The LH platform served as the basis for the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler 300M, Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, and the final Chrysler New Yorker. A Plymouth to be called the "Accolade" was planned, but never saw production. The platform pioneered Chrysler's "cab-forward" design; featured on some Chrysler, Dodge, and Eagle cars in the 1990s and early 2000s.
As the 1990s dawned, Chrysler faced a renewed round of financial troubles. The US economy slipped into a recession following the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash and the Savings and Loan Crisis, but the company's main problems were due to a lack of engineering innovation and careless spending during the years of prosperity in the 1980s. Most of Chrysler's lineup was based on the proven, but dated K-car platform, plus debt accumulated from expensive purchases including Italian automaker Lamborghini along with American Motors, and critics routinely criticized their inability to produce cars that were competitive with Japanese companies or Ford, which had just struck a coup-de-grace with the Taurus line. It was time for Chrysler to make a fresh start for the 1990s. The Board of Directors at Chrysler announced that Lee Iacocca would retire at the end of 1992. [1] Iacocca was promoting Gerald Greenwald as his replacement, but that bought opposition. [1] Although some suspected that he would later turn the leadership over to Bob Lutz, the board instead designated an outsider, the straitlaced Bob Eaton as the new chairman. [1] With Chrysler facing an uncertain future in the late 1980s, engineering teams were now allowed to explore new designs that had been largely discouraged under Iacocca's tenure.
The LH platform was based on the American Motors-developed and Renault-derived Eagle Premier. According to Bob Lutz, "[t]he Premier had an excellent chassis and drove so damned well that it served as a benchmark for the LH ... the spiritual father, the genetic antecedent of the LH is the Premier." [2] Like the Premier, the LH-cars featured a longitudinally-mounted engine with a front-wheel drive drivetrain, unusual in most U.S. front-wheel drive cars, but a hallmark of Renault's designs. [3] This arrangement meant that the design team had to use a chain to connect the automatic transmission with the front differential, a design reminiscent of the original Oldsmobile Toronado though subject to greater wear and noise.
The LH platform team was headed by François Castaing, who was previously responsible for product engineering and development at American Motors Corporation (AMC). Working with an engineering team of only 700, it took just over three years from the styling studio to the showrooms. [4] To give focus for the platform engineering team, the benchmark target was the Eagle Premier. [5]
Exterior styling was heavily influenced by another Chrysler design which debuted as the Lamborghini Portofino, a concept car introduced at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show. [6]
The Dodge and Eagle LH cars competed directly against the Ford Taurus and other mid-size cars, largely replacing the K-based C-bodies. The Chrysler models competed with upmarket domestics such as Buick and Oldsmobile. The LH cars debuted in 1992 and were updated in 1997. The LH platform was replaced with the rear-wheel drive Chrysler LX platform for the 2005 model year. While Chrysler's sales never rose to the levels of those popular rivals, the LH vehicles succeeded in altering Chrysler's previously dowdy public image, recasting the automaker as an innovative design leader. The cab-forward look also influenced Chrysler's subsequent compact PL (Chrysler Neon) and midsize JA platform car designs in the 1990s. [ citation needed ]
Much as the company had done in the months leading up to the introduction of the K-platform cars in 1980, Chrysler referred directly to the LH platform in advertisements touting the advantages of its "cab-forward" architecture (generally meant to imply wheels moved out towards the corners of the body; a short, sloping hood; and a large windshield extending from its base over the front wheels), and also referred to the platform name for the Chrysler LHS sedan. Although the real "gold mine" of Chrysler's acquisition of AMC was the Jeep brand, their minivans and LH sedans also helped to bail the company out of almost certain bankruptcy in the 1990s. [7]
The first generation LH cars used the existing 3.3 L OHV V6 as well as a new 3.5 L SOHC V6, with a four-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Cars built on the first version of the LH platform:
All versions shared a 113 in (2,870 mm) wheelbase. One year after the original three cars were introduced, the "stretched" LHS and New Yorker had different rear bodywork providing 5 in (127 mm) more overall length as well as a revised rear seat providing more legroom.
Originally, Chrysler came close to giving Plymouth a variant of the LH platform, called the Plymouth Accolade, a name consistent with the then-current Plymouth Acclaim. It was to be a base model below the equipment level of the Intrepid. The Accolade never made it into production. [8]
The second generation LH cars used the 2.7 L DOHC V6 and 3.2 L SOHC V6, as well as an updated version of the older 3.5 L, with a four-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Cars built on the second version of the LH platform:
When Chrysler discontinued the Eagle brand after 1998, the Chrysler 300M was introduced as a replacement for the Vision. All models again shared a wheelbase of 113 inches (2,870 mm). The 300M was several inches shorter than Concorde, Intrepid, & LHS, due to shorter front and rear overhangs in order to bring the car's length under 5 meters.
One episode of Robert Reich's 1992 PBS miniseries Made In America focused on the then-yet-to-be-released LH's development and its role in reversing Chrysler's flagging fortunes. A camouflaged Dodge Intrepid is seen being put through the paces at Chrysler's test track, along with concept sketches and other behind-the-scenes activities.
Stellantis North America, officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler, is one of the "Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotive company Stellantis. In addition to the Chrysler brand, Stellantis North America sells vehicles worldwide under the Dodge, Jeep, and Ram nameplates. It also includes Mopar, its automotive parts and accessories division, and SRT, its performance automobile division.
Eagle was a brand of the Chrysler Corporation following the purchase of American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1987 and marketed through the end of the 1998 model year. It was aimed at the enthusiast driver and promoted as more "European" than the automaker's similar models.
Plymouth was a brand of automobiles produced by Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler. The brand was launched in 1928 to compete in what was then described as the "low-priced" market segment that was dominated by Chevrolet and Ford. It became a high-volume seller for the automaker until the late 1990s. Plymouth cars were marketed primarily in the United States. The brand was withdrawn from the marketplace in 2001. The Plymouth models that were produced up to then were either discontinued or rebranded as Chrysler or Dodge.
The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model that was produced by Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as either the brand's flagship model or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial, the latter during the years in which the Imperial name was used within the Chrysler lineup rather than as a standalone brand.
The K-car platform was a key automotive design platform introduced by Chrysler Corporation for the 1981 model year, featuring a transverse engine, front-wheel drive, independent front and semi-independent rear suspension configuration—a stark departure from the company's previous reliance on solid axle, rear-drive unibody configurations during the 1970s. Derived from Chrysler's L-cars, the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni, the platform was developed just as the company faltered in the market, at first underpinning a modest range of compact/mid-size sedans and wagons—and eventually underpinning nearly fifty different models, including all-wheel drive variants—and playing a vital role in the company's subsequent resurgence.
The Eagle Vision is a full-sized, front-wheel drive four-door sports sedan produced from 1992 until 1997. It was marketed by Eagle, replacing the AMC/Renault-designed Eagle Premier. The Eagle Vision was badged as the Chrysler Vision in Europe. The Vision debuted at the 1992 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. As one of the LH sedans, it was Automobile Magazine's Automobile of the Year in 1993, and ultimately the only Eagle model to be completely designed and built in-house by Chrysler.
The Chrysler Concorde is a full-size, front wheel drive four-door sedan that was produced by Chrysler from 1992 to 2004. It assumed the C-body Chrysler New Yorker Salon's position as the entry-level full-size sedan in the Chrysler brand lineup. One of Chrysler's three original Chrysler LH platform models, it used revolutionary cab forward design.
The Eagle Premier is a full-size executive car that was developed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) during the 1980s through its partnership with Renault. This model was manufactured in the then-brand-new Brampton Assembly in Canada. Chrysler Corporation bought the rights to the Premier when it acquired Renault's outstanding shares in AMC in 1987, and began selling the car under the new Eagle marque.
The Chrysler 300M is a full-size luxury car that was produced by Daimler/Chrysler from 1999 to 2004. It is a front-wheel drive, 255 hp V6 engined car using the Chrysler LH platform. Versus its platform mates, the 300M was roughly 10 inches (25 cm) shorter to make it more easily exportable to Europe. Priced above the Concorde and identically to the LHS, the 300M shared Chrysler's flagship position with the LHS until the LHS's discontinuation after 2001, upon which it became Chrysler's sole flagship model.
The LH engine was a series of V6 engines developed by Chrysler Corporation for its LH platform cars. It is a 60-degree V6 designed for front-wheel drive applications, later adapted to rear-wheel drive ones. The 2.7 liter LH engine is based on the SOHC 3.5 L engine, though bore spacing, cylinder bore, stroke, and assembly site are different.
The Chrysler 3.3 and 3.8 engines are V6 engines used by Chrysler from 1989 to 2011 This engine family was Chrysler's first 60° V6 engine designed and built in-house for front wheel drive vehicles, and their first V6 not based on a V8. It was designed as a larger, more powerful alternative to the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 in the minivans and debuted in 1989 for the 1990 model year. They were later also used in some rear wheel drive cars like the Jeep Wrangler.
Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars. It is the largest size class for cars. In Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment.
The Chrysler LHS is a full-size luxury four-door sedan that was produced by Chrysler for the 1994 through the 2001 model years, with a one-year hiatus for 1998. It replaced the Chrysler Imperial and the Chrysler Fifth Avenue as the division's flagship model. The LHS was continued for the 2002 model year as the Concorde Limited.
The Dodge St. Regis is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge from the 1979 to 1981 model years. Replacing the Monaco, the St. Regis was the largest Dodge sedan, positioned above the mid-size Diplomat and Aspen. In contrast to both the Monaco and the Diplomat, the St. Regis was offered solely as a four-door sedan. Produced for a single generation, the St. Regis is one of the shortest-lived Dodge nameplates.
Brampton Assembly Plant is a Stellantis Canada automobile factory located at 2000 Williams Parkway East Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Originally built by American Motors Corporation (AMC) for US$260 million, in the former Bramalea area of Brampton, the manufacturing plant was specially designed for building the Eagle Premier. Its role since has primarily been to assemble full-sized Chrysler products.
The Lamborghini Portofino is a concept car developed for Lamborghini by Kevin Verduyn, one of Chrysler's chief designers. Introduced at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show, it was a fully functional, four-door, four-seat sport sedan.
The single overhead cam V6 engine introduced in 1993 was a major advancement for Chrysler. It was derived from Chrysler's first homegrown front-wheel drive V6, the Chrysler 3.3 engine. The SOHC V6 has been replaced by the Chrysler Pentastar engine.
The Ultradrive is an automatic transmission manufactured by Chrysler beginning in the 1989 model year.
The Dodge Intrepid is a full sized front-wheel drive four-door sedan that was produced by Dodge for model years 1993 to 2004. It is related to the Chrysler 300M, Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, and Eagle Vision which were all built on Chrysler's new "cab forward" LH platform.
The history of Chrysler involves engineering innovations, high finance, wide alternations of profits and losses, various mergers and acquisitions, and multinationalization. Chrysler, a large automobile manufacturer, was founded in the 1920s and continues under the name Stellantis North America.