When Walter Chrysler picked up the remains of the Maxwell Motor Company in 1925, he decided to establish a company called the Chrysler Corporation. His arduous efforts resulted in Chrysler becoming one of the 'Big Three' automobile manufacturers in the US.

Once Daimler-Benz acquired the company, the holding company became Daimler Chrysler. Chrysler later merged with Fiat S.P.A. and became a subsidiary of its successor Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which is now part of the Stellantis group.

Chrysler has produced iconic vehicles under the Dodge, Jeep and Ram nameplates, as well as creating the Plymouth and DeSoto brands. However, Chrysler had its share of financial rollercoaster rides and almost declared broke several times before others stepped in to save the automaking giant.

One of the biggest reasons for Chrysler's financial strain was due to the subpar quality of its vehicles. If the design wasn't the attributing factor to the brand's downfall, it was the reliability. Although Chrysler has produced several subpar vehicles since the establishment in the early 1920s, it has made numerous cars in the '90s that could have gotten a design and a mechanical upgrade before debuting onto the market.

We wanted to find out which cars from the '90s Chrysler produced that could have done much better had the automaker invested more time to ensure that the car was up to scratch.

10 1990 Eagle Premier And Dodge Monaco

dodge monaco
Dodge

The Dodge Monaco and Eagle Premier were actually co-developed by AMC and Renault before Chrysler acquired AMC, and were styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro. They featured a rather unusual longitudinal engine layout, which was later carried over to the Chrysler LH cars successors.

These cars were actually well-engineered, and some would claim they were a bit ahead of their time - at least when compared to other Chrysler vehicles of that era. Unfortunately, they did suffer from transmission problems and electrical issues, and sales numbers never really took off.

9 1990 Chrysler Town And Country

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Only a few manufacturers in the U.S. produce minivans, and Chrysler was one of the companies. Chrysler wanted to build a van that was suitable for a daily commute and safe to drive to the countryside, hence the name Town and Country.

The first model that Chrysler offered was the 1990 version and kept the car in production until 2016 when the Chrysler Pacifica minivan replaced the Town and Country. When you name a minivan Town and Country, you shouldn't be surprised if the critics scoff. Apart from the odd name, the Town and Country had a strange design and color pattern.

8 1990 Plymouth Laser

via Consumer Guide Auto

The Laser was the first car produced under Diamond Star Motors, a joint venture between Chrysler Corporation and the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. The two companies used the name Laser from an earlier Chrysler model produced in the '80s called the Chrysler Laser.

Don't expect too much performance from the Laser if you get your hands on one these days, as the base model had a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that was capable of pumping out only 92 horsepower, though the two-liter was capable of pumping out 135 horsepower. After four years on the market, the Laser failed to impress consumers, and Plymouth called it a day for the model.

7 1990 Chrysler Imperial

via Strong Auto

For most of its history, the Imperial was a luxury vehicle. Originally debuted in 1926, the Imperial positioned itself as a prestige marque to the rival Lincoln, Cadillac, and Duesenberg.

Production for the Imperial ended in 1954 until Chrysler resurrected it in 1989 to produce a 1990 model. The first run lasted for almost thirty years, but the second one lasted only three years. That should tell you that the resurrection was a failure. Although the first cars might have competed in the luxury segment, the Imperial that Chrysler resurrected in 1989 looked like a regular sedan.

Related: "If You Can Find A Better Car, Buy It": The Story Of The K Cars That Saved Chrysler

6 1995 Dodge Stratus

via Radka Maric

When Dodge launched the Stratus in 1995, it received critical acclaim. The Stratus featured in Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list in 1996 and 1997, but ratings fell in the subsequent years.

The first generation Dodge Stratus received a poor rating for the frontal test crash. Once the IIHS crash test results came out, the market was scruple about purchasing the Stratus. Once the car's ratings from consumer and auto magazines fell below average among mid-size cars, consumers had turned their back on the Stratus. Dodge canceled the production of the Stratus in 2006.

5 1990 Chrysler TC By Maserati

via Wikipedia

Was it a Chrysler or was it a Maserati? The car was a bit of both. Chrysler and Maserati developed the car as a grand tourer and introduced the car at the 1986 Los Angeles Auto Show. The automakers delayed the manufacturing by two years but offered the TC in 1989.

The automaker manufactured 7,300 models in Milan, Italy in 1990 and canned the production in 1990. The car had a Daytona-spec turbocharged 2.2-liter straight-4 engine, capable of pumping out 160 horsepower. The car provided decent performance, but the market never warmed up to the idea, and the two automakers pulled the plug on the project.

4 1990 Dodge Spirit

via Zombie Drive

Car pundits described the Spirit as a replacement for the smaller Aries and the hatchback Lancer. Although Dodge sold 60,000 Spirits in the first year of production, its wheels came to a screeching halt when the manufacturer ended the production in 1995.

The manufacturer marketed the car under the Chrysler brand in Mexico since it used the Dodge name for trucks. Sales for the Spirit started strong and climbed for the two subsequent years, but Dodge only sold 12,000 units in 1995, ending the production run.

Related: Here Are The Craziest Cars Chrysler Has Ever Made (1 We Love)

3 1991 Dodge Stealth

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After collaborating with Mitsubishi Motors, Chrysler was responsible for the Stealth's exterior styling. Known as the Mitsubishi GTO in the Japan market, the Stealth had a 3-liter, 24-valve V6 engine that was capable of pumping out 160 horsepower, four-wheel steering, full-time all-wheel drive, and adaptive suspension.

The slow sports car sales in the U.S. prompted the automaker to plan a facelift for the 1997 model, which it abandoned in favor of the minor cosmetic adjustments, including a new front bumper and a rainbow shaped arched type wing. Although the Mitsubishi GTO lasted in Japan until 2000, it saw its last day in the States in 1996.

2 1997 Plymouth Prowler

via Mecum Auctions

The Prowler would have been much more successful if Chrysler had produced the vehicle several decades before 1997. In my opinion, the car resembled a 1932 Ford so that era would have welcomed the Prowler with open arms. The automaker offered the Prowler as a single generation, front-engine, rear-drive, rear transmission configuration.

Chrysler kept the car in production for less than six years and produced around 11,000 Prowlers. The retro-styled production car had an appeal that would have lured in consumers who preferred a classic look, but it lacked power. The 1997 model needed 7.2 seconds to reach 0 to 60 mph. Chrysler sold around 450 units of Prowler in 1997.

Related: These Are The Most Important Cars In Chrysler's History

1 1999 Chrysler Java

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The Java was a concept car that Chrysler created, and its mediocre design and the subpar performance tell the story of why it never went into production. Chrysler introduced the Java in 1999 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and based the design upon the Chrysler minivans.

Although Chrysler used the minivans as inspiration for the design of the Java, it didn't provide the space or the speed of its minivans. The 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine was capable of reaching a top speed of 105 mph. The car needed 12.9 seconds to reach 0 to 60 mph and boasted a five-speed manual transmission. The cargo space was limited. You were lucky to fit your golf clubs in the trunk.