In 1986, Chrysler unveiled a new vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show: the TC. It was the result of a friendship between Chrysler chief Lee Iacocca and Maserati's Alejandro de Tomaso. The cars were a joint project of the two automakers, and made in Italy.
Among its many problems were a too-long development time and a hefty price tag (this one was displayed with its sticker, showing that it cost $35,550 in 1990 dollars). It was also meant to come out before the LeBaron convertible, which would have given buyers the impression that the LeBaron was descended from the prestigious TC. But because it took so long to get the TC to market, the LeBaron hit the showrooms first, and the opposite happened: many people thought the TC was a gussied-up K-Car. Only about 7,300 were made over its three-year lifespan.
Still, it was the epitome of luxury for its day, and I suppose that's why I got such a kick out of the interior. It was the end of the 1980s, after all, with all the wretched excess that the decade embodied. If this doesn't make you shudder, I can't possibly imagine what will.
