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Lee Iacocca's Forgotten Coupes: The Dodge O24 and Plymouth TC3
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May 21, 2024
Join us as we explore the fascinating story of Lee Iacocca's ambitious attempt to recreate the Mustang magic with Chrysler's Dodge O24 and Plymouth TC3. Discover the challenges, innovations, and ultimate legacy of these sporty coupes in automotive history.
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Welcome car enthusiasts! Today we're exploring the story of the Dodge 024 and Plymouth TC3
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Let's delve into this chapter in automotive history. Lee Iacocca was the decisive leader of Chrysler in the 1980s. He came from Ford
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where he was really known for the 1964 Ford Mustang. Lee was king of Chrysler in his prime
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He fired off new car ideas one after the other, and some took off convertibles
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while some failed – luxury cars based on the economy reliant. After he took over at Chrysler, he returned to the same basic idea with new coupes
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based on the European-engineered Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon, small hatchbacks that
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earned the title of Car of the Year on both sides of the Atlantic. These coupes had sporty looks
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but they were initially hampered by underpowered engines sourced from Volkswagen and Peugeot
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as Chrysler worked on their own four-cylinders. When Chrysler's own 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine
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finally arrived in 1981, it provided 84 horsepower and performance started to match the looks of
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these very light cars. 2.2 power grew later, and these cars were much more attractive
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The sporty coupes really needed turbocharged four-cylinders that would not be available
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for years to come, and that was likely their downfall. The one thing that bugged Lee was the C-pillar and backlight. Stylists tried numerous appliques
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and even an opera window, but Lee was never happy with it. Finally, he chose a quarter-window
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applique. The original cars were the Dodge 024 and Plymouth TC3. Presumably, the 24 came from
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two-door four-cylinder, while TC3 was based on being a coupe three-door. They handled quite well
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though they were not especially refined by American standards. They were meant for inexpensive fun
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Fuel economy was good given the lightweight. Buyers could expect 25-30 A.P.G. in mostly
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city driving from the smaller four-cylinders. The peppy 2.2 dropped around one mile per gallon
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The high-performance 2.2 with 110 horsepower took away a bit more mileage. Consumers' Guide
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said that 110-horse engine had eye-opening pickup. The cars were quite small. They were just 56
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inches wide and around 173 inches long. Starting in late 1981, they brought out the Dodge Charger
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and Plymouth Turismo names for sporty versions with 2.2-liter engines. Car and driver lauded
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the Charger 2.2, calling it, one of this year's most pleasant surprises and claiming that it
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easily beat the Volkswagen Scirocco in acceleration and was more aligned with Audi in speed
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The 1983 Shelby Charger was mainly done at Chrysler Engineering and had a 107-horsepower version of
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the 2.2 engine. Sales were still low, so Chrysler spruced the cars up for 1984
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adding full instrumentation to the gauges. The 1985 addition of the 2.2-liter turbo engine
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producing 146 horsepower finally gave these cars the power they needed. For 1986, the Turismo had
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a new option, the Duster package, the first time that name was used on a front-drive car
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Duster had special seats, wheels, and trim. Despite these improvements, sales remained
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disappointing. The cars never quite captured the market's attention as Iacocca had hoped
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On the lighter side, over half of the buyers were under 35, and their median age was 29
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the youngest buyers of any Plymouth. But it was really an entry-level car
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The Charger and Turismo, born the 024 and TC3, were dropped at the end of 1987. Many had loved
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them, and many had laughed at them, but with the 2.2-liter engines they provided quite good
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performance for the price. They were fun cars. Find more at MowTales.com
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the site for Mopar methods, people, cars, and history
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