The LeBaron name dates back about 100 years in the world of automotive history. First known for being a coachbuilder that provided bodies for luxury cars, the classification was later used on a number of different vehicles manufactured by Chrysler Corporation. One of them was a coupe and convertible marketed from 1987 to 1995. Today’s featured car comes from within that era.
The Pick of the Day is a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron convertible listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Milwaukie, Oregon. (Click the link to view the listing)
The seller tells the story best about this unique drop-top:
I met the little red convertible when my friend and customer Bob brought it into my repair shop for some service work. It was love at first sight. “I want to buy it,” I said to Bob. “Sorry, it is my wife’s baby, and there is no way that she will sell it to you.” Several years later, Bob showed up at my repair shop and said, “Today is the day.” I looked confused. He repeated. “You mean I get to buy the LeBaron today?” He said that they decided the night before that she wasn’t going to drive anymore. They wanted the car to go to a good home. That was about 15 years ago. It has been a “summer date car” ever since.
The third-generation LeBaron rode on what Chrysler referred to as the J-platform. It was an evolution of the widely-used K-platform that had been leveraged for everything from compact cars, to sports cars, to minivans throughout the 1980s under CEO Lee Iacocca. The 1987 to 1995 LeBaron was positioned as a personal luxury car, and it conveyed a significantly more aerodynamic shape when compared to the boxy Chrysler cars that preceded it. Hideaway headlights, a waterfall grille, full-width taillights, and a raked windshield were a few of the key stylistic attributes that set it apart.
With a love letter like we just read for today’s featured car, it is clear that it has been cared for. The seller describes the car as “nearly perfect,” and acknowledges that it has been garage-kept throughout life. Power comes from a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four which was rated when new at 174 horsepower, and a console-shifted three-speed automatic transaxle spins the front wheels.
The seller states that the only reason the LeBaron is going up for sale is because its garage space has been taken over by a 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Hey, at least they stayed in the Chrysler (now Stellantis) family of automobiles! “We want this car to go to a good home,” the listing states.
The asking price is $8,900 or best offer. If you’ve been looking for a summer weekend cruiser, look no further. Just promise to take as good of care of it as the prior owners have.
To view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com, check out the listing here.
