Plymouth USA Sales : 1980's

The Reliant, this time at a baseball game. Was it home run? I'd say yes

The lower end brand for Chrysler had started the 70's strongly but was struggling by the end of the decade. Could the 80's see a reversal of that? Initially the answer was no, as sales remained constant. The Reliant K-Car gave things was a boost for the brand but otherwise it was uneventful.

The Import Arrow model finished and the Champ name was replaced by Colt (Mitsubishi Mirage). There was also a Colt Vista, which was a Mitsubishi Chariot MPV just to confuse. The Conquest (Mitsubishi Starion) replaced the Sapporo but this sports car sold in tiny numbers.

The Caravelle was a mid-sized car that was introduced into the US in 1985 to replace the Chrysler E-Class which hadn't been a success. The model switched divisions to what was considered its more appropriate place as a Plymouth.

What the data hasn't been showing so far is the full sized Voyager van, which was sold from 1974 to 1983. It was a light commercial vehicle anyway. Then the model became a 'minivan' which was built on the K platform and came out in late 1983. I cannot get specific sales data for it but I estimate that 10,000 were sold in 1983 and 100,000 in 1984. That really was a massive success for Plymouth and Chrysler as it created a huge segment of which they were the market leaders.

Model	1984	1983	1982	1981	1980
Reliant/Volaré	138,154	157,247	146,762	196,997	104,836
Horizon	78,298	56,763	46,907	75,377	78,823
Turismo/TC3	47,109	36,497	39,704	51,815	53,971
Colt/Champ	32,819	34,513	37,129	42,128	47,853
Gran Fury	16,609	15,101	18,255	9,312	13,682
Caravelle	9,074
Vista	7,465	1,992
Conquest/Sappo	3,344	11,571	13,068	13,326	10,003
Arrow					6,634
Total US Sales	332,872	313,684	301,825	388,955	315,802

With the Voyager proving such a success, sales were looking much better. The Acclaim replaced the Reliant and the fastback Turismo was succeeded by the sporty Sundance hatchback. The conquest sports car soon went and the large Gran Fury came to an end without replacement as the Conquest also. The Laser did take over from the latter.

The slow selling Caravelle also finished its life, the similar sized Acclaim was already doing that job for Plymouth. In 1989, the Laser sports coupé model was introduced, it being a joint venture arrangement with Mitsubishi. The latter brand sold their car as the Eclipse. 

Model	1989	1988	1987	1986	1985
Voyager	184,943	192,273	140,799	110,083	106,492
Acclaim/Reliant	124,721	113,366	105,919	130,043	138,833
Sundance/Turismo	84,335	90,333	92,874	65,082	52,817
Horizon	39,315	61,142	46,460	111,092	84,500
Colt	28,259	37,554	37,580	45,094	36,491
Laser	21,098
Colt Vista	6,257	9,249	14,044	16,995	11,588
Gran Fury	1,443	13,315	7,782	17,443	17,627
Caravelle	733	12,903	36,077	39,138	35,954
Conquest			139	2,181	2,671
Total US Sales	491,104	530,135	481,674	537,151	486,973

Summary: The Voyager was a vital model for Chrysler and Plymouth, along with the K Platform that spawned this model. Sales were healthy but a heavy reliance on the minivan segment wasn't ideal.

To see the first in the series (the 70's), simply click here.
To see the next in the series (the 90's), simply click here.

The Voyager could carry the kids & their friends too. Scary thought