For years, I was a junkie for those hardcover exotic car books that defunct stores like Waldenbooks and Borders would put on the 25% off stack at the entrance. At least through the mid-90s, you could practically count on a Chrysler TC by Maserati gracing the pages the cheap hardcover, as it was so over-hyped as a slice of American-Italian exotica that publishers likely felt obligated to include it. Now, they’re dirt cheap and likely will be forever. Find this long-stored example here on eBay with a $5,000 Buy-It-Now.
I imagine many initial buyers of these cars thought they were capitalizing on a significant investment, a car that combined luxury and performance in ways few others had managed to achieve in the late 80s and early 90s. However, as any automotive enthusiast now knows, the effort fell well short of expectations. Performance was anything but exotic and the final product looked like a fancy LeBaron that didn’t even come with the option of fake wood paneling.
The interior at least felt like a true Maserati, with acres of leather and liberal use of wood trim. However, the disappointing center stack and gauge cluster left no illusions about the underpinnings of the TC: this was a Chrysler product with a thin veneer of Italian style draped over it. Buyers saw through it, and sales were disappointing. The lackluster performance killed any notion that this was a high-performance luxury car, and today, values remain stagnant.
There is a rare variant with a Maserati-designed head paired to a 5-speed manual transmission that at least addressed the performance shortcomings, but those cars are hard to find. This example is said to run well and be in sound cosmetic condition, but the soft top is missing and the radio doesn’t work. The battery is new and tires are said to have some life left in them, so you’d have a running/driving car if you feel the seller’s ask is reasonable – but I have to believe $5K is still too ambitious for a TC that has average miles.
Jeff, I hope someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but if I remember right, the Maserati cylinder head was installed on the Chrysler inline-four, which this is not. Looks like the plain’ or ChryCo V6.
Ray, if you look at the post again, I do specify this – and also indicate this is not one of those cars. Hope I’m not misinterpreting your post.
Yes you did, Jeff. I just misread what you wrote.
3L Mitsubishi with an A604 transaxle
At this price level, it’s more about the overall condition and what this car offers. It’s a convertible with pretense to luxury, has a hard top a la SL. Chances are you will be hard pressed to run into another one any time soon. The missing soft top poses a question if all is needed is just a soft top or any other components such as frame, headliner, etc. with 2 days to go and just 17 watchers the seller may be open to “reasonable offers”
Have a restorer friend who has two of these. Both in excellent condition with all the parts and pieces and running very well. He can’t give them away it seems at any price, but he’s sticking to his “around 5K” range.
For the love of all that is holy, stop calling the TC a LeBaron. It was actually designed prior to the LeBaron, but due to some manufacturing snafus, came out after. It shares exactly zero body or interior pieces save for a couple Chrysler parts bin electrical switches.
Additionally, the 500 or so with the Maser engine only had a casting in common with the 2.2. liter Chrysler engine. All of the internals were sourced by Maser and built in Italy.
Yeah you are right, it’s actually even less cool than a LaBaron. And that’s already a pretty low bar…
I’ve always liked these and Lebaron’s. Hard to go wrong at this price.
Lacking the soft top is a signicant issue– it’s hardtop or no top. With hardtop off, weather better stay good, or it’s seek safety under an overpass!
Interesting car, back story, some pedigree and desperate attempt at cachet etc, but I feel now as I did then: the LeBaron is the better looking of the two.
Sadly a friend of 72 years old has a purple one…..seems to be more important than his old 340 Dart, or Cuda Grand Coupe or the factory 4sp 1964 he brought his kids home in………
Ah, the market is fickle. The first round had the Marsar engine, the second round the reasonably reliable Chrysler V6. Although they photograph well, in person they look too short, at least to me. I wanted one until I saw one in person, parked. The real bargain is the LeBaron convertible, with the V6 (and an automatic, but a pretty good automatic), and leather. Yes it is a K car, underneath, but remember the first set of Mustangs were Falcons underneath. It looks better, in my opinion, than the one featured here, you can get body parts for it, and they are a low cost way into the hobby. I am partial to the dark green ones with tan leather interiors. You can drive them all day at 75 mph. And some day, they will be worth more than now, and then, like that ’47 Merc, worth less as those of us who coveted them die off.
Nice post Charlie. It’s that rear roofline that makes it look too short, much like a fox body cougar. When the roof is down on a TC or LeBaron it looks perfect to me anyway..
they came 2 ways a Chrysler 3.0 six or a 4 cyl Maserati engine. I sold my Father in law 1 in 1990
They came 2.2 turbo II 8v 2.2 Maserati 16v turbo in 89 and v6 3 liter in 90 and 91 so 3 engines .