By the mid-1980s, Chrysler Corp. was looking for a little glamour. After retreating from the abyss of bankruptcy thanks to government loan guarantees, chairman Lee Iacocca sought an exciting new product.
While the sensible Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant K-car and its many permutations were saving the company, the front-wheel-drive Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager minivan was consolidating it by creating a new market that Chrysler would control for years. Chrysler had even revived the convertible.
But Iacocca wanted a true image car, and who better to provide this than the Italians? This complemented Iacocca's Italian heritage and led him to a grand old Italian marque, Officine Alfieri Maserati of Modena, now under the control of expatriate Argentine Alejandro DeTomaso, who was in the sports luxury car business in Italy.
The two men knew each other, having collaborated in the 1970s during Iacocca's Ford days on the exotic Ford-powered, mid-engined DeTomaso Pantera sports car sold by Lincoln-Mercury. Then, in the early '80s, DeTomaso lent his name to a tape-and-trim special Dodge DeTomaso 024 sport coupe.
Maserati's history reached back to 1926, similar to Chrysler's, but its reputation was based more on racing successes than on road cars. It began seriously marketing passenger cars after the Second World War, although it hung on in Grand Prix Formula One racing until 1957.
It concentrated on grand touring cars such as the Mistral, Khamsin and Mexico, and in spite of limited production, Maserati had a remarkable mystique.
Iacocca wanted some of that magic for Chrysler, and for $2.8 million the corporation bought five per cent of Maserati. He was anxious to forge a joint venture to develop a GT-type luxury specialty car wearing both Chrysler's pentas-tar and Maserati's trident.
A deal was made in 1984 on a smallish two-passenger convertible that exuded sybaritic opulence and the cachet of Italian fabrication.
For economy and expediency, it was based on the Dodge Daytona platform with the wheelbase shrunk from 2,464 millimetres to 2,370. It carried such K-car hardware as rack-and pinion steering, MacPherson strut front suspension and rear-beam axle and coil springs. Power came from Chrysler's transverse 2.2-litre four.
Transmissions would be either a five-speed German Getrag heavy-duty manual, or Chrysler's three-speed automatic. Brakes were anti-lock disc all around.
Two engine versions were initially available. For the manual-equipped model, Maserati modified the 2.2 four with a twin cam 16-valve head, new connecting rods, aluminum pistons and fully counterweighted forged-steel crankshaft.
The automatic version got a tamer eight-valve, 160-horsepower 2.2 four. Both engines were turbocharged and intercooled and had electronic port fuel injection and ignition. A 3.0-litre Mitsubishi V-6 would come in 1990.
Exterior styling was by Chrysler and the interior rendered by Maserati, though with Chrysler instruments and console. The car's lines were pleasing, if conservative, with no really jarring or outstanding features. Inside, Maserati did a masterful job of wrapping the two passengers in sumptuous hand-stitched Italian leather and deep pile carpeting.
When retracted, the lined manual top hid beneath a body-colour panel. A removable hardtop with round "porthole" windows was also provided.
The car bore the rather cumbersome name of Chrysler TC by Maserati, the TC presumably standing for touring convertible.
Performance with the manual was strong. In June 1989, Road & Track recorded zero to 96 km/h times of 6.9 seconds for the 1,458-kilogram convertible. They estimated top speed at 217 km/h. The three-speed automatic took a mediocre 9.9 seconds to 96.
Despite its grand heritage, the Chrysler TC by Maserati never really caught on. There were several reasons, including the long delay between announcement and availability.
The TC was unveiled in 1985 with delivery promised by 1987. In fact, the first boatload didn't reach San Francisco - California was its test market - until the end of 1988.
This delay was caused by, among other differences, wrangling between Chrysler and Maserati over quality, and even about the placement of the nameplates. It overshadowed everything else about the TC.
Journalists had a field day, suggesting that TC meant "To Come," or "Tomorrow's Car." Industry organ Automotive News went so far as to give the TC its 1988 "Flop of the Year" award.
Chrysler also contributed to the TC's problems by introducing its very own beautiful second-generation 1987 LeBaron coupe/convertible, which many considered as attractive as the TC. And it was roomier and about half the price.
When the TC finally arrived, it sold slowly.
Chrysler soldiered on until 1990, then gave up after some 7,500 had been built. It wasn't officially marketed in Canada, although a few found their way across the border.
History will record the TC as another of those Euro-American hybrids such as GM's Cadillac Allante and Ford's Merkur XR4Ti that started with high hopes, but never really caught on.
