1979 Chrysler 300 - I Like What They've Done To My Car

After "rich Corinthian leather", the most famous line Ricardo Montalban ever said about a Chrysler Cordoba was, "I like what they've done to my car" when he was hawking the new for 1980 Cordoba. I don't know why that line stuck but it did although, as much as I like to think that he personally convinced me that Cordoba's were cool,  I never agreed with him that the "little"  1980 Cordoba was an improvement over even Chrysler's abortive 1978 update of the 1975 original.

That 1978 update included all new sheet metal that made the Cordoba somewhat swoopy like a 1973-1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. In doing so, through my eyes, they made Cordoba less distinctive looking. While I have no love for them, perhaps it has to do more with the fact they didn't call this car a Cordoba, I do love  the 1979 Chrysler 300. "I like what they've done to my car"! Of course that being a year after they screwed it up.

Much like Pontiac's 1977 Can Am, the 1979 Chrysler 300 was a one year only model that seemed like a big going away party for a design that, I can only guess, had its fans inside the corporation who wanted to do something special, different and memorable before it was put to pasture. How else to explain it since designers and engineers had to have known an all-new Cordoba was coming for 1980? Here's another don't let the door hit your ass on the way "ism", this car was launched mid-year.  I can hear upper management mocking the internal supporters of this car now - "Hey, you kids have your fun dressing up a Cordoba and if you can sell them at a significant markup we'll put in a good word for you with the new management team coming in".



Those kid's and Chrysler's timing, though, couldn't have been worse for the introduction of a big, heavy, thirsty, pseudo muscle luxury car. The second gas crisis of the '70's was knocking sales sideways and Chrysler, just like during the first gas shock in 1973-74, was taking it on the hood ornament harder than GM or Ford did.  Chrysler sales were down over 17% year over year and they lost a record $1.1 billion for model year 1979. Enter government loans, the K-car, Lee Iacocca and the rest is history.



So, what did you get when you checked the order form for a 300? Well, on the surface, aside from badging, a subtle tape job, the cool "machined" dash from the Dodge Magnum GT and, halleluiah, no vinyl landau roof, not much. Especially when you consider the near $1,700 upcharge over a Cordoba.

Underhood things got a little more interesting. Powertrain wise, 300's were more or less two-door police cars of the day. That there is the "E58" four barrel 360 cubic inch cop engine that made 195 horsepower. Back by a rugged albeit standard issue "727" Torque-Flite automatic transmission, 9 1/4 inch, 3.23 "Trac-lok" rear end, heavy duty suspension and a "true" dual exhaust system, this was one quick Cordoba. Relatively speaking of course.

With the economy in the toilet, another gas crisis and Chrysler's fortunes going down the tubes before the bailout, just 4,292 1979 300's were ever built making this car almost as rare as a unicorn. What's it worth? Hard to say given that most domestics made after 1973 aren't worth much - especially late '70's domestics that don't have a flame-belching chicken on its hood.

And a one year only unicorn like this with 143,000 miles on it priced at $7,500 seems like all the money in the world. That's a ton for a mint, low mileage Cordoba let alone one in a faded, ripped leisure suit. Being unique, after all, doesn't necessarily mean "collectible" or that something is worth a premium above what it's based on. Still, "I like what they've done to my car"  Make me jealous and get it for like $2,500. Here's the listing.