The picture of the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst reminded me of an old favourite of mine made by the same company. The 1978 Chrysler Lebaron wagon in maroon was a very popular car in my town in Canada in 1978. I purchased my first new car in 1979-a 1979 Monte Carlo, and was torn between it and the 1978 Chrysler Lebaron wagon. I especially remember the interior in these cars.The seats had more padding than the average living room couch.Chrysler went over the top to make the interior luxurious in all the Chrysler models. This model is now rarely seen on the secondary market.
@ben-lampson, These were RWD on the Aspen/Volare platform which eventually spawned the Chrysler 5th Avenue of the eighties. One reason there are so few around is that all these cars were notorious for rust, particularly at the front quarter panels. They were the subject of numerous recalls through the seventies. But then, there were a LOT of recalls on domestic cars in the seventies as manufacturers struggled to meet the new emissions and safety standards.
My dad had a '79 Lebaron 2 dr with a 318. The interior was lavish in a late-seventies kind of way. The wagons like the model shown above were plush, almost decadent for what amounted to be a mid-size car!
A very interesting model of a particular era in automotive history. I used to have a 1/24 diecast model of this LeBaron wagon and it certainly captures that late-70's/early-80's look.
I have the 1/24 scale version. In 1978 My wife got into real estate and needed a car to haul people to show them houses. We bought a Lebaron Town and Country wagon. It was a great vehicle until a trash truck rear ended it while sitting at a stop sign. The insurance company totaled it. Our 1/1 was white with a saddle leather interior. I was not aware that there was a 1/43 scale which I will have to find.
