Chrysler has had quite a rocky history with some craziest cars and ideas. Originally, Chrysler came into being in 1925 when Walter Chrysler took the remains of the Maxwell Motor Company and dreamed big.
After years of making big, beautiful, and in-demand cars, the malaise era left Chrysler tottering and despite government funding, in 1998, it was finally acquired by Daimler-Benz, which called itself DaimlerChrysler. This was the time of the strangest and craziest cars from Chrysler.
By 2007, Daimler gave up and Chrysler remained independent as Chrysler LLC (2007–2009) and then Chrysler Group LLC (2009–2014). It became a subsidiary of FCA as in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles post that before Stellantis happened.
Despite the ups and downs, Chrysler has given plenty of automotive gems to the world, some being the craziest cars of their times. Here go some of them and one car we love in particular.
10 Chrysler Phaeton: A Class Apart
We say “a class apart” because that is what the Phaeton was. There was a distinct windscreen between the front and the back seats. The idea was to separate the driver from the passengers for privacy. But Chrysler went ahead a step, giving the rear a separate speedometer and tachometer. So that tabs could be kept on the driving.
This four-door four-seat convertible had a 5.4-liter V12, made by adding two Chrysler's 2.7-liter V6s, under its infinitely long hood, which was good for a whopping 425 horses. Is a great classic, if somewhat loony in size.
9 Chrysler's TC by Maserati: Craziest Named Car
Most of us perhaps haven’t heard of Chrysler's TC by Maserati, apostrophe included. But it was a potpourri of Chrysler, Maserati, and briefly Mitsubishi, making it one of the craziest cars by Chrysler. It was built by Maserati but ran on Chrysler’s K-car platform, also used for Chrysler LeBaron.
It came powered by Chrysler and Mitsubishi engines. But it was fancier than its sibling LeBaron and twice as expensive. And what people got for that extra money were swankier interiors, Maserati trident badges, and a hardtop with unique round porthole windows for the rear passengers to peep through.
8 Chrysler Turbine Car: Rare Novelty
As the name suggests, this craziest Chrysler car is best remembered for its unique engine. It was A-831, Chrysler's fourth-generation turbine engine that revved at an insane rate (about 20,000 RPM at rest, 36,000 RPM in full swing) and thrashed out 130 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque.
A three-speed automatic did transmission duties. The limited-production post-war automobile came in a single color Turbine Bronze. It carried individual bucket seats for four with matching copper-colored safety belts. One of these ultra-rare masterpieces was sold for an unknown amount to an unknown buyer.
7 Chrysler Prowler: Powerless Production Hotrod
In the world of hotrods, the Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler was a bizarre beast of the late ’90s and early 2000s. Planned as a modern-day hotrod, it succumbed to the miseries it brought along with it. Including a design plagiarised from Chip Foose.
Engineers tried to make it well-balanced but what the Prowler lacked was heart-stopping power. Initially, it did 0-60 MPH in 7.2 seconds that was later bettered to 5.9 seconds. But it was a too little, too late kind of effort and Chrysler’s craziest car, a hotrod, could not take to the sky.
6 Chrysler Thunderbolt: Overturned Tub On Wheels
The 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt did not come bathroom inspired, rather, by streamliner trains. It was Chrysler’s reply to GM’s Buick Y Job; just that GM did it around two years before Chrysler. Y Job was the world’s first concept car.
But the Thunderbolt had a few industry-firsts up its sleeves like power windows, a retractable steel roof, and pushbutton pop-open headlights, all electrically controlled. That’s why it was nicknamed "the Push-Button Car". Despite its large stature, it could house only two as the retractable hardtop crammed itself behind the cabin just before the luggage bay.
5 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6: Caught In Between
The Crossfire was initially assumed to be destiny’s child, a wonderful union between Daimler and Chrysler. The engine, transmission, and platform came from the first-gen Mercedes SLK and that’s near-hallowed ground. The look was all Chrysler.
Despite the quick acceleration and thrilling top speeds, only a few thousand were ever sold. We wonder why. It was a crazy good car. A supercharged Mercedes-AMG V6 jetting out 330 horses and 310 ft-lb, a dedicated suspension and brakes, a chic rear spoiler, and a front fascia air dam made it the craziest Chrysler car of its times.
4 Chrysler Conquest: What’s In A Name? Everything
The Conquest is the only car that was ever sold under three different marques. So along with being a Chrysler Conquest, there was also a Dodge Conquest and a Plymouth Conquest. All of them living under Chrysler’s roof.
The Conquest was also sold as the Mitsubishi Starion, the reason why they are dubbed as Starquests as well. However, what was significant was that the Chrysler Conquest had many plusses like a limited-slip differential and antilock brakes. Plus, the mechanics were a class apart.
3 Chrysler Akino: Crazy Tiny Chrysler
With its one-box compact design, the Akino looked compact but could house five with no trouble. The best part was that natural and recyclable synthetic fabrics were used for the interior. And it also featured mood lighting and a textured rear glass window that offered all-encompassing privacy and comfort to the passengers.
And there is more. The driver side had a single door, for the front and rear. On the left side, there were two, the rear being a suicide door. The driver-side passenger seat spun to face the back. And in the rear, an interlocked roof design was added to the headroom. Craziest car in terms of innovation.
2 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT: Everlasting Retro Classic
The Chrysler PT Cruiser attracted a lot of eyeballs as it was the perfect fusion of retro and contemporary. Over 1.3 million of them were sold worldwide during this nameplate's lifetime and it has a massive fan following today. Plus, Chrysler raised the bar with a turbocharged GT model.
The PT GT (catchy, right?) was good for 215 horses, later 230, and found itself a new audience. Then Chrysler upped the ante by giving PT GT fascinating upgrades like 17-inch alloy wheels, disc brakes on all four wheels, a refined suspension, and swankier interior accents. It looked sedate and drove peppy.
1 Chrysler 300 SRT: The One We Love
The Chrysler 300 SRT is the one we love the most and it's Chrysler’s flagship as well. It’s the smartest, most dressed-up car in Chrysler’s line-up today. And when packed with a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 and top-of-the-line amenities, the 300 SRT becomes a terrific option in the luxury sedan segment with plenty of muscle.
It thrashes 470 horses for 0-60 MPH sprint under 5 seconds, at top speeds of 175 MPH. Armed with adaptive damping suspension, exclusive SRT badging, premium Laguna leather upholstery, and awesome power; this craziest Chrysler car is simply overwhelming. In the best way possible.
Sources: autoevolution, FoxNews