The Plymouth Caravelle

The Plymouth Caravelle was an example of Chrysler's name confusion. Originally, the Caravelle was a Plymouth version of the Dodge Diplomat made for the Canadian market. Later, it became the Plymouth version of the Chrysler E-Class. The main difference between the Diplomat and Caravelle was, not surprisingly, the front clip (grille and related parts).

The K-based E bodies, brought out in 1983, provided the basis for a new, front wheel drive Caravelle. These were the first of the "EEK" cars, extended K cars, taking advantage of the generous width of the Reliant/Aries by stretching its middle around ten inches and changing the front clip, rear deck lid, quarter panels, and glass to come up with a spacious yet economical sedan. Other cars based on this pattern were the Chrysler E Class and Dodge 600.

The 1985 Caravelle came in one model/one price only, the SE. This version had most of the popular options as standard, such as delay wipers, cloth split bench seats, AM/FM Stereo, sruise control, automatic transmission and power windows/locks. Engines available were the 2.2 TBI, 2.2 Turbo, and the 2.6 (the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 showed up later). This model featured the same front end as the 400/600 in Canada, but the slats were replaced by an egg-crate grille in America. The dashboard was originally taken from the K (not unlike the first-generation minivan) but in 1986 was replaced by a more upscale version.

In 1986, the body was curved a bit and both interior and exterior freshened. A lower-end version (base model) was also brought out, and the 2.6, with its troublesome carburetor, was dropped in favor of the new fuel-injected 2.5 engine. The SE brought a nameplate, exterior left remove and right manual mirror (black), bright wheel opening and sill moldings, upper body stripes, remote trunk release, special wheel covers, standard AM/FM stereo, and split cloth front seats with dual armrests and storage pockets on the seatbacks (base models got a cloth bench seat with vinyl trim).

The Caravelle, only available with an automatic, got 24 city, 27 highway with the base 2.2 - nearly the same as the Reliant - with the turbo dropping around 4 mpg, and the 2.5 dropping around 2 mpg. The three-speed automatic transmission was the main culprit of the relatively poor mileage; owners of stick-shift turbos (and standard engines) got substantially better numbers. Unfortunately, only Dodge and Chrysler owners were able to get a turbocharged engine with a five-speed.

The Caravelle was replaced in 1988 by the Plymouth Acclaim, another extended K-car with an optional Mitsubishi V6.

Sean Cuthill wrote:

I am on my second Plymouth. My first was a 1978 Plymouth Volare which served me well for about three years. I accidently drove it into a bus shelter on a snowy day (thank goodness there was no one in there at the time) and thought I got away okay but the provincially run car insurance decided to put it out its misery. I then got a 1984 Plymouth Caravelle FWD and have had it for ten years. I recently passed 200,000 kilometres (about 120,000 miles) and am looking forward to many more.

As you state, the Caravelle name plate was used for many years in Canada on a rear wheel drive car. It has been interesting getting parts for it at times, especially considering it has the optional Mitsu 2.6L engine. I often have to check under Dodge 600 in some American catalogues and web sites to see about parts availability.

It initially served as a daily driver and pizza delivery car when I got it. It ran well and never failed to start, even in the cold Winnipeg winters. Of course, it helped to use the 'headlights on first' trick to get some juice on those REALLY cold days. I then moved to Surrey (near Vancouver, B.C.) with the back seat loaded with my stuff. The only thing I had to watch was the oil level at every fill-up as I was experiencing some oil burn during high speed driving. I have since moved to Victoria, B.C. (just northwest of Seattle) where I continue to enjoy the services of my grey sedan.

Overall, I am pleased with my Caravelle. While it has served as a good learning platform for automotive services such as body repair and engine maintainence, I would recommend this type of vehicle for basic transportation. It provides good comfort and enough ammenities to make the drive to and from work bearable.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure to experience a variety of repairs with this vehicle. I removed the chrome trim from around the wheel wells and took off the side bump stripes when I had the car repainted. I wanted it done to match the factory PA1 silver but the shop put on a grey colour which ended up being okay because some lesser-knowing people think its a Mercedes or BMW from a distance. The car has been in two major accidents (neither were my fault) and both times was repaired under insurance. My father and I do most of the work required from routine oil changes to replacing the front springs to replacing rusted metal.

Other than removing the chrome pieces, the only major modifications have been the use of a K&N air filter and the addition of Ventshade visors over the four doors.