Dodge Aspen

The Volaré and the Aspen were introduced mid-cycle for model year 1976 as successors to the Chrysler "A-platform" models, the Plymouth Valiant/Plymouth Duster and Dodge Dart. During the 1976 model year, Valiant/Duster models were marketed alongside the Volaré at Chrysler/Plymouth dealerships, and the Dart models were marketed alongside the Aspen at Dodge dealerships. After the 1976 model year, Valiant and Dart models were discontinued. Chrysler conceived the Volaré and Aspen as modern, fuel-efficient cars, more luxurious than their Valiant and Dart predecessors. They were together named Motor Trend Car of the Year for 1976, and they were noted by Consumer Reports magazine for their modern design and good performance. The Volaré and Aspen ultimately suffered numerous quality problems, frequent product recalls, and early rust damage that seriously damaged the cars' reputation and sales. == Production history ==

During development, the Volaré/Aspen models were extensively wind-tunnel tested to improve their aerodynamics, reduce wind drag and improve fuel economy, improve crosswind stability, reduce wind noise, and increase interior ventilation performance. The testing led designers to soften the front end contours and remove roof-drip moldings, and at the same time improve internal airflow ducting. Body engineering for the Volaré/Aspen implemented computer-aided design and clear plastic stress models to reveal stress points in the design phase before any sheet metal was formed, to reduce weight and improve fuel economy by using thinner glass, lighter side door beams, and high-strength/low alloy steel (HSLA) — four times as strong as conventional mild steel. A reduced number of steel stampings offered improved panel fits with fewer welds. Larger glass areas increased visibility, with a total glass area increase of 25% on two-door models and 33% on sedans. With the Volare/Aspen twins, Chrysler introduced a new front suspension system using crossed torsion bars mounted transversely beneath the engine (marketed as Isolated Transverse Suspension System), provided a noticeable improvement over Chrysler's long used the longitudinal torsion bar suspension, introduced in 1957. Testing began in August 1976. This new turbine engine was a smaller version of Chrysler Corporation's earlier turbine engine. "Aspen is a very pleasant name", Schirmer said, "people think of the outdoors, but not necessarily skiing when they hear it ... it won't inhibit where we want to position the car because it's basically neutral." The standard engine was Chrysler's slant six, and was available with a single-barrel carburetor. Optional engines were a V8 or a V8, both with two-barrel carburetors. New performance and trim packages for both models included the "kit car" and the "Super Coupe", which combined performance trim with the V8, but the six-cylinder engine was standard. The Volaré or Aspen "kit car", made in honor of NASCAR legend Richard Petty, was supposed to look as much like a race car as possible. 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 race car, the kit car came standard with an automatic transmission. 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. It was available in blue for the Volaré or red for the Aspen. Only 131 Dodges and 145 Plymouths were built. The Volaré and Aspen Super Coupe packages (order code A67) included GR60x15 Goodyear GT radial tires on 15x8-inch wheels, Code "E58" 360CID 4bbl engine, x727HD transmission, heavy-duty suspension with a rear sway bar. The appearance was altered drastically from a standard Aspen/ Volare by adding Matte Black finishes on the entire hood, top of fenders, half the roof, both bumpers and misc. other trim. Along with that Blacked out look were full Matt Black wheel well flairs giving a widebody appearance along with a front spoiler attached to the front flairs. A 3-piece trunk tail spoiler was also included. Each were offered as a design package leaving no choice of paint colors. All Dodge Aspen versions were Sable Tan Sunfire Metallic (a rich Dark Brown) with orange, blue and yellow stripes to separate Body color from the Black. Volaré versions were all painted Crimson Sunfire Metallic (a Maroon/Red) with its own special three-color stripes in Yellow, Orange and Red separating the body color from the Black. Only 494 Volare and 531 Dodge Super Coupes were built. Wider tail light lenses with amber turn signals replaced the previous all-red lenses on Volaré and Aspen coupes and sedans. For the 1978 model year, sales were down over 30% from 1977; total production came to 166,419 (Aspen) and 217,795 (Volaré). 1979 The 1979 model year saw few changes. The only visible difference was the replacement of the amber rear turn signals with red ones. For the Volaré, a new coupe-only "Duster" trim package mirrored the Aspen "Sunrise" package, consisting primarily of rear strobe stripes, pinstripe and louvered rear windows, as well as plaid seating, different color options and a "Duster" badge on the Volaré. The 1978 option packages continued into 1979, with the exception of the super coupe and kit car options. A federally-mandated maximum speedometer, new colors, and a diagnostic connector for the engine were added. Station wagon models were available with a "sport package" (Volaré) or as a "sport wagon" (Aspen) with special stripes, a front air dam, and wheel arch flares. Total 1979 production came to 178,819 (Volaré) and 121,354 (Aspen). 1980 For its final year of production, and at the insistence of Lee Iacocca, the Volaré and Aspen were restyled. They gained new front styling (very similar to the Ford Fairmont) with a thin grille and rectangular headlamps. This was achieved by sharing the hood, fenders, and front bumper with the Dodge Diplomat. Premier and SE packages were available, but now only available on the sedan and coupe. The Volaré Duster trim package was also available for the 1980 model year. The R/T package was installed on 285 Aspens for this year. The V8 was dropped for 1980, leaving the V8 as the top engine choice. Power from the 318 V8 engine was reduced from at 4,000 rpm to at 3,600 rpm in two-barrel models. Four-barrel versions of the 318 V8 saw their output increase from (non-California) at 4,000 rpm to at 4,000 rpm. The slant six engine remained the base engine offering. The Super Six two-barrel carburetor option was dropped, leaving only the single-barrel, Holley 1945 carburetor for the venerable slant six engine. In this configuration, the slant six produced at 3,600 rpm. Total production came to 67,318 (Aspen) and 90,063 (Volaré), though a significant portion of the sales were for fleet (police and taxi) use. Volaré Road Runner / Aspen R/T The Plymouth Volaré Road Runner and the Dodge Aspen R/T coupes were the "performance" trim levels of the Volaré/Aspen models. They came with E70x14 tires, "rallye" wheels, a grille blackout treatment, body striping, and identifying decals and medallions. A V8 option, with a and of torque, was offered. (The V8 option was unavailable in California because the engine, which averaged did not meet California fuel economy regulations.) In a Motor Trend road test, a Dodge Aspen R/T equipped with this engine turned in a standing quarter mile at 17.4 seconds at a speed of . The Volaré/Aspen wagons also featured a liftgate with a fixed rear window, rather than the more typical drop-down tailgate with roll-down rear window. The new models had cargo volumes of and load capacities of , which was only less than the intermediate and standard size Chrysler wagons. The liftgate opening was nearly wide and high. With the rear seat folded down, the cargo area was long at the beltline and wide between the wheelhouses. Side covers of the cargo area were made of one-piece injection molded polypropylene. Covered, lockable stowage compartments of capacity were provided in these panels; these compartments were standard on the Volaré Premier and the Aspen SE, and optional on the low-line wagons. After Dodge Main's closure, the site was purchased by General Motors in 1981, after which the factory was demolished to make way for the new Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly, opening in 1985. == International markets ==

Between 1977 and 1979, the small Swiss specialty automaker Monteverdi built 20 modified versions of the Volaré/Aspen called the Sierra to compete in Europe's luxury car market. The "Dart" name (rather than "Aspen") was applied to Dodge-branded F-platform cars in Mexico and Colombia, corresponding to the local Chrysler-branded F-platform cars badged as "Valiant Volarés". F-body Volaré models were not marketed under the "Plymouth" brand in Mexico because that brand was dropped after 1969. During 1981 and 1982, Dart coupes built for the Mexican market used an M-platform Diplomat coupe that was fitted with a 1980 Volare header panel. Chrysler de México also sold less-expensive versions of the American K-cars: The Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries (in 1982–1987) and Plymouth Caravelle (1988) as "Chrysler Volarés". The 1988 Chrysler Volaré E (an inexpensive version of the 1988 Plymouth Caravelle modified with a 1986–1988 Plymouth Reliant front end) served as Mexican Highway Patrol units from 1988 to 1990. They used Chrysler Turbo II 2.2 L engines and three-speed automatic transmissions (arm shifter on the steering columns, like U.S. patrol cars). In Mexico, they were known as "turbo-patrols". The Volaré also became known as the "Volaré Duster" in Canada. ==Recalls and reputation==

The Volaré/Aspen were recalled numerous times; for the 1976 model year, there were at least eight serious recalls alone. They included: • Potential failure of a component in the front suspension, which could cause the suspension to detach from the front subframe under hard braking; • Possibility that the secondary hood latch could not properly hold the hood closed; • Front brake lines, routed underneath the battery, that could corrode from spilled battery acid and lead to brake failure; • Seat belts that could unlatch during hard deceleration (such as an accident or hard braking), thereby preventing them from protecting the occupant; • Misrouted fuel vapor line that could rub against the alternator drive belt, possibly resulting in a fire; • Replacement of front fenders that corroded prematurely (sometimes in less than a year) because of an ill-advised cost-saving decision not to install front inner fender shields; • At least one recall to address chronic stalling and drivability problems. Chronic problems with stalling and poor drivability led to a horrible reputation that the Volaré/Aspen quickly gained as new buyers were to discover for themselves; premature rusting problems soon followed. In 1977, 1,300,000 Chrysler Corporation models were recalled for these drivability problems. It is possible that much of the product-defect difficulty with the Volaré/Aspen models could have been avoided if Chrysler Corporation had taken more time to fully develop the cars before offering them to the market, but in an effort to boost sales and get a badly needed infusion of cash, Chrysler Corporation launched the Volaré/Aspen models as quickly as possible. This reputation for poor-build quality led to a decline in sales as the Volaré/Aspen twins became the most-recalled automobile models to that date. Winners of the Motor Trend Car of the Year, the Aspen and Volaré later received the Lemon of the Year award from the Center for Auto Safety, the consumer watchdog group founded by Ralph Nader. == Replacements for the Volaré/Aspen ==

In 1980, the Volaré/Aspen cars were replaced with the front-wheel drive Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries for the 1981 model year. However, a new class of the F-platform emerged as the M-Body vehicles that included the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury four-door sedans, which were very similar in structure, size, and engineering with the Aspen and Volaré. The Aspen model name was revived in 2007 for the Chrysler Aspen luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV). == References ==