Dodge Aries
Encyclopedia
The Dodge Aries is an automobile
sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1981-1989. It replaced the Dodge Aspen
as Dodge
's family car with "mid-size room" in a size and front-wheel drive
format commonly associated with compact car
s. It had a much larger United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) volume than the Tempo
or Cavalier
which the EPA classified as compacts, or Honda Accord
which was a subcompact in 1985. Ford
and Chrysler would compare the K cars with the Fairmont
and Tempo
. The Aries was sold as the Dart in Mexico
. The Aries was Motor Trend
magazine's Car of the Year
for 1981. The Aries sold almost a million units in a single generation.
. They were based on the Chrysler K platform
, which the media referred to as being Chrysler's only hope to save itself from bankruptcy. This car would spur Chrysler and many other automobile manufacturers to adopt front-wheel drive
in many of their future models. They also raised the standard for quality for American
automakers in general. The Aries and Reliant were strong sellers and were instrumental in Chrysler's financial recovery. Engineering work on the K-car began in 1976 after former Ford Motor Co. executive Hal Sperlich began working at Chrysler after having been fired by Ford.
The Chrysler K platform became so well known in pre-production that the production Aries and Reliant were known even by the most uninformed consumers as "K-cars". This was made easier by the fact that the constituent models had badging on the rear that read "Aries K" or "Reliant K" to emphasize the importance of the K-platform.
Initial sales of the K were slow, due to poor planning on Chrysler's part. Early advertisements promoted the low $5,880 base price. Instead of base models, Chrysler was building cars with options like automatic transmission
s, A/C, and upgraded wheels and tires. Customers visiting showrooms did not buy; they expected the price they had seen advertised, and found cars costing hundreds or thousands more. Fortunately, Chrysler quickly realized the error and started building bare-bones Aries and Reliants, and sales went strongly from that point onwards. The wagons were not available in base trim.
A station wagon version was available, one of the roomiest in its class. These would be replaced by the minivan
s (introduced in 1984) after 1988.
The K-cars were produced in Newark, Delaware
, Toluca
, Mexico
and Detroit, Michigan
. The last, a 1989 Aries, rolled off the assembly line on August 25, 1989.
After much publicity, the much-heralded Aries and Reliant twins made their debut in 1981. In response to the notoriety of the new cars, Chrysler added a small "K" emblem to the rear. The Aries was available as a 2-door coupe
, 4-door sedan, or as a 4-door station wagon
, in three different trim lines: base, Custom and SE ("Special Edition"). Station wagon
s came only in Custom or SE trim. Unlike many small cars, the K cars retained the traditional 6 passenger 2 bench seat with column shifter seating arrangement favored by many Americans. The Aries was powered by a then-new 2.2 L I4
SOHC engine, with a Mitsubishi
"Silent Shaft" 2.6 L as an option (curiously this engine also featured hemispherical combustion chambers, and all 1981 Aries equipped with it featured "HEMI" badges on the front fenders). Initial sales were brisk, with over 150,000 units sold in 1981.
Changes for 1982 included a new hood ornament (changed from a Dodge badge mounted flat on the hood to an upright Chrysler Pentastar), roll-down rear door windows vs. the former stationary glass with rear quarter pop-outs, a counter-balanced hood, and black painted valve cover on the 2.2L engine (vs. the former blue). In 1984, the hood ornament was removed and the Chrysler Pentastar moved to the grille. Also, the tail lights received chrome trim, and the interior received a padded dash and new black instrument cluster with round gauges. The first major changes occurred in 1985, when the Aries received a new front fascia, featuring a new "crosshair" grille
and a new rear fascia featuring five-section taillights. A new trim line, the top-tier LE ("Luxury Edition"), was added (it also replaced the Custom trim level on the wagon).
Significant powertrain changes were made for 1986. The 2.2 L engine's carburetor
was replaced by a new throttle-body electronic fuel injection
system, while a new 2.5 L four-cylinder
engine, also fuel-injected, was added to the option list, replacing the Mitsubishi
2.6 L. The four-speed manual transmission
— previously offered as standard equipment — was dropped.
The Aries underwent only minor changes throughout the rest of its production run. The SE trim line was dropped after 1986, while the LE and base trim remained the only trims till the end of production. The base trim line was renamed America in 1988, offered as relatively inexpensive, basic transportation. 1988 was the last year for station wagons. The Aries was replaced by the Spirit
, with the sedan and 2-door only being sold for 1989.
and Chrysler LeBaron
) "compact cars" they were so generously sized inside they were classified by the EPA as mid-size. They were the smallest "compact" cars to have 6-passenger seating with a 3 seat per row setup, similar to larger rear-wheel drive cars such as the Dodge Dart
and other front-wheel drive
cars such as the Chevrolet Celebrity
. Chrysler famously marketed the car as being able to seat "six Americans."
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1981-1989. It replaced the Dodge Aspen
Dodge Aspen
The Dodge Aspen, produced from 1976 to 1980, was a compact car from Chrysler Corporation's Dodge division; its Plymouth-branded counterpart was the Volaré . It was launched as a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, and a unique-for-the-segment station wagon...
as Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
's family car with "mid-size room" in a size and front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
format commonly associated with compact car
Compact car
A compact car , or small family car , is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car...
s. It had a much larger United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) volume than the Tempo
Ford Tempo
The Ford Tempo is a coupe/sedan car model that was produced by Ford Motor Company for model years 1984 to 1994. It was a downsized successor to the boxy Ford Fairmont that introduced "jellybean" styling, which would later be shown on the larger 1986 Ford Taurus. and was replaced in 1994 by the...
or Cavalier
Chevrolet Cavalier
The Chevrolet Cavalier was a compact automobile produced from 1982 to 2005 by General Motors. Built on the company's J platform, the Cavalier was one of the best-selling cars in the United States throughout its life.- Predecessors :...
which the EPA classified as compacts, or Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....
which was a subcompact in 1985. Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and Chrysler would compare the K cars with the Fairmont
Ford Fairmont
The Ford Fairmont is a compact car produced by Ford Motor Company for the North American market. Introduced for the 1978 model year, the Fairmont was produced in several bodystyles until it was replaced by the Ford Tempo for the 1984 model year...
and Tempo
Ford Tempo
The Ford Tempo is a coupe/sedan car model that was produced by Ford Motor Company for model years 1984 to 1994. It was a downsized successor to the boxy Ford Fairmont that introduced "jellybean" styling, which would later be shown on the larger 1986 Ford Taurus. and was replaced in 1994 by the...
. The Aries was sold as the Dart in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The Aries was Motor Trend
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
magazine's Car of the Year
Car of the Year
Car of the Year is a phrase usually considered to have been invented by Motor Trend magazine in the 1950s for their annual award for best American automobile...
for 1981. The Aries sold almost a million units in a single generation.
Popularity
The Aries was one of Chrysler's most successful products, along with its twin, the Plymouth ReliantPlymouth Reliant
The Plymouth Reliant was one of the first two so-called "K-cars" manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation, introduced for the 1981 model year. The Reliant replaced the Plymouth Volaré/Road Runner, which was the short-lived successor automobile to the highly regarded Plymouth Valiant...
. They were based on the Chrysler K platform
Chrysler K platform
The Chrysler Corporation's K-cars were compact-to-midsize cars designed to carry six adults on two bench seats and were aimed not only to replace Chrysler's nominally-compact F-body Aspen and Volaré, but also to compete with intermediates like the Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fairmont...
, which the media referred to as being Chrysler's only hope to save itself from bankruptcy. This car would spur Chrysler and many other automobile manufacturers to adopt front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
in many of their future models. They also raised the standard for quality for American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automakers in general. The Aries and Reliant were strong sellers and were instrumental in Chrysler's financial recovery. Engineering work on the K-car began in 1976 after former Ford Motor Co. executive Hal Sperlich began working at Chrysler after having been fired by Ford.
The Chrysler K platform became so well known in pre-production that the production Aries and Reliant were known even by the most uninformed consumers as "K-cars". This was made easier by the fact that the constituent models had badging on the rear that read "Aries K" or "Reliant K" to emphasize the importance of the K-platform.
Initial sales of the K were slow, due to poor planning on Chrysler's part. Early advertisements promoted the low $5,880 base price. Instead of base models, Chrysler was building cars with options like automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
s, A/C, and upgraded wheels and tires. Customers visiting showrooms did not buy; they expected the price they had seen advertised, and found cars costing hundreds or thousands more. Fortunately, Chrysler quickly realized the error and started building bare-bones Aries and Reliants, and sales went strongly from that point onwards. The wagons were not available in base trim.
A station wagon version was available, one of the roomiest in its class. These would be replaced by the minivan
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
s (introduced in 1984) after 1988.
The K-cars were produced in Newark, Delaware
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
, Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. The last, a 1989 Aries, rolled off the assembly line on August 25, 1989.
History
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
, 4-door sedan, or as a 4-door station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
, in three different trim lines: base, Custom and SE ("Special Edition"). Station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
s came only in Custom or SE trim. Unlike many small cars, the K cars retained the traditional 6 passenger 2 bench seat with column shifter seating arrangement favored by many Americans. The Aries was powered by a then-new 2.2 L I4
Chrysler K engine
The 2.2 and 2.5 are a family of inline-4 engines developed by Chrysler Corporation originally for the Chrysler K- and L-platforms cars and subsequently used in many other Chrysler vehicles...
SOHC engine, with a Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
"Silent Shaft" 2.6 L as an option (curiously this engine also featured hemispherical combustion chambers, and all 1981 Aries equipped with it featured "HEMI" badges on the front fenders). Initial sales were brisk, with over 150,000 units sold in 1981.
Changes for 1982 included a new hood ornament (changed from a Dodge badge mounted flat on the hood to an upright Chrysler Pentastar), roll-down rear door windows vs. the former stationary glass with rear quarter pop-outs, a counter-balanced hood, and black painted valve cover on the 2.2L engine (vs. the former blue). In 1984, the hood ornament was removed and the Chrysler Pentastar moved to the grille. Also, the tail lights received chrome trim, and the interior received a padded dash and new black instrument cluster with round gauges. The first major changes occurred in 1985, when the Aries received a new front fascia, featuring a new "crosshair" grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
and a new rear fascia featuring five-section taillights. A new trim line, the top-tier LE ("Luxury Edition"), was added (it also replaced the Custom trim level on the wagon).
Significant powertrain changes were made for 1986. The 2.2 L engine's carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
was replaced by a new throttle-body electronic fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
system, while a new 2.5 L four-cylinder
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine, also fuel-injected, was added to the option list, replacing the Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
2.6 L. The four-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
— previously offered as standard equipment — was dropped.
The Aries underwent only minor changes throughout the rest of its production run. The SE trim line was dropped after 1986, while the LE and base trim remained the only trims till the end of production. The base trim line was renamed America in 1988, offered as relatively inexpensive, basic transportation. 1988 was the last year for station wagons. The Aries was replaced by the Spirit
Dodge Spirit
The Dodge Spirit is a mid-size 5- or 6-passenger sedan that was introduced in January 1989 as a replacement for the similarly sized Dodge 600. The Spirit was Dodge's version of the Chrysler AA platform, a stretched variation of the Chrysler K platform...
, with the sedan and 2-door only being sold for 1989.
6-passenger seating
Although many would call the Aries (and its twins the Plymouth ReliantPlymouth Reliant
The Plymouth Reliant was one of the first two so-called "K-cars" manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation, introduced for the 1981 model year. The Reliant replaced the Plymouth Volaré/Road Runner, which was the short-lived successor automobile to the highly regarded Plymouth Valiant...
and Chrysler LeBaron
Chrysler LeBaron
The Chrysler LeBaron was originally a classic luxury car of 1930s manufactured by Chrysler which competed with other luxury cars of the era such as Lincoln and Packard....
) "compact cars" they were so generously sized inside they were classified by the EPA as mid-size. They were the smallest "compact" cars to have 6-passenger seating with a 3 seat per row setup, similar to larger rear-wheel drive cars such as the Dodge Dart
Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960-1976 in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-size Dodge in 1960 and 1961, became a...
and other front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
cars such as the Chevrolet Celebrity
Chevrolet Celebrity
The Chevrolet Celebrity is a mid-size car produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors . The Celebrity was introduced in 1981 for the 1982 model year. The Celebrity was the best-selling car in the United States in 1986...
. Chrysler famously marketed the car as being able to seat "six Americans."
Production numbers
Production numbers for the Aries are as follows:| Year | Units |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 155,799 |
| 1982 | 104,699 |
| 1983 | 112,599 |
| 1984 | 120,099 |
| 1985 | 117,999 |
| 1986 | 97,368 |
| 1987 | 99,299 |
| 1988 | 111,399 |
| 1989 | 59,199 |
| Total | 978,460 |