This 1988 Chrysler Conquest TSI is an original survivor that the seller has owned for three years. It has a genuine 71,000 miles on the clock, and he has just treated it to some pretty expensive maintenance work. It offers startling performance in a comfortable package, but the time has come for the owner to part with this classic. Located in Rincon, Georgia, the Conquest is listed for sale here on eBay. It has generated plenty of interest because 27 bids have pushed the price to $8,700. This is a no reserve auction, so the highest bidder will be driving away in a fantastic 1980s classic. Special thanks to Scott M for this tip!

This Conquest presents well for its age and has managed to avoid the ragged and dog-eared appearance that can be the fate of so many examples. The TSI is the wide-body version, and the pumped wheel arches give the car a muscular and purposeful appearance. This Conquest is finished in San Marino Yellow, which is a shade that owes little to the world of subtlety. The paint is generally pretty good, although the owner is candid about a few flaws that could use attention. He suggests that some paint correction and some minor cosmetic work would have it presenting at its best and preserve its survivor status. This work would include some minor repairs to the lower front spoiler and a repaint of the mirrors. If the buyer completes this work, it will lift the exterior presentation significantly. The rest of the panels are straight for a vehicle of this age, and there are no rust issues for the buyer to tackle. The Conquest rolls on its original alloy wheels, and these appear to be in excellent condition.

The wide-body Conquest gave some visual indication that this was a vehicle that had some muscle to flex, but journalists at the time were surprised by just how much had been extracted from this humble little car. The engine bay houses a 2,555cc 4-cylinder engine that features fuel injection, a turbocharger, and an intercooler. The driver will find that they have 188hp at their disposal, which finds its way to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. For a humble four, this little Conquest could acquit itself well if pointed at a ¼ mile. Floor the gas and the journey would be over in 15 seconds, which was a respectable figure at that point in time. This Conquest should be capable of matching those numbers because the owner has recently outlaid a fair chunk of money on mechanical work. The turbocharger has been renewed, while a non-jet cylinder head was also installed. He added a new water pump and had the rear end serviced. Throw in a tune-up, new filters, plugs, and plug wires, and you can see where quite a slice of money has gone. The result is a car that runs and drives perfectly. It has no vices and no issues, and the owner says that it packs plenty of power. The Conquest has 71,000 genuine miles on the clock, and it appears that the owner holds documentation to verify this claim.

The interior of the Conquest is typical of many Japanese-developed performance cars from the 1980s. That means acres of dark plastic, plenty of toys and gizmos to keep occupants happy, and front bucket seats that grip you solidly when the going gets twisty. Overall, this interior has aged better than most. The heavily bolstered driver’s seat has some wear, but the rest of the upholstery has survived in excellent condition. The back seat looks good, and while the Conquest is technically a 4-seater, the rear is really a “kids only” zone. The carpet and dash are in excellent order, and the plastic trim has avoided the dry and brittle appearance that can be an issue with these classics. Occupants aren’t exactly left in a world of deprivation when they climb aboard a Conquest. The vehicle comes equipped with air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, a gauge cluster that monitored every aspect of the vehicle’s health, and a leather-wrapped wheel with controls for the stereo. That stereo will cause flashbacks for anyone who grew up in the 1980s. It features an AM/FM radio, a cassette player, and a 9-band graphic equalizer. Try finding that last feature in a modern car. Back in the 1980s, there were plenty of people that fancied themselves as a budding Phil Spector, but the equalizer in their car was as close as any of us ever came to getting into a recording studio control room.

I’ve always liked the Chrysler Conquest, and the wide-body version is the best looking of the lot. Place this car in context, and the performance that it offered its owners was impressive. To put it into perspective, if you lined up the Conquest TSI alongside a new Camaro IROC-Z on the local drag strip in 1988, the Conquest would win the contest. Not bad for a car that gave away 1.4-liters of engine capacity. Many of these little cars were driven into the ground, while lack of appropriate maintenance spelled a death knell for turbochargers and their associated hardware. This one looks to be a beauty, and the recent mechanical work should mean that it has years of reliable and satisfying motoring left to offer its next owner. It is being offered with No Reserve, so is that enough to tempt you to join the bidding party?