The Dodge Aspen (produced from 1976 to 1980) was a compact car from Chrysler Corporation's Dodge division; its rebadged counterpart was the Plymouth Volaré. A compact (North America small family (European or c-segment car is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925 Dodge is a United States -based brand of Automobiles Sport utility vehicles and Trucks manufactured and marketed by Chrysler LLC For a list of vehicles that have been badge engineered see List of badge engineered vehicles. It was launched as a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, and a unique-for-the-segment station wagon. A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate The Aspen replaced the Dodge Dart while Volaré replaced the Plymouth Valiant. The Dodge Dart was an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960 to 1976 The Plymouth Valiant is an Automobile manufactured by the Plymouth division of Chrysler Corporation in the United States from 1960 to 1976 By the end of their production run, the Aspen and Volaré would be considered intermediate cars.

Model Introduction

The Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volaré were introduced in the fall of 1975 as 1976 models. They were collectively named Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" for 1976. Motor Trend is one of the oldest Automobile magazines still publishing. Car of the Year is a phrase usually considered to have been invented by Motor Trend magazine in the 1950s for their annual award for best automobile They were the successors to the "A" body Valiant and Dart (along with their like-bodied but other-named friends). The "A" body continued on through the 1976 model year alongside the new models and was then dropped. Actor Rex Harrison was spokesman for the Aspen whose advertising campaign was inspired by the "Ascot Gavotte" scene in Harrison's My Fair Lady. Sir Reginald “Rex” Carey Harrison (5 March 1908 - 2 June 1990 was an English Academy Award and Tony Award -winning Theatre and My Fair Lady is a musical Film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical My Fair Lady, based in turn on the play Singer Sergio Franchi was the spokesman for the Volaré and sang the song of the same name in TV and radio commercials with altered lyrics. Sergio Franchi ( April 6, 1926 &ndash May 1, 1990) was an Italian Tenor. " Nel blu dipinto di blu " (literally "In the blue painted blue" popularly known as " Volare " ( Italian for the infinitive form of the

The Aspen and Volaré were produced for 5 model years—1976 through 1980—and were replaced by the smaller, 4-cylinder, front-wheel-drive "K" body Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant for the 1981 model year. The Dodge Aries was an Automobile sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1981 to 1989 The Plymouth Reliant (or Reliant K, as it was sometimes called was one of the first two so-called " K-cars quot (the other being the Dodge (Many would argue that they were actually replaced by the "M" body Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury, but these occupied a higher price class, albeit using a very similar platform, body, and drive train. The Dodge Diplomat was a Mid-size car and it was manufactured from 1977 to 1989 by the Chrysler Corporation 's Dodge brand and practically identical 1975-1977 In 1975 the mid-size Plymouth Satellite was restyled and renamed Plymouth Fury. )

The Aspen and Volaré were designed to be somewhat more luxurious than the "A" body models, at least in the most expensive models. The new cars also continued the "A" body pattern of giving coupes and sedans different wheelbases. Aspen and Volare two-doors had a 108. 7-inch (2,761 mm) wheelbase (similar to the 108" Plymouth Duster and Dodge Dart Sport). }The first Plymouth Duster was a semi-fastback version of the Plymouth Valiant automobile produced in the US from 1970 to 1976 The Dodge Dart was an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960 to 1976 Four-door "F" bodies got a 112. 7-inch (2,863 mm) wheelbase, making them slightly bigger than the Dart and Valiant, which rode a 111-inch (2,819 mm) wheelbase. The "F" body also featured a four-door station wagon (on the 112. 7" wheelbase), something Chrysler had not had in their compact line since the Dart wagon of 1966. The F platform would eventually spawn two other platforms, the Chrysler J platform and the Chrysler M platform. The J platform was a designation used for two Automobile platforms from Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s The M-Bodies were Chrysler Corporation 's successor to the F-body Aspen/Volare.

The Aspen/Volaré twins were light enough that with certain engines, they were rather potent—tests from car magazines of the day revealed that the 1977 360-cubic-inch-engined Aspen, with a two-barrel carburettor, was about on a par from zero to sixty miles per hour with the 1977 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and Chevrolet Corvette L82, both with four-barrel 350s. Introduced to market in February 1970 the second-generation Chevrolet Camaro would be in production 12 years For an outline of all the Chevrolet Corvette generations see See also Chevrolet Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette C3 is a Sports car All three of these cars were faster than the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am 400-4. The Pontiac Firebird was a Pony car built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002 The Aspen was a bit slower by the clock but faster through the traps in the quarter mile than all of the other three from GM. The 318 offered more sedate, everyday performance. It was obviously less powerful, but it performed about the same as its competing models with similar-sized engines of the day.

Production history

Although their designs were basically sound and well-engineered, the early "F" bodies were plagued by poor production quality. In fact, in his autobiography, Lee Iacocca acknowledged that the Aspen and Volaré were probably rushed to market too soon, causing first-year buyers to act as final model testers. Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca (born October 15, 1924) is an American businessman most commonly known for his revival of the This was true mostly of the 1976 models, since the 1977 models were considerably better quality-wise. Several recalls were undertaken on the 1976 and 1977 models; most were minor. However, the most serious of these cost Chrysler millions of dollars, which at the time, Chrysler could ill afford. In 1978, Chrysler recalled every 1976 and 1977 Aspen and Volaré for possible replacement of the front fenders, which were prematurely rusting. Many cars got new fenders, painted in the proper color. Galvanized sheet metal was phased in for the body, along with full inner front fender liners made of polyethylene (plastic) to solve the rust problem once and for all. Polyethylene or polythene ( IUPAC name poly(ethene) is a Thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products (notably the A large number of powertrain changes, particularly in ignition and fuel delivery, were also made to improve driveability.

After 1977, quality reached normal levels, and later Volarés and Aspens remained a good buy for quite some time. A note about the early models' quality: this was largely an issue of perception, based on minor recalls and flaws in body construction. However, the body was much more visible than the tough drive train. In fact, the 1978 models had only one minor recall affecting a small number of early production models. The 1979 and 1980 cars were also relatively unaffected by recalls or quality issues, and were similar in that regard to their contemporaries.

Station wagons

Station wagons were available in both model lines, all featuring liftgates with fixed rear windows. Premium station wagons in either the Aspen SE or Volaré Premier series featured simulated woodgrain trim along its exterior sides. On the SEs, the woodgrain was framed in simulated blond (painted metal) wood-look trim. On the Premiers, the side panels were trimmed in stainless steel frames accented in matte black. Aside from the brand badging and grilles unique on each brand, this station wagon trim element remains one of the few visual clues that differentiated the Aspen from the Volaré.

1976

The first year of the Aspen was met with much fanfare and sales. The replacement for the venerable Dart, the Aspen would share the same engines and basic body style with its predecessor, but not much else. Even Chrysler's longitudinal torsion bar suspension was revamped with transverse torsion bars, which weren't as geometrically favorable as the longitudinal bars of the Valiant and Dart, but saved space and weight. In addition, the new front suspension system gave it a "big car" ride by increasing handling and reducing road vibration at the same time.

This was not the first time transverse torsion bars were used in a production vehicle; the VW Type 3 used a modified version of the Volkswagen Beetle's front suspension. The Volkswagen Type 3, properly referred to as the Volkswagen 1500 and later the Volkswagen 1600, was a range of small cars from German manufacturer The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen

Although transverse torsion bars were previously used by the U. S. military and part of the Volkswagen Beetle's front suspension, Chrysler's transverse torsion bar suspension was later incorporated into the M and J platform. The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen

Built on the new F-body chassis, the Aspen was dubbed "the family car of the future". Chrysler 's Rear wheel drive F platform was used from 1976 to 1980. Available as a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan or 4-door station wagon, it came in three trim levels - base, Custom and SE (Special Edition). The performance R/T package came only on the coupe and featured a 318 in³ V8 standard or an optional 360 in³ V8 with either a two- or four-barrel carburetor. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other A carburetor (North American spelling or carburettor ( Commonwealth spelling) is a device that blends air and Fuel for an Internal The 225 in³ "Slant Six" was standard across the line.

Volarés were fitted with a Mercedes-Benz-like front grille, whereas the Aspen had a blackout grille. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the Aspen coupes also had the option of a fold down rear seat.

1977

Nothing much changed for the Aspen's second year. A new T-top was added to the coupe's option list this year. A T-top is an automobile roof with removable panels on either side of a rigid bar running from the center of one structural bar between pillars to the center of the next structural The R/T package added a "Super Pak" option. This consisted of front and rear spoilers, wheel opening flares and louvered rear windows. A new stripe kit was also added as well. An R/T equipped with this package became a "Super R/T". The Volaré was Canada's top selling car this year.

1978

The Aspen went through numerous changes for 1978. The three trim lines were consolidated into one. The Custom and Special Edition lines were still available but were now reduced to option packages. The Aspen also received a new front fascia, similar to the Volaré (the Volaré's grille was restyled with an eggcrate pattern). But the most exciting news were the new, one-year-only performance packages - the Super Coupe and Kit Car. Both packages used the same performance exterior add-ons as the "Super Pak", now renamed the "Sport Pak", but came in different colors as well as different options.

The Super Coupe came with GR60x15 Goodyear GT radial tires mounted on 15x8 wheels, a heavy duty suspension with rear sway bar, a matte black finish on the hood and came only in one color - Sable Tan Sunfire Metallic. Special three color (orange, yellow and red) stripes separated the body color from the matte black colors. Only 531 were built.

The Kit Car, made in honor of NASCAR legend Richard Petty, was supposed to look as much like a race car as possible. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the Winston Cup Series The wheels had no hubcaps, the wheel opening flares had a bolted on look, and even the windshield had metal tie downs just like the race cars. Unlike a racecar, the Kit Car came standard with an automatic transmission. An automatic transmission (commonly "AT" or "Auto" is an Automobile Gearbox that can change Gear ratios automatically as the vehicle A special addition was a decal kit with large door mountable "43" decals and 360 decals for the hood. These decals were shipped in the trunk either to be installed by the dealer or by the owner. Most people however, left them in the trunk. It only came in one color - a special two-tone red. The Kit Car would prove to be one of the rarest Aspens ever built, as only 145 were ever built.

A new Sunrise package, similar to the Volaré's Duster package, was also new. This consisted mainly of new stripes and louvered rear windows. This was only available on the coupe.

Wider taillight lenses with amber reflectors were phased in, replacing the Plymouth Valiant/Duster-styled lenses on both Aspen and Volaré coupes and sedans.

1979

Not much would change for the Aspen in its second to last year of production (the only change was the taillight lenses from the previous year - the amber reflectors were eliminated). The packages from last year continued into this year, with the exception of the Super Coupe and Kit Car. A new 85 mph (137 km/h) speedometer, new colors and a diagnostic connector for the engine would be as exciting of a change as it would get for this year. The station wagon would add a "Sport Wagon" package to its option list, which added special stripes, a front airdam, and wheel arch flares.

1980

For its last year of production, the Aspen sported a brand new front fascia (with square headlights and new grill, similar to the 1979 Chevrolet Nova and/or Ford Fairmont) that included a hood, fenders and front bumper shared with the concurrent Dodge Diplomat. The Chevrolet Nova or Chevy II was an American Compact car introduced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in 1962 See Ford Fairmont (Australia for the Australian built vehicle of the same name The Dodge Diplomat was a Mid-size car and it was manufactured from 1977 to 1989 by the Chrysler Corporation 's Dodge brand and practically identical The former dash-mounted windshield wiper switch and floor-mounted headlight dimmer were replaced by controls integrated within the turn signal lever. But nothing much changed beyond that. Special and Premier packages were made available. The Special came only on the sedan and coupe. The R/T package was installed only on 285 Aspens for this year before the Aspen name as well as the R/T badge would be "placed into storage" for the next decade or so.

The Aspen and Volaré were replaced by the K-cars — Aries and Reliant — for 1981. The Dodge Aries was an Automobile sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1981 to 1989 The Plymouth Reliant (or Reliant K, as it was sometimes called was one of the first two so-called " K-cars quot (the other being the Dodge Another Aspen successor, the 400, arrived in 1982. The Dodge 400 was Dodge 's second K-car in the early 1980s It was similar to the Chrysler LeBaron of the same era The Volaré would be one of the last Plymouths to outsell the Dodge version of its counterpart by nearly 200,000 units.

Production figures overview

The production figures for the Aspen/Volaré:

International variants

Mexico

Although the Volaré/Aspen bodystyle was sold in Mexico after 1976 (the F-body was introduced for the 1977 model year), they continued to use the Dart nameplate (the Valiant nameplate was used on the coupe, marketed as the Dodge Valiant Volaré, and the sedan, coupe, and wagon as the Dart). The only discernible difference between the US version is that the Valiant Volaré had the Aspen grille (the Mexican Super Bee version had the Valiant nameplate on the grille in place of the DODGE lettering) and Volaré taillights, and the Dart had the Aspen taillights and Volaré grille (for the upscale models; base Mexican Darts had the Aspen grilles). A Super Bee version (indigenous to Mexico) was marketed. The Dodge Super Bee was a limited-production Muscle car from Chrysler 's Dodge division produced from 1968 through 1971

Europe

Between 1977 and 1979, Monteverdi, a Swiss small volume specialty car maker, would build a modified version of the Volaré car, the Sierra, to compete (although rather unsuccessfully) in Europe's luxury car market. Monteverdi was a Swiss brand of Luxury cars created in 1967 by Peter Monteverdi (1934–1998 and based in Binningen on the southern edge Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation For the Monteverdi car, fenders, bumpers, grill and rare parts were modified: Headlamps were taken from the Fiat 125, rear lights came from the Renault 12. The Fiat 125 is a Large family car introduced by Fiat in 1967 The Renault 12 was a small family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1969 and 1980 The rest — windows, doors, technique — remained unchanged from the American Volaré.

2007

The Aspen name returned for the 2007 model year with the Chrysler Aspen, a rebadged Dodge Durango SUV. The Chrysler Aspen is a Sport utility vehicle from Chrysler. Launched for the 2007 model year the Aspen is essentially a rebranded Dodge Durango SUV The Dodge Durango is a full-size SUV from Chrysler 's Dodge brand A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis

References

• 2007 Car Talk Calendar, page for 9 April 2007, published by Chronicle Books.
• Standard Catalog of Chrysler 1914-2000. Second Edition. Edited by James T. Lenzke.
• The Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen. Obtained from http://www.allpar.com/model/aspen.html