You wouldn’t think of preserving a Chrysler LeBaron GTS, and I suspect the owner of this one didn’t set out with that plan in mind. But I could see someone buying one of these new and believing, truly, in the performance monikers Chrysler was throwing at its turbocharged models at the time. This LeBaron could also be the result of an elderly owner who simply didn’t drive very much, which strikes me as the more likely scenario. Find this minty LeBaron here on eBay with just 23,850 original miles and bidding at $6,000 with no reserve.
When we talk about turbocharged Chryslers from the late 80s, we’re usually discussing the virtues of one of Shelby Enterprise’s numerous experiments with boosted econoboxes. In this case, the LeBaron GTS was less about trying to be a sleeper Shelby and more about a high end driving experience made better with a more powerful engine. The LeBaron GTS is identifiable via the small badges on the rear, “Turbo” badge on the fender, and vents in the hood. And check out the rear wiper – pretty nice for an 80s five door.
The interior is another example of how Chrysler was clearly to up the ante with more upscale furnishings. Those leather buckets are thick with bolsters, and the seller notes the LeBaron comes with an assortment of features that indicate the first owner loaded up when they bought the Chrysler new at the dealer. The options list includes cruise control, tilt wheel, power sunroof, cassette deck, air conditioning, digital dash cluster, and the lovely Corinthian leather you see here – which remains in outstanding condition.
The turbocharged 2.2 liter four cylinder was a fine motor, even if it wasn’t overly powerful. Respectable is the word I’d use, especially considering the era in which it was made. Still, there was some intent for it to be a car you could hustle, given the original Goodyear Eagle GT tires are still mounted. When you consider what Shelby was able to do with the GLHS models, the potential is certainly there. This LeBaron will likely live out its days in a Chrysler collector’s garage, or at least that of someone who remembers being driven to school in one. Are you surprised at the bidding so far for this LeBaron survivor?
A car like this showed me how the other half lived while I hand cranked the windows in my 87 Shadow. I liked all these mid 80’s turbo Chrysler’s, though I’m not sure what I would do with one now.
Well, the owner of this car can look forward to cranking his window down too, and I don’t think it will be to share some Grey Poupon with anyone
Lol. I’m sort of surprised at the hand cranks on this.
When this was brand new, in the back of my closet was a Members Only jacket in the same color. Plus, matching ‘penny’ loafers. Those shoes were popular – if I remember right, Lionel Richie even wrote a hit song about them. Wait – maybe that was Weird Al.
Anyway, this would be right at home at the RADwood festival that has been referenced on this site several times.
Wait? Penny lover was about his shoes? I thought he was just being cheap. never paid any attention to the words. changed the channel often.
In ’87 I had a leather jacket, boots and Iron Maiden playing at ear splitting volumes. Someone’s parents might be driving this rig
sat here stupified for a couple of minutes trying to think of what i listened to back then? like the malaise cars made back then….music was the same. IMO played UFO. Thin Lizzy. Allman Bros’ cassettes in my 78 Olds Cutlass? gave up cars; went to Kawis’
Spent my early growing up years with this car’s corporate cousin, the Dodge Lancer, in the driveway. Looking back, I’d take it (or this car) over the Chevy Corsica we traded up to. Dad was the son of a Union rep, and wouldn’t even entertain the idea of an import. I sometimes wonder what he’d think now, with mom driving a Nissan and me in a Toyota!
@ Dan
Funny you mention Corsica’s. I had a 90 and a 91 with the interior update. They did well for us, but man were they ho hum. These 80’s K car derivatives had personality in spades when compared.
My Grandfather was a WW2 vet and wouldn’t speak to my aunt for a day or so when she bought a new 88 Honda Accord. It was the first Japanese car in the family, that American made biased seems to have faded quite a bit now a days.
The memories fade as the survivors pass. Had I endured what my uncle suffered as a POW, I would be reluctant to forgive. It’s probably better this way.
My boss had a Lancer 5spd which was quite the nice car at the time. Better styling than the LeBaron too. I bought his Plymoith Horizon and began my love affair with small hatches.
Oh my goodness, my heart skipped a beat! Our 1st year ’85 GTS non turbo was a decent car and well equipped. Strangely, ours had near identical interior equipment but w/velour seating instead of leather as it wasn’t a ‘upscale’ Premium model. Ours also had the pop up moon roof. First car I/we ever owned with a moonroof.
One of the very first Lebaron GTS to arrive at the dealer. Lots of ‘hands on’ experience as the dealers were less than useless unfortunately. Good memories otherwise. This GTS looks to be in very good condition for its age. Hmmm….
I too had the Dodge Lancer version of this car, same color but with the velour interior and a 5 speed. It had good performance for the time and got great fuel mileage. Loved that car, yea torque steer was excessive and of course it blew its head gasket and the digital dash kept failing but I was a nice ride and had a nice stereo, cassette of course. The hood vent let out all of the good turbo noises and that was worth everything. I also had a very hard time finding winter tires in the proper size, the memories are coming back. This was also the last car I owned without A/C, boy with that big greenhouse and dark color it was a hot vehicle. My wife had to park in a parking garage at work and the doors got dinged to death and the clear coat was an issue but the turbo made you forget it all. Thanks for the memories and good luck to the seller.
I’m pretty sure you couldn’t get leather with a 5spd on these
Had an ‘88 Premium 2.5 non-turbo. Otherwise equipped with everything here except the leather seats. The seats were far and away the best part of owning the car…the most comfortable seats I’ve ever had in a car since. Unfortunately I got it with 100k miles and it was leaking oil badly from the valve cover despite multiple gasket replacements.
I worked on our ’85 GTS except for brakes, struts/shocks and timing belt.
I remember everything like it was yesterday. Ours was an early ’85 model. Cable for hatch release froze due to lack of lube – I removed the cable and filled it with Dry Slide. Plastic tabs/knobs in the inside hatch trim that held the cables holding up the package tray broke and fell out. Longer, thicker ones were issued for 1986 that required some drilling.
Factory shop manual had a misprint for resetting the ECM in the driver’s side fender well. The 10 seconds stated for the disconnect time wasn’t near long enough and the car ran like crap. MOTOR magazine printed the correct procedure not long after as this was the first year of the EFI 2.2L I believe.
A/C really struggled to cool the car – compressor clutch ‘short cycling’ despite having the correct charge. Local a/c shop sold me a manually adjustable switch that also mounted to the low pressure line coming from the evap, to replace the sealed unit Chrysler stated was ‘working properly’ (not).
Pulley belts were quiet once the tensioner below the a/c compressor was set to the correct torque.
Ex-wife took the GTS with her when she left – no one knows what happened to the car, or were just afraid to tell me. Decent, likeable car – I miss it.
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I was so frustrated with the Chrysler/Dodge dealers that I avoided them all together until recently when I bought a brand new Chrysler 300S 5.7L – fingers crossed.
I am a bit concerned about the OP car as it has obviously been sitting up for an unknown period – eBay also states ‘3rd owner’.
Yeah I was wondering about that myself. I’m thinking the car was probably owned by a couple, one of them died and the survivor had to then register the car in just their name, then making it a two owner. My good friends mother just had to do this, in Ohio.
I almost bought one like this, maroon with black leather, very used in the mid ’90s but was scared off by the insurance quote for 21-year-old me on a turbo anything. Plus it was dusty in a way that made me think it had been sitting there behind a gas station for a very long time (already when it wasn’t even 10 years old).
I remember these and at the time was surprised my Grandparents were considering anything other than Cadillac, they were not at all impressed with the quality of Cadillac’s and they were just downright PISSED about the 86 Eldorado. These looked like pretty decent cars, but they ended up settling for a Town Car and went back to Cadillac with the introduction of the 92 Eldorado.
I don’t think preserving this was a bad idea. These were not the worst things on the road. I once had a 88 2.5 Lebaron as a driver. Back then Consumer Reports hated it. I tossed the rag and went on gut instinct. I liked the look with the hideaways and the overall personal car feel. Rode nice and handled OK. I really enjoyed it. All Cryco cars were from the same mold back then. A bad time for the hard core enthusiasts. Gone were the V8 power muscle. What many fail to realize is without these there would be no Chrysler. No Benz. No Fiat and whatever they are calling it now.
Wow, I was expecting a flood of negative comments on this, super pleased to see these cars are being appreciated. Although not the same car, my wife has an 89 Lebaron ‘premium’ Convert we bought from the original owner years ago, she won’t part with it. The little 2.2 will sit all fall/winter and fire right up in the spring…160K on the odometer and still going strong, good little motors.
Until you turbocharge them…
Had a nearly identical GTS in the early 2000’s, except mine had cloth seats and the 5 speed. It was a very enjoyable car that held up to mild abuse. A couple years later my wife bought a 5 speed Hyundai Elantra and it would probably have run circles around the LeBaron…But the Lebaron was such a great looking car.
Here’s a rare car: 1987 Shelby Lancer – not the Lancer Shelby (different car).
800 built, all completely loaded, including a high end Pioneer sound system with a CD player (one of the first so equipped). 400 automatics and 400 manuals. Manuals had the 175hp motor with leather seating, automatics had the 145 hp motor with velour seating. Dealer in Nebraska had a brand new manual for many years until he finally got his asking price ($20k).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_Lancer
Typo on the Shelby Lancer: Leather seating with the automatic and velour seating with the manual.
The Shelby Lancer was pretty cool…and I liked the Spirit R/T too, although I am thinking that the Lotus engine would be a nightmare at this point in time.
Best K car left- that’s an oxymoron, right?
Had an ’85 Dodge Lancer in copper color. Identical of course. Was a great car; “snappy” as my British boss called it. Don’t know how history views these cars but mine drove well and got good gas mileage and I liked it. That’s enough for me!
That brings back memories. Bought a “dealer car, 1986 Lancer ES (10,000 miles). It worked for a family on a budget. Drove it to near death. Over 300K miles including two timing belts the first after it broke (the tail was a life-time timing belts. No bent valves, try that with a Honda of the same vintage), one rebuilt enhanced turbo along with a set of higher output fuel injectors. Last I saw of it, I gave it to a friend around 2007 for a family member in need of transportation in the U.P. For the 1980s they were decent cars.
Bidding is up to $8k
Ended: Jul 23, 2021 , 9:19AM
Winning bid:US $8,000.00
[ 14 bids ]
Item location:Dayton, Ohio