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Dodge Intrepid


Intrepid
Vehicle Model

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Wikipedia: Dodge Intrepid

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A sedan produced by Dodge from 1993-2004.

The Intrepid was the basis for Dodge's NASCAR Winston Cup/Nextel Cup and Busch Series race cars from Dodge's return to top-level stock car competition in 2001 until 2004.  It was replaced for competition in 2005 by the Charger.

Awards and acknowledgements include:
A Luxury Car Book 2000 (by Jack Gillis) Best Bet in the Intermediate category.
A Value Car Book 2000 (by Jack Gillis) Best Bet in the Intermediate category.

History

The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Automotive Industries page on 1 April 2020, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

The Dodge Intrepid is a full sized front-wheel drive four-door sedan that was produced by Dodge (Chrysler) for model years 1993 to 2004. It is related to the Chrysler 300M, Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, and Eagle Vision which were all built on Chrysler's new "cab forward" LH platform.

The Intrepid was sold in Canada as the Chrysler Intrepid. In the United States, it replaced the Dodge Monaco as Dodge's largest car. With Dodge's introduction to Mexico during that time, it was badged as a Dodge, replacing the Dynasty which had been sold there under the Chrysler brand.

The Intrepid's design goes back 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 American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1987. During this time, Chrysler began designing the replacement for the then-new Dodge Dynasty, which was a mid-size car. Initial proposals bore resemblance to the Dynasty, but this design approach was scrapped entirely in 1988 by François Castaing, the former AMC Vice President of product engineering and development. As AMC was purchased by Chrysler, Castaing became new Vice President for Vehicle Engineering for the new company. The acquiring automaker was in desperate need to replicate the AMC and Renault corporate culture where work was conducted in an atmosphere "of constant change". Castaing organized Chrysler's departments into AMC-style cross-function teams, as well as incorporated the use of simultaneous engineering. Moreover, the new vehicle's design, under Castaing's leadership, began with the Eagle Premier platform.

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 chassis design was continually refined throughout the following years, as it underpinned more Chrysler prototypes: the 1989 Chrysler Millennium and 1990 Eagle Optima.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 initial standard 3.3 L pushrod V6 engine was joined in 1990 with a 3.5 L SOHC engine with four valves per cylinder. For the second generation Intrepid R/T the block was recast in aluminum as part of a comprehensive upgrade.


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.

TypeTitle
1997 BookChrysler Concorde/Intrepid/LHS/New Yorker/Vision 1993-1997 Repair Manual by Dawn M. Hoch; Chilton Automotive Books


Photographs

Dodge Intrepid Pace Car Subject:  Dodge Intrepid Pace Car
Photographer:  Heidi Walczak
Event:  2003 Chicago Auto Show
View photo of Dodge Intrepid Pace Car - 850KB


Documents

DateDocument Name & DetailsDocuments
July 2002On-Site Child Air Bag-Related Serious Injury Investigation
Vehicle - 1993 Dodge Intrepid ES
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 4,310KB - 22 pages
classified date 1995Calspan Remote Air Bag Deployment Investigation
Vehicle: 1993 Dodge Intrepid
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 15.0MB - 44 pages
classified date 1993Air Bag Accident Investigation
1993 Dodge Intrepid
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 60.3MB - 407 pages
classified date 1995Calspan On-Site Air Bag Deployment Investigation
Vehicle #1 - 1995 Ford Contour GL (Dual Air Bag-Equipped)
Vehicle #2 - 1994 Dodge Intrepid (Dual Air Bag-Equipped)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 125MB - 463 pages
classified date 1995Remote Air Bag Report
1995 Dodge Intrepid, four-door sedan
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 10.9MB - 147 pages
February 2007Calspan Remote Child Air Bag Related Fatality Investigation
Vehicle: 1996 Dodge Intrepid
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 417KB - 12 pages
February 2009Remote Not-in-Traffic Surveillance Falling Vehicle Investigation
1997 Dodge Intrepid
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 1,862KB - 18 pages
July 2010On-Site Child Restraint System Investigation
Vehicle - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 1,854KB - 19 pages
classified date 1998In-depth Vehicle Occupant Report
1998 Dodge Intrepid
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 12.4MB - 103 pages
classified date 1999Special Crash Investigation Report
Case Vehicle: 1999 Dodge Intrepid, 4-door sedan
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

PDF
- 33.2MB - 103 pages


Article Index

DateArticleAuthor/Source
5 January 2013Rebuilt Dodge Transmissions for Intrepid Cars Now Sold Online at GotTransmissions.comGotTransmissions.com





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