experienced for $10,648.
The Plymouth-badged model of this automobile was the Caravelle, which price tag a mere $9,762 ($17,164 now) in 1987. That’s a greater deal than those great-print-laden prices on eighths available on the dispensary billboard at the rear of this vehicle!
The motor is Chrysler’s 2.2-liter 4-cylinder, rated at 97 horsepower and 122 pound-ft in this software. A 146-horse turbocharged version was obtainable for $685 extra ($1,204 right after inflation). A 5-pace manual transmission was base products in the 600 for the 1982 by way of 1984 model several years, but a 3-speed automated was mandatory in all 600s soon after that.
This auto has the $790 air conditioning solution, which would be about $1,389 in current-working day bones, or clams. That AM/FM radio was involved at no added cost in all 1987 Dodge 600s, no question mainly because the tunes that yr was so very good that you wanted FM to appreciate it.
Was this vehicle a much better offer than a new Pontiac 6000 sedan?
This 1 started out in Colorado, then moved to the West Coastline at some point. Carlin Dodge is still in Colorado Springs, however it’s now AutoNation Dodge Ram.
The moss and lichen buildup tells a tale of long-phrase out of doors storage. This car may possibly truly have just the 62k miles displaying on its five-digit odometer.
1988 was the past calendar year for the 600, after which it was replaced by its K-cousin, the Dodge Spirit.
You can not conquer ’em!
