Chrysler Cordoba – Auction Car of the Week

There’s just something inherently appealing about this ’76 Chrysler Cordoba that we can’t quite put our finger on. It could be the uncomplicated, flowing lines of the bodywork. It might even be down to those cool custom wire wheels. It certainly helps that the car is well shot, something that really can make or break a sale when it comes to shifting a classic.

Actually, you know what? It might have just dawned on us. That je ne sais quoi that temporarily halted our latest browse through the smorgasbord of content here on Car & Classic. We reckon it’s the association. And by that we mean this Cordoba evokes images of similarly-styled slices of American automobilia. Two other cars specifically spring to mind: the primer grey Chevy Malibu from Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, and Alonso’s Monte Carlo that’s heavily featured in Antoine Fuqua’s corrupt cop masterpiece, Training Day.

Tell us we’re wrong. All three cars have similar lines, the Malibu is a close colour match and the Monte Carlo has the rims and air suspension, like the Cordoba does. Yeah, we reckon that’s it, and although the Cordoba doesn’t have any particularly worthy Hollywood associations – aside from a handful of supporting roles in television and a few bit parts in lesser known movies – it’s still a suave looking classic Yank with a V8 nestled under its long, sleek bonnet. And we dig it.

Debuting in 1975 and remaining in production for eight years until ’83, the Cordoba was a smaller model entered into the market by Chrysler, partly as a result of the company’s full size cars proving unpopular at the time, due in part to the 1973 oil crisis. It was well-equipped, well-priced and proved popular with punters, becoming Chrysler’s best seller for the entire decade, which was a welcome shot in the arm for the struggling manufacturer at the time.

Available solely as a suave two-door coupé, the Cordoba was offered with the choice of three V8 engines: a 5.2-litre, 5.9-litre and a 6.6-litre, all mated to a three-speed TorqueFlite auto box. True to form for ’70s American cars, even the largest capacity motor was only good for about 175 horsepower. Madness. But that didn’t stop models flying out of show rooms across the country.

The cars popularity was in no doubt partly attributed to Chrysler’s advertising campaign. Leaning heavily into the Spanish connotations of the car’s name, the marketing team at Chrysler went full send and would employ the services of Ricardo Montalban as its spokesperson, despite the famous actor being Mexican and not Spanish. Nevertheless, Chrysler forged ahead, with Montalban extolling the car’s various virtues, including its “fine Corinthian leather” in his beautifully dulcet tones. In actual fact, the hide was from a factory in New Jersey, and along with the suitably Spanish-lilted ad voice-overs, it was all smoke and mirrors. There was absolutely nothing European about the car whatsoever, apart from maybe the front end that bore more than a passing resemblance to the Jaguar XJ.

The Cordoba certainly burned brightly but unfortunately not for very long and it would soon lose its sense of style over time, becoming – as all yank tanks did – boxy and boring as the seventies gave way to a new decade. This particular early model though, available via our auctions platform, has suffered no such indignity and it retains, and indeed builds upon, the characteristics that made those original cars such crowd pleasers.

Sympathetically customised, both aesthetically and mechanically this Cordoba’s dated vinyl roof has been done away with and the esoteric ‘Opera’ rear quarter windows have been deleted, giving the car a much sleeker look. On top of that the custom two-tone paint job and chrome wire wheels only add to the car’s more modern look. Underneath, the car benefits from a full stainless exhaust system and high-performance 4-barrel carburettor to help the engine breathe a little better and unlock some of the potential of that hulking great V8. A complete and fully adjustable air suspension system completes the package. Going up!

Owned by the same engineer for 40 years, the condition of this Cordoba, along with the extensive history file that accompanies the sale, is testament to the the dedication shown in preserving and enhancing its charm. So, if like us this ice cool Chrysler has caught your attention then why not chuck in a bid? Hurry though, the auction ends tomorrow night so don’t miss out!