Chrysler Concorde |
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Wikipedia: Chrysler Concorde
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Awards and acknowledgements include:
A Luxury Car Book 2000 (by Jack Gillis) Best Bet in the Intermediate category.
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Chrysler Concorde page on 3 October 2018, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Chrysler Concorde is a full-size, front wheel drive four-door sedan that was produced by Chrysler from 1992 to 2004. It assumed the C-body Chrysler New Yorker Salon's position as the entry-level full-size sedan in the Chrysler brand lineup. One of Chrysler's three original Chrysler LH platform models, it used revolutionary cab forward design.
The Concorde was related to the Chrysler/Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, Chrysler 300M, Chrysler LHS, and the eleventh and final generation Chrysler New Yorker. It was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1993 and 1994.
The Concorde's design can be traced to 1986, when designer Kevin Verduyn completed the initial exterior design of a new aerodynamic concept sedan called Navajo. The design never passed the clay model stage.
It was also at this time that the Chrysler Corporation purchased bankrupt Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini. The Navajo's exterior design was reworked and became the Lamborghini Portofino, released as a concept at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show. The Portofino was heralded as a design triumph, setting in motion Chrysler's decision to produce a production sedan with the Portofino's revolutionary exterior design, called "cab-forward".
The cab forward design was characterized by the long, low slung windshield, and relatively short overhangs. The wheels were effectively pushed to the corners of the car, creating a much larger passenger cabin than the contemporaries of the time.
Design of the chassis began in the late 1980s, after Chrysler had bought another automaker, American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1987. During this time, Chrysler began designing the replacement for the Dodge Dynasty and Chrysler New Yorker, as well as a potential Plymouth. The initial design of Dodge's LH bore resemblance to the Dynasty, and this design was scrapped entirely after François Castaing, formerly AMC's Vice President of product engineering and development, became Chrysler's Vice President of vehicle engineering in 1988. The new design, under Castaing's leadership, began with the Eagle Premier, also sold later as the Dodge Monaco.
The Premier's longitudinal engine mounting layout was inherited, as was the front suspension geometry, and parts of the braking system. The chassis itself became a flexible architecture capable of supporting front or rear-wheel drive (designated "LH" and "LX" respectively). The transmission was inspired by the Premier's Audi and ZF automatics. Borrowing heavily from Chrysler's A604 (41TE) "Ultradrive" transversely mounted automatic, it became the A606 (also known as 42LE).
The chassis design was continually refined throughout the following years, as it underpinned more Chrysler prototypes: the 1989 Chrysler Millennium and the 1990 Eagle Optima.
By 1990, it was decided that the new technologically advanced car would need a new technologically advanced engine to power it. Until that time, the only engine confirmed for use was Chrysler's 3.3 L pushrod V6. The 3.3 L engine's 60° block was bored out to 3.5 L, while the pushrod-actuated valves were replaced with SOHC cylinder heads with four valves per cylinder, creating an advanced 3.5 L V6.
The appearance, still based on the cab forward exterior design of the 1987 Lamborghini Portofino concept, with its aerodynamic shape, made for little wind noise inside this large car. This sleek styling gives the Concorde a low drag coefficient which was ahead of its time.
Although American Motors' Eagle Premier (and Dodge Monaco) was discontinued by Chrysler after the 1992 model year, the new Concorde's packaging was derived from the Premier, and all the suspension and drivetrain development mules were Premiers. Other design features found their way into the Chrysler LH platform, most notably the longitudinal engine layout, a hallmark of Renault's front-wheel-drive designs. This design allowed Chrysler to lower the hoodline, made maintenance/servicing simpler, and tightened the car's turning diameter.
Reference Desk
The Crittenden Automotive Library's "Reference Desk" is a collection of materials that cannot be shared due to copyright restrictions. Information from these resources, however, can be shared. Go to the Reference Desk page for more information.
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
1997  Book | Chrysler Concorde/Intrepid/LHS/New Yorker/Vision 1993-1997 Repair Manual by Dawn M. Hoch; Chilton Automotive Books |
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| March 2000 | On-Site Air Bag Related Child Fatality Investigation Vehicle-1995 Chrysler Concorde National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |  PDF - 380KB - 16 pages |
| September 1999 | On-Site Fatal Air Bag Deployment Investigation Vehicle #1 - 1996 Chrysler Concorde LX National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 659KB - 18 pages |
| October 2001 | On-Site Child Safety Seat Investigation Vehicle - 1996 Chrysler Concorde LX National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 617KB - 23 pages |
| October 2001 | Remote Child Air Bag-Related Fatality Investigation Vehicle - 1996 Chrysler Concorde National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 6,768KB - 11 pages |
| March 1998 | Remote Air Bag Deployment Report Vehicle - 1998 Chrysler Concorde LX National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 306KB - 10 pages |
| July 2000 | On-Site Air Bag Investigation Vehicle - 1999 Chrysler Concord LX National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 1,052KB - 20 pages |
| December 2001 | Veridian On-Site Rear Seat Adult Passenger Seat Belt Fatality Investigation Vehicle - 2000 Chrysler Concorde LXI National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 633KB - 22 pages |
| May 2008 | On-Site Child Safety Seat Investigation Vehicle - 2000 Chrysler Concorde LX National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 592KB - 21 pages |
| February 2009 | Remote Not in Traffic Surveillance Falling Vehicle Investigation Vehicle - 2000 Chrysler Concorde LX National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 917KB - 8 pages |