The Chrysler Spirit was the name under which the Dodge Spirit was sold in Mexico. A mid-size four-door saloon built from the 1989 to 1995 model years on the AA platform, an evolution of the K platform, it was benchmarked against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry and offered four-cylinder, V6 and turbocharged engines.
Chrysler Spirit at a glance
| Production | 1989–1995 model years |
|---|---|
| Mexican name | Chrysler Spirit |
| Platform | Chrysler AA, derived from the K platform |
| Body | four-door notchback sedan |
| Base engine | 2.5 L four, 100 hp |
| V6 option | 3.0 L Mitsubishi V6, 141 hp |
| Turbo option | 2.5 L turbo, 150 hp (standard on ES) |
| R/T engine | 2.2 L DOHC turbo III by Lotus, 224 hp |
| Transmissions | three-speed Torqueflite, four-speed A604, five-speed manual |
| Built at | Newark, Delaware and Toluca, Mexico |
| Final car | 9 December 1994 |
The Chrysler Spirit is the Mexican version of the Dodge Spirit; this page uses the English Wikipedia article on the Dodge Spirit, and the photographs show the car with Dodge badges.
History of the Chrysler Spirit
A new mid-size Dodge
The Spirit was sold by Dodge from 1989 to 1995, slotted between the Shadow and the Dynasty, replacing the Aries as well as the Lancer and 600 as Chrysler streamlined its mid-size lines. It was built only as a notchback four-door sedan and sold alongside the Plymouth Acclaim and Chrysler LeBaron; in Europe the same car was exported as the Chrysler Saratoga. It used the Chrysler AA platform, an evolution of the K platform, and was benchmarked against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, growing over its predecessor to offer more passenger space.
Engines and equipment
The Spirit could seat six with an optional front split bench. It had a solid-beam rear axle and MacPherson strut front suspension and differed from other A-body cars mainly in its grille and rear lamps and in the availability of the sportier R/T. The base 2.5-litre four produced 100 hp, with a 141 hp 3.0-litre Mitsubishi V6 optional on all models except the R/T, and from 1989 to 1992 a 150 hp turbocharged 2.5 was available and standard on the ES. For 1993 to 1995 a flexible-fuel version of the 2.5 produced 107 hp and could run on fuel containing up to 85 per cent ethanol. Five-speed manuals were offered with the four-cylinder engines but few cars had them, while V6 cars used the four-speed A604 from 1989 to 1991 and then the three-speed Torqueflite.
The R/T and the end
The Spirit R/T of 1991 used a 2.2-litre engine with a 16-valve DOHC head designed by Lotus, which had won a design competition against Maserati and Hans Hermann; with a Garrett intercooled turbocharger the Turbo III engine produced 224 hp and 217 lb·ft, driving through a heavy-duty A568 five-speed manual with a Getrag gearset. Heavy-duty vented four-wheel disc brakes were standard with optional anti-lock, and colour-keyed 15-inch alloy wheels on 205/60R15 tyres came as standard; the car was advertised as “the fastest sedan made in America”. A driver’s airbag became standard in 1990, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes were optional from 1991 and a facelift for 1993 brought a body-coloured grille and full-width tail lamps. For 1994 US-market cars received a motorised passenger seat belt to meet passive-restraint rules, which made them illegal to import permanently across the US-Canada border in either direction. The last Spirit was built on 9 December 1994 and Dodge replaced it with the Stratus, selling both for the 1995 model year.
Design and features
- AA platform: an evolution of the K platform, longer and roomier than the Aries.
- Three engine families: a 2.5 four, a Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 and turbocharged fours.
- Spirit R/T: a Lotus-designed 16-valve head and 224 hp through a five-speed manual.
- Six seats: an optional front split bench gave three abreast.
- Flexible fuel: a 1993–1995 version could run on E85.
Chrysler Spirit versions
- Base and LE: the standard trims with the 2.5-litre four.
- ES: the sporty trim with the turbo engine as standard.
- R/T (1991–1992): the 224 hp Lotus-headed performance model.
- Flexible-fuel Spirit (1993–1995): the E85-capable version.
The Spirit was replaced by the Chrysler Stratus stablemate’s platform, and in Europe the same car was sold as the Chrysler Saratoga; it sat between the LeBaron and the Dynasty. More cars are in the Chrysler collection.
Video: Chrysler Spirit 1990 – TV commercial (Mexico)
Video by Sistemas Normales on YouTube.
Sources
- Dodge Spirit, English Wikipedia: platform, engines, trims, model years
- Dodge Spirit, Wikimedia Commons: photographs
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