Chrysler needed a success story in the 1970s and that arrived in the form of the Cordoba. As a personal luxury coupe, the Cordoba was the brand’s first “smaller car” and quickly became the marque’s best-selling car of the decade. Who can forget Ricardo Montalban pitching the Cordoba on TV with its “rich Corinthian leathers” (which wasn’t a real thing and was optional, at least at first)? This first-year Cordoba looks quite nice and may have just been treated to a new paint job. Located in Chesapeake, Virginia, this Mopar is available here on craigslist for $7,950, Another nice tip from Rocco B.!
Taking the name from the Spanish city of Córdoba, Spain, the Cordoba was originally intended to be the all-new Plymouth Sebring, a derivative of the Dodge Charger SE. At the last minute, executives decided it should be branded as a Chrysler to compete in the lucrative personal luxury segment which Chrysler had been absent from. With a 115-inch wheelbase, it was a big departure from the then-Chrysler land yachts that no one was buying in the energy-conscious mid-1970s. The car was a hit and Chrysler sold 150,000 copies in 1975 and the numbers would continue to grow after that.
The seller’s ad is a bit confusing in that the car is offered at one price ($5,959) with old paint and another price ($7,950) with new paint. Given the beautiful finish, it appears to wear now, we assume the change has already been made and the seller just neglected to update the verbiage when he/she updated the photos. Or that’s the original paint which hardly looks like it needs help.
This may have been a more basic Cordoba when new. It doesn’t have Ricardo’s fancy upholstery (though what’s here looks great) and there’s a small-block 318 cubic inch V8 along for the ride. At 41,000 miles, this machine seems to have been well-cared for and if the paint is new, it may need nothing else. Except a new trim ring for the right front wheel well. It’s said to be a great runner and a nice example of what Detroit produced during a down period in U.S. automobile history.
It’s a downright shame, such a talented actor like Montalban is remembered for his cheesy role in selling automobiles with made up options, and not the many great roles of his career. To be clear, in the beginning, he never said “rich Corinthian leather”,( no different than regular leather) but said “fine Corinthian leather”, rich and soft on later commercials.
The car itself, meh, I like it, but pretty typical of Chrysler engineering then, it was no Monte Carlo. Still, it filled a void where Mopar gearheads grew up, got a good job and a family and the RoadRunner didn’t cut it anymore. I thought these were great cars. I know I ruffle feathers with the import crowd, but you can’t possibly compare ANYTHING foreign( within reason) of the time to this wonderful car.
I had a ’76 black on black. Loved it and a dream to drive. Definite “land yacht” and like floating in the clouds. Mine had a very “thirsty” 360!
I always thought it was “glove soft” Corinthian leather. There’s a name for the phenomenon of misremembering things, but it escapes me at the moment.
Mandela effect.
It’s a shame it’s not a better color, bucket seats with console and leather. It seems the ones that survive are the plain and ugly cars.
He made up for it in Wrath of Kahn in the Star Trek Movie. It was one of his best roles. Qe can’t fault actors for doing ads. It’s easy money for them…
With it’s ” glove soft rich Corinthian leather” and “deluxe interior” I think I got it LOL
Mine is sitting in the garage right now as im typing. # Pristine Clean.. #Snow White.
I can see the engine has been rebuilt.
Not a 318…look a little closer and see some overspray on the hoses. Just someone trying to clean up valve covers.
Yes with Krylon
It is Craigslist, after all.
Remember an interview with Ricardo Montalban where he said he walked into the studio to see about thirty people working on polishing the car and making multiple lighting adjustments. Eventually someone turned around to see him and announced the actor was there. t was then he realized he was just a prop and the car was the star.
He said it taught humility and not to take himself too serious.
My Father had one, as I remember it was nice to drive. The reliability wasn’t that great.
If I understand the ad, it’s getting a two thousand dollar paint job. Where can I get one of those? I have a Mustang that needs a little body work first but for two grand I’m in.
It was a complete restoration, he just doesn’t have the receipts.
Cany you say macco
How about Earl Scheib?
“Smaller car”; really?
I’m amused that what constitutes a smaller car in the USA is bigger than just about anything (pick-ups and SUVs possibly excepted) that’s for sale here.
I’d file that under “luxobarge” (which includes Bentleys, big Mercedes, BMW 7s etc.).
It was the 1970s
The “compact” sedans (Volaré/Falcon/Nova) from Detroit were the same size as a big Mercedes or BMW
As fuel prices soared, these basic platforms were upgraded and became the new “intermediates.”.
A Full-sized Cadillac of the day was longer than today’s escalade
I drive a 2007 Town Car and will never let it go. Last of TRADITIONAL American luxury sedans, comfortable, reliable and luxurious. Nothing new holds ANY interest for me. As for SUVS, I’d call them BARFBARGES! 🤮
This believe it or not was the small Chrysler. My gf turned 16’ got her license and her older brother was a car dealer he got her one with this color combo but hers had the leather (I wont say it) and bucket seats. Was a sharp car.
I had a ’76 Cordoba. Exterior was exactly like this one but the interior was different. I had Corinthian leather bucket seats with a console in between and a console shift with an aftermarket tach on the console at the dash. Mine also had a 400 non lean burn and a Holley 4 barrel(aftermarket) carb. Mallory ignition and B&M shift kit 727 manual pack. Was a great running and handling vehicle. I was working at an auto parts in Austin Texas at the time.
The 75 always looked the best to me with the round lights in the front and all the other little things and also used to ride in one that was triple black with turbine rims , buckets and console with a slap stick AND best of all a hopped up 440 4 barrel with dual exhaust . Was one of the coolest cars of the 70s without a doubt . Like riding on a rocket powered cloud
For some reason, comment option is not showing. This is not a reply but direct comment. What a surprise after Chrysler introduced the low priced Newport for 61 claiming there would never be a small Chrysler. The 75 Cordoba is as big (if not bigger) than most CARS (SUVS and crossovers not withstanding). This appears to be a base model mainly due to interior. But the Cordoba really appealed to upscale personal buyers. The front end had a classic elegance, lacking in competition. Corinthian leather or not, Cordoba made the owner feel RICH.
The comment form is right at the bottom of the comments section.
There’s something so classy looking about round headlights on many vehicles of that time. I remember at the time we were transitioning to the square headlights. I thought the round ones look so outdated but now, at this much later date, there’s something very attractive about them.
The later 1st generation Cordobas had rectangular headlights. They didn’t look as nice.
Not sure of the 440, but a 400, yes. Mine also had the “Lean burn” set up. Never had a issue with it but others had. A Great car it was.
If it had a 440, it was a swap. They were never ‘born’ with ’em.
In 1980 my brother traded an RM125 for a 75 Cordoba in the same color as this one but it did have some front end damage from hitting a lawnmower. It had the 400, leather buckets, console, moonroof and a button on the floor for changing radio stations on the am/fm. The taillights on those things were glued in with a not very good glue as they fell out a lot. I personally would have kept the RM over the cordoba, but Dennis was not much of a rider, tore up a lot of levi’s trying to learn. He traded a really nice 69 charger for the RM, 318 car but still clean, thats what I would have kept
Bought mine new in May of 75, triple white. Red/burgundy dash and carpet. 318 lean burn. Wire wheel covers stolen in 60 days. Replaced with appliance wheels. Insurance paid. Taillights did fall out . Crazy glue repair. Loved the car. Sorry I sold it for a SR 5 Corolla.
I had a ’76 with the 360 engine. It was a dark green (forest green?) With a black vinyl cabriolet top. Green velour upholstery. I really loved that car. It was a “touring” car. Plenty of power and fun to drive. I felt “rich” with that car. Contrary to all the negative Chrysler comments, I never had even the smallest issue with the Cordoba. Beautiful car. Sorry Howard, but I would take it over a Monte Carlo any day. I had to trade it because my growing teenage son could not fit in the rear: no leg room.
When I visited the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Michigan a few years back Ricardo Montalban’s “personal” Cordoba was an exhibit. Rather plain brown model. Reflecting on Howard’s comment that it was a shame that Ricardo pitched cars, in my 77 years, many celebs pitched cars. A super star in her era, Dinah Shore told us to “See the USA in a Chevrolet” and the Lawrence Welk show was closed with the deep bass voice of Larry Hooper saying ” Dodge Had A Good Time Too”. (Yeah, I watched Lawrence Welk, we had three channels and I watched what my parents watched. Besides, the youngest Lennon sister was “hot”.)
Lawrence Welk had a second show TOP TUNES and NEW TALENT (we had ONE TV) on Wednesday night, sponsored by Plymouth. Chevy also sponsored Pat Boone. Singer Jack Jones did print ads and a singing commercial for 1976? The Beautiful 🎵 New Yorker 🎶 IT’S the talk of the 🎵 of the TOWN! And let’s not forget the Frank Sinatra Edition Imperial. Jack Nicklas also had a special edition. Think that was either Lincoln or Mercury. The Dukes of Hazzard featured a Charger (although not sponsored by Dodge). 1960s Burkes Law
spotlighted a ROLLS-ROYCE, et.al.Memories light the corners of what’s left of my mind! Any others?
Way back in the 50s, Ed Sullivan advertised Lincoln, with actual car on the stage on his Really Big Show! 😉 Ironically the show was subtitled The Toast of the Town.
With the lovely Julia Meade.
I always wondered why Chrysler sold essentially the same car also as a Dodge Magnum; in fact, I liked the tail-lights better in Magnum form. Toward the end of their lives, my parents bought a new 1976 Chrysler Cordoba. My father HATED it! I believe they had the 400 motor, if memory serves. It had poor gas mileage, for one. And then, a tail-light fell apart! He traded it in on a new 1978 Oldsmobile 98 diesel: SECOND mistake! That engine was a clatter-box, and we won’t even go into the rest of the grief! I was still driving a 1946 V-8 Ford Super DeLuxe Tudor at the time, much to my father’s on-going ridicule. My mother, however, who by then had cancer in her spine, found my car comfortable to ride in.
Well, great minds do run in the same channels! Surprise 😮 😲 👍
Before it was the Magnum, it was the Charger SE. Probably why it didn’t sell as as well as the Cordoba.
Chargers are actually rarer than Dobas and made to lesser standard. But basically the exact automobile.
Wow, that is exactly the same car I bought new in 1975. Same color, same interior and also a 318 engine which was an option. I believe most came with a 360. For some reason, the 318 did not require a catalytic converter at least in Ohio. So it could run on regular leaded gas which as I recall was a few cents cheaper. I thought it was a beautiful car then and still do. Wish I still had it. It only had 48,000 miles on it when I sold it in 1981. We had two kids by then and my wife felt we needed something more practical. If I knew this was mine I might by it back. Wonder if I still have the vin?
First family car I remember was a 1950 Nash AMBASSADOR. That would make it an OLD Nash, probably older than Oldnash?
The 75 Cordova still looks good today some 45+ years later and that 318 was a lean gas burning engine. It was one of Chryslers best looking cars of the 70’s. I’d like to have one and put some nice chrome wheels on it and enjoy it.
Not sure of the 440, but a 400, yes. Mine also had the “Lean burn” set up. Never had a issue with it but others had. A Great car it was. Mine also had the upgraded wheels, not hub caps.
EVERYONE I knew back then that had a lean burn at some point had problems with them and had the system removed. But after all this was the beginning of computer controlled engines. Look where that has evolved into
The 400 was the biggest engine option offered. If it had a 440, it was a swap. Nothing wrong with that, though. A no-brainer project for sure.
I would love for all the Big 3 2 bring back all of the Antique, Classic and Vintage Luxuriously, Luxurious, Luxury Land Cruisers, Land Liners and Land Yachts. It’s a damn shame you just don’t get that type of class, feeling, comfort, styling profiling, roomy, ride and space in these hyped up so called today’s rides and suv’s, anymore. My older sister and her granddaughter was at my house all day yesterday preparing for New Years Day Feast after they were done my she had called for an Uber ride to pick them up and bring them home when I saw the suv that arrived that came to pick them up it barely had enough space for them and they are both small people. Man I was like where in the hell is the rest of the vehicle at?
Like one of the previous comments just said. Your 70’s Caddie was bigger and larger than today’s Caddie Escalade ESVl and the same with the 70’s Lincoln Town Car was bigger and larger than today’s Lincoln Navigator L Series. Man oh Man they just don’t build, create, make and manufacture rides like that anymore.
You are SO right. Unfortunately, those were the days but will never return. The big shift to SUVS and crossovers with SMALL sedans (and just a few of those) now rules the road. Fortunately I have a beautiful low mileage 2007 Town Car Signature Limited. Last of TRADITIONAL American luxury sedans. This one will never leave me! Spacious, comfortable, reliable and CLASS!
I would love for all the Big 3 2 bring back all of the Antique, Classic and Vintage Luxuriously, Luxurious, Luxury Land Cruisers, Land Liners and Land Yachts. It’s a damn shame you just don’t get that type of class, feeling, comfort, styling profiling, roomy, ride and space in these hyped up so called today’s rides and suv’s, anymore. My older sister and her granddaughter was at my house all day yesterday preparing for New Years Day Feast after they were done my she had called for an Uber ride to pick them up and bring them home when I saw the suv that arrived that came to pick them up it barely had enough space for them and they are both small people. Man I was like where in the hell is the rest of the vehicle at?
Like one of the previous comments just said. Your 70’s Caddie was bigger and larger than today’s Caddie Escalade ESVl and the same with the 70’s Lincoln Town Car was bigger and larger than today’s Lincoln Navigator L Series. Man oh Man they just don’t build, create, make and manufacture rides like that anymore.
To me that’s the double truth.
I special ordered a 76 Cordoba , checked the box for the Police 400cid engine with dual exhaust to NOT have cat converters. That package also came with a 3:21 sure grip rear end. It was a fuel hungry thing and to make room for the dual exhaust the gas tank was smaller to allow for the exhaust. It was very nicely equipped and had a WHOPPING sticker price of $6400. Mine was Black with red interior and the turbine wheels. Those were the days!!!!
That’s a pretty sloppy rattle-can respray on the top of the engine. And, is that a Delco-Remey alternator? 🤔
To Crazygerman: My parents’ ’76 with the 400 was a thirsty pig, also! I was doing a LOT better with my ’46 Ford V-8 Super DeLuxe Tudor, thank you! But they had better windshield-wipers. They could KEEP that “Fine Corinthian Leather” in their “AFFORDABLE Chrysler”! When the one tail-light fell apart just two years later, that was IT for the gas-guzzling Cordoba: they traded it in on a new 1978 Oldsmobile 98 deisel… SECOND mistake! By the way, Crazygerman, I have a number of phonograph records by one “crazy” German: Crazy Otto! His Polydor 78s began to be imported into the U.S. and Canada around 1953 — then, early in 1955, he crashed into America as the latest craze for a time (first billed on his U.S. releases as “Happy Otto”, before they corrected it). I have that first 78, “Glad Rag Doll”, with “Smiles” on the other side, and it says “Happy Otto” on the label. For those who either were not around, or had their attention on other things in the winter/spring of 1955, Crazy Otto developed a technique for making a piano sound charmingly out-of-tune without being abrasively dissonant, in simulation of an old upright in the back of a beer-hall (he called it his “tipsy wire box”), then he played it in a revived old time “honky-tonk” style with lots of “decorations” on the tune, including his own hums, hoots, and chuckles — and it caught-on! That first L.P. album was one of the 100 best-selling records of the 1950s. He had several imitators at the time — Johnny Maddox copied him, note-for-note — but the fad quickly died-out. Nevertheless, I continued to buy his records long after he’d faded from the best-seller lists, and I have numerous 78s, 45s, and 33s, by him. I guess it’s a sound one either likes… or not. But Crazy Otto is the very definition of good time music. Ironically, probably as a consequence of being Autistic, I have perfect pitch; and ordinarily, anything “off-key”, musically, is painful to my ears. But for some reason, I ENJOY Crazy Otto! There are a FEW selections he recorded, in which his piano was just a bit TOO far out-of-tune — but more than 95% of the time, he got it just right. Sadly, he spent his final performing years as a prematurely old man, concertising in more and more minor venues, to dwindling audiences about as old as he was (b. 1912). I think he died around 1990, to little notice. But he was a phenomenon for a while in the mid-1950s, appealing mostly to an adult audience of that time. Happy New Year, everyone!
Happy New Year to you to, & thanks for sharing the memories. That’s what life is all about! 👍
I thought I was the only one left who remembered “Crazy Otto”. My aunt would play the lp on the Packard Bell hifi. Those were the days.
Packard Bell? WOW! The only thing they make these days are PCs. 😁
RoadDog: 👍
I used to hear Crazy Otto songs on the Dr. Demento Show back in my school days. I wish he was still on the radio now. 😔
Skystone Jim: glad you remember!
No leather
Sorry, no leather! This Corinthian is not that RICH!
However, a big difference b/w the Cordoba & the Charger SE: You could get the latter with a 3 or 4 speed manual transmission. Not so for the Cordoba. If you had one & wanted that option, it was DIY. At least the parts to do it were readily available. Fun fact. 😁