Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volaré
This is a compact. That Family Truckster-colored monstrosity to our right is a compact on drugs.
Any questions?
One of the stranger facts in American automotive history is that, in 1976, Chrysler was able to sell the F-body Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volaré as "compact cars" with a straight face. To put these cars into a more modern perspective, the coupe version of the Aspen is 198.8 inches long. A brand new Chrysler 300C, on the other hand, is only 196.8 inches long--the "compact" Aspen is two inches longer than a modern full-size luxury car. That station wagon to the right, meanwhile, checks in at 201.2 inches, which is only an inch shorter than a base trim Escalade.
At the time, of course, none of this was unusual. A year later, GM would release the New Chevrolet, spearheaded by the "downsized" 212-inch long Caprice, and people would marvel at how small it was. Indeed, this collective hallucinatory perception of space-time would eventually lead to Disco Demolition Night and the War on Drugs.
The problem with the Aspen was not its size, at least not at first. On the contrary--the Aspen was the smallest full-size four-door domestic station wagon you could get at the time. It would take another three years and another gas price hike for the likes of the Chevrolet Citation and the AMC Eagle to show up; the Chevy Monza, Ford Pinto and AMC Pacer, though all available in station wagon trim, never came in four- or five-door versions. It also wasn't the styling, which was fairly handsome for the time; in fact, it had substantially more glass than its A-Body predecessors and wasn't anywhere near as garish and disco-tastic as its competition. Indeed, the Aspen was attractive enough to become the next victim of the Motor Trend "Car of the Year" curse.
What ultimately sunk Aspen into the bog of eternal stench and nearly led Chrysler to experience a Battle of Dobro Pole-style meltdown was the poor build quality of the first Aspens. Stuck with a moribund product line of big, thirsty and expensive cars that nobody wanted (sound familiar?), Chrysler hastily tossed the Aspen out the door, tacking on its new and unproven Lean Burn electronic spark advance system on top of it. The result was numerous recalls, rusted fenders, confused mechanics and a radioactive reputation that nearly doomed Chrysler to bankruptcy. Though Chrysler was able to solve most of the problems that plagued the Aspen by 1978, it was too little, too late.
What's truly unfortunate is that, once Chrysler worked out the bugs, the Aspen and its F-body brethren were actually decent cars. The Aspen R/T, for example, marked the beginning of Chrysler's budding obsession with creating performance versions of ordinarily underperforming cars; the result was a car that could hang with the contemporary Camaro and Mustang II. There was the Monteverdi Sierra, which took the Volaré and turned it into a high performance Italian sedan; if this sort of Italian-Chrysler fusion sounds familiar, it probably should. The Dodge Diplomat, one of the most ubiquitous squad cars of the 1980s, was based on the M-body, which was nothing more than an Aspen with more modern sheetmetal.
To help drive home what Chrysler was hoping to accomplish with these cars, here are a couple of commercials--enjoy the irony of an "economy" wagon getting 25 MPG "highway", or saying "Hey, hey! That's my Dodge!":
The avocado green Volaré is from Flickr user jens.lilienthal's photostream; the videos are from YouTube user takutaq.
--David Colborne
That Car Guy on February 18, 2009 at 12:23 PM
The success of a car company is not made by building a revolutionary car, like the AMC Eagle and/or Pacer, or the Hudson Jet or the Pinto. Success is building GOOD cars at a good price. If you want a good tractor, do you buy a John Deere or a Hoyt-Clagwell?
Most old Japanese cars are as boring as yesterday's newspaper, but when they were fresh, most everybody had to have one. They do their jobs well, and they have earned the perception of quality.
The secret to a successful automotive factory is diversity... being able to build most anything. If small cars are selling, build them. If big trucks are the craze, make them. Don't shut a plant down when the market is soft. Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation USA in Smyrna, Tennessee, does just that... they build cars alongside trucks. The former Saturn plant (Now the GM Spring Hill Assembly Plant), maybe 20 miles away from Nissan, did not... they gutted the plant when it was about 14 years old, now they build the Traverse... that is, when they are open.
Both of these plants are looking at scaling down production because of slow economic times. But guess which one used to be the most productive plant in the country... and has never had a UAW contract?
Scott on February 18, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Smallest "full size" wagon? Okay, but you are sort of wrong about the AMC Eagle. The Eagle started life as the AMC Hornet wagon, the Sportabout, available since 1971:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Hornet
The Hornet became the Concord which became the Eagle. Body stayed pretty much the same throughout the name changes.
Length was 179 inches.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on February 18, 2009 at 12:32 PM
I remember commercials for the Plymouth Volaré featuring Italian tenor Sergio Franchi singing a very earworm-y jingle ("Vo-la-ré, woah-o-o-o-o!") which I guess was a pop song from about 1958 or so.
Steaming Pile on February 18, 2009 at 12:49 PM
The joke around my family back then was that if you wanted to drive a Volare, you had to keep a spare carbuerator in the glove box. Seems these would gum up with varnish to the point of failure, and no amount of cleaner would be able to keep it from its inevitable demise. Now, in any other car, even Gomer Pyle could put in a kit and you'd be good to go. Not this car, since the carb was sealed due to EPA requirements so people wouldn't tune it for performance rather than emission control - why, that would be illegal! When the disposable one-barrel carb failed, the only remedy was to replace it altogether with a BRAND NEW ONE. Of course, no one would care if the thing was somewhat durable, but I've been told these things were good for maybe 20,000 miles, tops.
David Colborne on February 18, 2009 at 01:35 PM
Scott - You're right. I didn't realize that AMC made a wagon version of the Hornet, or that the Concord/Eagle was THAT closely related to it. That said, the Aspen is a good 20" longer - we're talking about nearly two feet here, or, alternatively, the difference between a RAV4 and an Escalade. Still, that's a good catch.
That Car Guy on February 18, 2009 at 02:58 PM
In addition to a carburetor, she's gonna need: Plugs, points, bearin's, valves, rings, starter switch, ignition wires, water pump, fuel pump, oil pump, clutch, clutch bearin's, clutch plate, brake linin', brake shoes, brake drums, radiator hose, and radiator hose couplin'...And I'd give 'er a good wash, too.
Uh, Gomer!
Steaming Pile on February 19, 2009 at 07:24 AM
@TCG - I heard Barney Fife some city slicker down in Raleigh driving a Volare and just had to have one.
Anthony Cagle on February 19, 2009 at 07:56 AM
Can't help it, I really like these things. Not necessarily the mechanicals, but I love the look. I can't really say why, it is just aesthetically pleasing to me. Just nice clean, simple lines, not really sporty, but not ponderous or heavy looking either. Just a nice, basic, decent looking car.
I never had one, but a friend did. Plain old 4-door dark green one. We used to take it fishing. He bought it from his grandmother.
Aren't these the ones Fantasy Island used the first season or two before they switched to Jeeps? Or was it the other way around. I thought they looked excellent in that. From what I hear, one of them even made a cameo appearance in one of the recent Charlie's Angels movies.
Add one of these to my post-lottery-win car collection.
That Car Guy on February 19, 2009 at 08:23 AM
Steaming Pile: It's time to call Hubcaps Lesch and see what she has!
Alex on February 19, 2009 at 08:41 AM
I had one of these (Aspen wagon) for about three years and it performed very well as a barebones family car. I even used it to tow my little catamaran to the beach on weekends. The 6 cylinder never gave me problems. It was even the same avocado green with the faux wood trim.
Jed on February 19, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Did you know that the Aspen/Volare was the only car ever recalled for rust? It was probably the fastest rusting car ever made in the US. There's one in my area for sale with a few thousand miles on it that has been kept inside virtually its whole life and it has rust through in one of the quarters. I certainly agree with you on the perverse liking for this car, despite its many problems. It's just a better looking car than is made today. Kind of like the love that people have for the Hudson Jet, despite the fact that it was a turkey when new. It looks good to modern eyes starved for style, but was ugly compared to its contemporaries.
I disagree with your characterization that the car was somehow "too big." The Dart/Valiant was considered a compact and was a perennial best seller in the 70's. When you say that the Aspen is two inches longer than a modern full size luxury car, think again. The 300 is no full size car, but an intermediate at best. Compare it to a Grand Marquis or Town Car and it is a compact. The Champ is a subcompact.
Dave on February 19, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Looked at one with the parents back in '76 when they were ready to replace a full-size '68 Ford LTD Country Squire. Had clean lines and "compact" size for the day. But Dad walked when he saw a Volare badge on one front fender and an Aspen badge on the other. If they took such little care with what you could see, what did that say about the rest of the car?
They ended up getting a '76 Chevy Malibu Classic wagon. An "intermediate" just a few inches shy of full-size, but with the same big greenhouse and straight-line, rounded-corners styling that made the Aspen/ Volare attractive. They made the right call and drove it reliably for 8 or 9 years.
Dave on February 19, 2009 at 01:30 PM
Looked at one with the parents back in '76 when they were ready to replace a full-size '68 Ford LTD Country Squire. Had clean lines and "compact" size for the day. But Dad walked when he saw a Volare badge on one front fender and an Aspen badge on the other. If they took such little care with what you could see, what did that say about the rest of the car?
They ended up getting a '76 Chevy Malibu Classic wagon. An "intermediate" just a few inches shy of full-size, but with the same big greenhouse and straight-line, rounded-corners styling that made the Aspen/ Volare attractive. They made the right call and drove it reliably for 8 or 9 years.
Mike Z. on February 21, 2009 at 08:48 PM
My first car was a '79 Aspen 4-door with the 318 V-8, which had been my mother's. It had had a long period of constant running problems due to the Lean Burn's primitive computer. After several computer replacements by the dealer, a more honest mechanic finally told mom that the actual way to fix it was to rig up a bypass and do without the computer altogether (I don't know the specifics). This worked, although the Carter Thermoquad carb was problematic. One developed the habit of keeping the idle speed up at stoplights with the right foot to prevent stalls, leading to a life-long habit of left-foot braking. I finally fixed that problem by replacing the finicky Thermoquad with a Carter AFB. Which lacked all the necessary vacuum ports for all the emmisions controls, so I simply tossed everything except the EGR valve. Ran great after that.
I used the car to deliver pizzas (and, briefly, to live in) and just about drove it into the ground. I junked it around 1990 when the ignition system crapped out on me. I didn't mind having the starters go bad -- I'd learned to always carry a spare and could replace one in about 5 minutes (it was easily accessible without even jacking up the car). It got at least 30 mpg highway with the Thermoquad, and the computer bypassed (possibly less with the AFB). It handled surprisingly well, with its cross-mounted torsion bars. I tended to deliver pizzas like the car chase scene in "The 7-Ups" and so had many opportunities to test (and find) its limits.
My best Aspen moment was when a (hot) English teacher came up to me in the lunch room at school and exclaimed how much she loved my car (it was red & white, school colors), and how it looked like a fun car. I *almost* said something about the back seat, but chickened out.
Brian on February 23, 2009 at 12:36 PM
"Don't give up, get a Plymouth Volare"
?!!
It's like the ad is trying to talk the prospective buyer out of killing themselves. Hey man, don't do it. But if you're going to anyway, you might as well buy a Chrysler product of some kind.
Sir Michael on February 24, 2009 at 10:10 AM
I had both a Volare and a Diplomat. Loved them both and drove them into the ground. Well, my wife hit a pickup with the Diplomat, but it was elderly by then. 318 under the hood was plenty good. The Diplomat was the only brand new car I've ever owned. Not so happy with the dealer.
CJinSD on April 11, 2009 at 12:56 AM
Some neighbors of my grandparents in Williams, MA had one of these. In a tribute to UAW quality, it was badged as an Aspen on one side and as a Volare on the other.
Ingram Powell on April 20, 2009 at 12:37 PM
I never could understand why these cars were considered so terrible. My father ran one, and it was no worse than the Malibu he had before it, though his (Aussie) Fairmont was rather better screwed together. And with its police spec running gear it would run with the local SELs and XJ12s quite comfortably.
The Aspen was a sober car but worked well enough, and I find its lines far more tasteful than most American contemporaries.
But slam a door, and you just know that no-one at Chrysler had ever bothered to drive a BMW in 1975. Unfortunately, neither had my father...
TONY on September 24, 2010 at 01:07 PM
IM LOOKING FOR 1978 ROADRUNNER PARTS IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE SEND ME A EMAIL TA TONYFLTN@YAHOO.COM
Dodge Aspen Lover on March 17, 2011 at 12:47 AM
Great Car! I love the Aspen! Would you link our website on your page? www.forfmjbodiesonly.com Dedicated to the F-M-J Body Mopar enthusiast. Thank you!!! Stop by!
Glen veinot on February 15, 2012 at 05:51 PM
I had a 1977 while in tech school, bought used in 1984 with 39,900km, its pervious owner was an older man and it was garage kept. I undercoated it every year with used boat oil and kept the oil changed regularly on the 2bble slant six. It could outrun a 267 v8 Nova with four guys in it with just me on-board. It also easily beat a 1980s v6 mustang down the 1/4 mile .It went 170,000km when I traded it for a new Firebird in 1989. The only thing that failed on it was the brushes in the alternator and one ballast resistor. A friend bought it and drove it until 1993 when he bought a new Dodge Colt. He stayed with a Dodge product as he was impressed how the old Aspen held up. he did do a repaint and added Rallye Wheels from a Duster. It was still on the road in 1995 as a girl I went to school with bought it. The interior was a little rough and the headliner was starting to rot. Thanks to the old boat oil, there was still little rust. These cars where not as bad as some remember them.
Mark Hoffman on July 20, 2012 at 02:58 AM
in 1977, my dad decided he wanted an ASPEN wagon. I was 17, and sent down to the Dodge dealer to get a brochure, and see what they had in stock.
All woodgrain wagons.. look like we will have to order one to get one baresided.
A couple days later, I was driving by the Oldsmobile dealer's used car lot.. on the front row is a white/blue interior 76 Aspen wagon.. no woodgrain. Wheeled in there, and found the salesman my dad bought the car I was driving from the year before. Let me borrow your phone, "Dutch".. I might sell that Aspen for you.
Eight months old, 7,300 miles.. lady had to have it, then she had to have a 77 Cutlass.. worked out good for us.
Called my dad, he made arrangements with "Dutch" for me to test drive it/bring it to his office to show him. I like it, slant 6, plain car, no power windows, etc. Dad liked it too.. Sent me back in the 74 Galaxie he wanted to trade in. Got the Galaxie appraised, $1600 plus the Galaxie, and we could own the Aspen. Dad hit the credit union, and signed up immediately. Done deal, 3 hrs after I first saw the car.
It was an early Aspen.. the story of ASPEN on one fender, and VOLARE on the other are true.. this car had VOLARE on the right fender.
Took it on vacation in 1979, and drug it home with a blown muffler, and the original Goodyear bias ply tires showing cord. Sears was glad to see us.
We had lots of cold start problems, dealership never could fix. We took it to an indpendent mechanic I knew, and it ran like a top after that.. asked him what he fixed.. his answer was "you don't wanna know, because its a huge fine for me if EPA hears about it.
two things I remember.. it would blow the ballast resistor once a year, usually around Valentines Day. Turn the key, it would crank, let go of the key, it quit. irritating. First time, it left on the hook, after that, we kept a spare ballast resistor in the glove box, with an adjustible wrench. Five minute fix.
other thing was the wheel studs were really soft. I stripped a lug nut on the left front first timme I rotated the tires. And 3-4 more snapped off in 1984 when we got the second set of replacement tires.
It was a good car.. my dad drove it, I drove it, and my younger brother learned to drive in it. Secont time he wrecked it, it got totalled... Spring of 1985. Dad still had full coverage on it, and it only had 53,000 miles on it. I was tempted to huy it and fix it.. probably should have.. radiator, hood, grill, bumper, and left front fender were damaged.
all in all, a good car, even at 9 years old