The Kronology: A History of the K-Car
This is a brief history of the versatile and oft-maligned K-car platform. (Update: 1983 greatly expanded, 9/26/2006.)
By Aaron Gold and Michael Swern.
In the beginning
Sometimes hailed as Lee Iacocca's baby, the K-car was already in the works when he came on board. Chrysler had introduced the first mass-production small front-wheel-drive American car, the Omni/Horizon, in 1978. The K-car was to be the second "family-size" 6-passenger FWD American car. (The first was GM's notoriously troublesome X-body, the Citation/Phoenix/Skylark/Omega.) The K was a boxy car with a front bench seat, powered by a new 2.2 liter "Trans Four" motor, with a Mitsubishi "Silent Shaft" 2.6 as an option.
About the "K-car" nomenclature - Manufacturers frequently assign a letter to a car before a name is chosen. Before the cars hit the streets, Chrysler ran ads proclaiming "The K-cars are coming!" The letter K appeared on the Œ81 cars, and the name stuck.
The Ks bowed for 1981 as the Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant. A 2 door coupe, 4 door sedan, and 5 door wagon were available. Base power was a 2.2 (135 cid) in-line-four fed by a 2 barrel electronic feedback carburetor with a progressive opening (like 4-barrels of yore, opening first the primary bore and then, as the pedal was depressed further, the secondary bore) and fired by a distributor with electronic ignition. The motor churned out 82 hp. Transaxles were a 4-speed floorshift manual or a 3-speed automatic. The car did 0-60 in the 13 second range. A 2.6 Mitsubishi motor was optional, and cars bearing this motor - for 1981 at least - were adorned with the badge "2.6 HEMI." (Yes, they were hemi-heads!)
1981 cars had no roll-down rear windows! They weighed about 2300 - 2400 lb, and cost $5,880 for the base model.
Early sales of the K were poor, due to some bad planning on Chrysler's part. Ads touted the K's low price (around $5K - anyone have an exact figure, please'), but Chrysler was building cars with options like automatic transmissions, A/C, nice wheels, etc. People flocked to the showroom but did not buy; they expected the price they had seen advertised, and found cars costing hundreds or thousands more. Chrysler quickly realized their mistake and started building bare-bones Aries and Reliants, and sales took off. (Sales figures would be great here. Anyone got' em')
1982
1982 brought a linkless antisway bar to the front suspension, a counterbalanced hood, and a reworked manifold and quieter fan for the 2.2.
1983
By 1983, Chrysler had paid its debts. The Reliant had earned its keep and then some. As if to celebrate, the 2.2 gained a power boost to 94 hp (9:1 compression ratio), and a five speed manual transmission was offered. Power brakes became standard. To quote from Chrysler:
"We've put together a combination of under-the-hood and body changes that makes the Aries [and Reliant] quicker to respond, easier to handle and more comfortable to ride in," said Tom Pappert, Vice President - U.S. Automotive Sales for Chrysler Corporation. Aries' easily accessible 2.2 liter standard engine offers increased fuel efficiency with Chrysler-engineered improvements and modifications in the cylinder head, compression ratio, carburetor, throttle linkage, and exhaust and intake manifolds.
Power brakes and self-adjusting rear brakes are standard on all Aries for the first time.
State-of-the-art changes include larger wheel brakes, more responsive pedal and improved balance front to rear. Another plus is increased braking power provided by a tandem booster on the 2.2 liter engine on cars equipped with automatic transaxle. The Aries also come equipped with halogen headlamps, optical passing horn, tethered gas cap, and maintenance-free battery.
The 1983 line offers the mid-size Aries in two levels: two and four-door sedans in the Aries and Aries Special Edition and four-door station wagons with liftgate in the Custom and SE versions.
The Aries SE models are rich-looking with their standard cloth-covered bench seats, center armrests and doors, as well as woodgrain accents on instrument panels and door trims. Bright deck lid lower moldings, special "SE" C-pillar Medallions and, on four-door sedans, color-keyed rear door quarter window louvers.
The Aries SE wagon also features standard woodgrain exterior treatment and power steering.
This year's Aries emphasizes quiet comfort. Sound deadening materials such as plastic, polyester, rubber and nylon, are used in many redesigned components and systems such as door latches, speedometer cables to cut down noise, harshness and vibration.
Aries drive train options for 1983 deliver economy and pep. The new five-speed manual transaxle, available only with bucket seats and console, offers a second overdrive at an estimated eight percent fuel savings on the highway. The 2.6 liter engine's improved throttle geometry provides a quicker engine response.
Standard all models are black, glass-belted radials tires, electronic ignition and voltage regulator, drip rail and color-keyed bodyside vinyl moldings, and rub strips.
1984
The Ks were mostly unchanged until 1984, when they received a new black dashboard with round gauges. Although it was a simple version (the turn signal arrows were actually labeled "left" and "right"), Chrysler would use this readable dash pattern in many cars through the 90s.
1984 also brought the 2.6 liter engine up to 101 hp (and the 2.2 up to 96 hp, its highest non-turbo power), a slight suspension reworking, a new electronic radio, and a 14 gallon gas tank.
1985
In 1985, the K received a pleasant facelift, with a rounded front fascia (the blacked-out version on the Aries is rather pretty), smoother hood, and bigger taillights. Also added was a new climate control panel, map pockets, and an available heavy duty suspension. [Rich Hutchinson noted the absence of the hood ornament, as the pentastar was now integrated into the grille.]
1986
1986 saw the end of the 2.6 liter engine and the addition of fuel injection on the 2.2, bringing it to its final horsepower (maintained through 1994) of 93 hp. The five speed manual became standard, and a 2.5 liter engine was optional except on the base model. This 2.5 had single-point fuel injection, 96 hp, and a long stroke for lower emissions and better low-end power. Its balance shafts made it smoother and quieter, though they hurt the high end.
Additional changes included a center high-mounted supplemental brake light; P185/70R14 radials standard on LE; a standard close-ratio five-speed manual; a standard 90 amp alternator; and a new five-stud wheel mounting standard on all models. New 14 inch Sport wheel covers became standard on the LE. Inside, a new cloth with vinyl center armrest became standard on SE sedans. New packages included Protection and Popular Equipment Discount; neither was available on the base model.
1987
1987 brought a stainless steel exhaust.
1988
In 1988, after success with the Omni and Horizon America, the K went on the America plan; many options were made standard, and the option list was narrowed. This made the cars cheaper to build, and prices were slashed - the Aries America started at $6995. It worked; sales of the aging K-car continued to be strong. The transmission was also enhanced (with the 2.2) by a Chrysler invention, the lockup torque converter.
1989
1989 was the Reliant/Aries' final year. As if to celebrate, the 2.5 went up to 100 hp, the most power it would ever produce without a turbo, and a four speaker stereo was made optional; but the wagon did not re-appear, and the America was the only version. By this time, the K had become a rather pleasant car to drive; LE models had plush cloth interiors, good sound insulation, nice digital radios, and, frequently, the 2.5/auto combination. They were quiet, plush and smooth-running, compared to the early models. And the prices were still rather cheap. As seemed to be Chrysler's tradition, the Ks, for their final year, were allowed to share the showroom floor with their replacement model - in this case, the larger A-body Spirit - but they still sold over 100,000 units, about half of 1988 sales. The Spirit would offer features new to the K-car, such as stiffer steering (first seen in the "Euro-style' Lancer and LeBaron GTS) and a V6 motor. (The Webmaster suggests that the Sundance may have been meant to replace the K, with the Spirit replacing the 600, LeBaron, etc. However, the Spirit and Sundance were both heavier than the Reliant, leading to slower acceleration!)
