Chrysler Saratoga: the sporting Chrysler that introduced the Hemi

The Chrysler Saratoga was a sport-luxury model built from 1939 to 1952 and again from 1957 to 1965, named after Saratoga Springs in New York. It began above the New Yorker in price, later settled beneath it, and in 1951 was the car chosen to introduce Chrysler’s 331 cu in Hemi V8. In Europe the name returned from 1989 to 1995 on a rebadged Dodge Spirit.

Chrysler Saratoga at a glance

History of the Chrysler Saratoga

Sports luxury of 1939

The Saratoga appeared in 1939 sharing the 125-inch wheelbase and the 323.5 cu in Chrysler straight eight with the C-23 Imperial and C-23 New Yorker. At its introduction it was Chrysler’s second most expensive line, above the Imperial and New Yorker but below the Series C-24 Imperial Custom sedans and limousines, and was offered only as a Club Coupe or four-door sedan, at US$1,495 and US$1,443. It was presented as a “sports luxury” car with leather and Bedford cord upholstery, an optional sunroof and an optional high-compression aluminium cylinder head.

Through the 1940s

For 1940 Chrysler replaced the C-23 with the C-26, all on a 128.5-inch wheelbase with the same straight eight, and the Saratoga became a sports-luxury trim package available only as a sedan in standard and sport formal interiors, the latter with a glass privacy partition in the front seat back that could be lowered, as in a limousine. Fluid Drive was offered for the first time, with a three-speed manual and Cruise and Climb overdrive. In 1941 the Saratoga moved to the C30 series and was demoted to the bottom of the eight-cylinder range, replacing the Traveler, with body styles extended to a business coupe, club coupe, two-door sedan, four-door Town Sedan and six-window sedan. For 1942 the C-36 kept the eight-cylinder engine and the same transmissions and bodies. The Saratoga returned for 1946 as Chrysler’s second most expensive eight-cylinder model below the New Yorker, in a full range of bodies on the New Yorker wheelbase, at an average price of US$1,826 with 1,544 built that year; styling changes were almost non-existent until the 1949 First Series, with models distinguished mainly by nameplate, upholstery and equipment such as turn signals, an electric clock and two-speed electric wipers.

The Hemi and the later cars

Because it carried Chrysler’s high-performance image, the Saratoga was used in 1951 to introduce the 331 cu in overhead-valve Hemi V8. It was dropped in 1953 as the New Yorker and then the 1955 Chrysler 300 took over the performance role, and returned from 1957 to 1965 as a lower-priced junior model to the 300. In 1989 the nameplate was reused in Europe only, on a rebadged Dodge Spirit with a 3.0-litre V6 and a five-speed manual, sold until 1995.

Design and features

• Sports luxury: leather and Bedford cord trim, an optional sunroof and a high-compression head.
• Hemi pioneer: the 1951 Saratoga introduced Chrysler’s 331 cu in Hemi V8.
• Formal option: a sedan interior with a lowering glass partition like a limousine’s.
• Junior 300: from 1957 a cheaper stablemate to the Chrysler 300 letter cars.
• European revival: the 1989–1995 Dodge Spirit sold in Europe as a Chrysler Saratoga.

Chrysler Saratoga versions

• Saratoga (1939–1942): straight-eight sports-luxury models in C-23, C-26, C30 and C-36 series.
• Saratoga (1946–1952): the post-war eight-cylinder car, including the 1951 Hemi debut.
• Saratoga (1957–1965): the junior model below the 300, in sedan form.
• European Saratoga (1989–1995): a rebadged Dodge Spirit with a 3.0 V6.

The Saratoga shared its market with the New Yorker and Windsor, and its 1951 Hemi is the engine celebrated by the 300 letter series. More cars are in the Chrysler collection.

Video: 1957 Chrysler Saratoga

Video by RK Motors on YouTube.

Sources

• Chrysler Saratoga, English Wikipedia: models, prices, Hemi debut, European revival
• Chrysler Saratoga, Wikimedia Commons: photographs