AUTOMOTIVE Innovative engineering brings Chrysler back from the brink - again THE CHRYSLER Corp. has had more than its share of ups and downs over the past two decades. Greg Wilson AUTOMOTION In the latter parz of the 1970s, poor sales and a heavy financial ‘debt were strangling the number three automaker. ~ The U.S. government came to Chrysler’s aid with a loan package but. what really saved Chrysler was some inspited engineering. '.°The .K cars — Dodge Aries/ Plymouth Reliant sedans and the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon hatchback. — were the right cars “at ‘the right time. These simple, front-wheel-drive automobiles were both economicai and inex- ‘pensive and represented excellent value for money. However, Chrysler continued to _ use the K-car platform for a range of other automobiles. This helped to keep the production costs down, but it limited the de- velopment of new, more contem- porary automobiles. Increasing competition from domestic and Japanese automakers left Chrysler with an increasingly dated lineup of vehi- cles. Meanwhile, in 1984, Chrysler introduced the Magic Wagons, the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Smalier than full-size vans, these car-like, mini-vans were an instant success. Other automobile manufacturers were taken by surprise, and took a number of years to introduce their own mini-vans. Still, Chrysler’s Magic Wageas have dominated the mini-van market. : But passenger car sales were not doing as well. Last year, the Chrysler Corp. was in serious financial trouble again, and critics were making familiar, dire predictions. Chrysler was rumored to be talking to Mitsubishi (of which it is a partial owner) and Fiat, look- ing for a partner to help it stay afloat. This year, however, the criti- cism has stopped. Chrysler trimmed its staff, cut back on expenses, and improved production methods. Most of all, they’ve come up with some exciting new vehicles. In the past year, Chrysler has in- troduced three innovative vehicles and plans to introduce a half- dozen more in the next few years. The most important of these are the new mid-sized LH sedans (Chrysler Intrepid, Eagle Vision, SUPREME PAINT SERVICE PLUS 8 HOURS OF BODYWORK We will provide up to 8 hours of pro- fessional bodywork and paint your car with the MAACO Supreme Paint Service $913.95 value With This Ad Free Insurance Claim Estimates (Not ved) wah ony offer offer 945 WEST ist STREET 8-6 MON-FRI. MAACO dato Peiotog & Becyworks sre MAACO Entcprises. NORTH VANCOUVER 984-4111 10-2 SATURDAY Mdapandent franchises Prices and hours may very. . Don't wait to find out! Bring your vehicle to Hollyourn Hyundai now for top trade in value on our priced to sell new 1992s. Chrysler Concorde, and Chrysler New Yorker). These cars are a significant step forward in vehicle design and will probably set a benchmark for other automobiles to follow. Chrysler engineers have taken the ‘‘cab-forward’’ school of design one step further than everyone else. The LH cars have the largest passenger compartment of any other car of comparable dimensions. By moving the windshield for- See Chrysler page 34 Starting at EXCELS $6995. SCOUPES $9995. ELANTRAS $9995. SONATAS $10,995. - ASELTOLLYBURN HYLUMDA! | Where The Smart Money Bays | 700 Marine Drive North Vancouver, BC. V7M 1H3 Tel: 984-7044 Fax: 984-9429 ALL THE orrions ALL PREVIOUSLY DRIVEN BY MANAGEMENT AN THE. DICK IRWIN TEAM! ee 192 OLDSMOBILE CIERA SL Tops in satisfaction Was $22,618 Luxury series is “Your Father's Olds" Was $29,647 Was $22,618 ASTRO VAN Top line — ext. AWD Was $30,328 on°26,996| CIERA SL - in “Shriner” White Was $24,024 OFFER! We'll turn upside down to catch it!