Vehicle Description
Available now is the 1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati. This car is an
excellent well-kept example of the blunder of the Chrysler /
Maserati collaboration. While not a wild success at the time of its
release, these are becoming more and more collectible as time goes
on. This example is dressed in a muted yellow with a black
convertible top covering a tan leather interior. Full power
everything in side and the Chrysler is powered by the turbo-charged
4-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission. Runs and
drives well, but the front shocks will need to be serviced before
being completely road worthy.
From the Motor Trend Article on the Chrysler TC:
An Italian-American LeBaron for nearly three times the price-what
could go wrong?
Chrysler head honcho Lee Iacocca in the 1980s teamed up with
Maserati's Alejandro de Tomaso to produce sporty coupes that
combined the so-called best of both brands. The result: the
Chrysler TC by Maserati. (TC is short for 'Turbo Convertible. ') It
made its debut at the 1986 Los Angeles auto show and rolled on the
Q-platform, a shortened and otherwise modified version of the
K-platform from the LeBaron and Dodge Daytona. Here's a quick
rundown of what you need to know and never cared enough to ask of
your college-professor neighbor who drove his to and from work
every day during a simpler automotive time.
The turbo-charged, convertible version of the Chrysler TC by
Maserati was available in Arctic White, Exotic Red, Jet Black,
Light Yellow, Royal Cabernet Pearl, and Smoke Quartz Pearl. Inside,
the interior trim colors were Black, Bordeaux, and Ginger. It also
came with a removable hardtop with opera windows, plus an electric
rear window defroster. Classy.
Standard goodies included A/C, a 10-speaker sound system with CD
player, six-way power-adjustable Italian leather bucket seats,
leather-covered instrument- and door-trim panels, and more. The
puffy leather interior looked like a giant catcher's mitt from
above-appropriate since the Chrysler TC by Maserati was nothing but
a giant automotive swing and miss.
The Chrysler TC by Maserati was powered by the Daytona's
160-horsepower, 2.2-liter turbocharged inline-four that was mated
to a three-speed automatic transmission. According to our experts
at Automobile, an optional 200-hp, 16-valve Maserati engineered
inline-four was available with a five-speed Getrag manual gearbox.
There was also a Mitsubishi-built 3.0-liter V-6 option available as
well.
The two-seat drop-top was built in Milan, Italy, from 1989 to 1991,
and it wore a Chrysler Pentastar badge with a Maserati trident
inside it. A base TC started at around $33,000 in 1989 (nearly
$69,000 in today's dollars), and a similar-looking fully-loaded
LeBaron cost about $14,000 less. In our June 1988 issue of
Automobile magazine, we made what was perhaps the understatement of
the decade when we proclaimed that 'TC' stood for 'Too Costly,'
which at this point is an even more accurate judgment than it was
at the time. Thanks to its hefty price tag, Chrysler sold just more
than 7,000 TCs during its brief three-year run.
Front Air Conditioning,Steering Wheel Trim - Leather,Cargo
Cover,Center Console,Cruise Control,Multi-Function Remote - Trunk
Release,Power Steering,Steering Wheel - Tilt,Abs - 4-Wheel,Power
Brakes,Gauge - Tachometer,Cassette,Clock,Premium Brand,Radio -
Am/Fm,Exterior Entry Lights - Approach Lamps,Wheel Diameter - 15
Inch,Wheels - Aluminum Alloy,Tinted Glass,Window Defogger -
Rear,Convertible Roof - Hard Top,Front Wipers - Intermittent,Power
Windows,Front Airbags - Driver Only,Power Door Locks,Side Mirror
Adjustments - Power,Side Mirrors - Heated,Driver Seat Power
Adjustments,Front Seat Type - Bucket,Passenger Seat Power
Adjustments,Upholstery - Leather
