Cue the Spanish Guitar: 70k-Mile 1979 Chrysler Cordoba
- February 08, 2021
- 360ci V8, 2-Barrel Carburetor, 3-Speed Automatic
- 70k Seller-Stated Original Miles
- Vinyl Landau Roof Delete (Sadly No Corinthian Leather)
- Aftermarket Stereo (Original Included)
- Clean Original Survivor
Chrysler introduced the Cordoba as their “Little Chrysler” in 1975 because it was the first vehicle branded as a Chrysler that was smaller than full size. Personal luxury coupes were majorly competitive market in the 1970s, and the Cordoba offered customers a respectable amount of performance blended with a lot of plush and baroque pizzazz for the money, all tied together by a successfully unforgettable advertising campaign hosted by Ricardo Montalban. Ahhhhhh…its essential luxury can be known only by driving it.
Powered by the 360ci V8, according to the seller the 2-barrel carburetor, spark plugs and wires, fuel pump, and alternator are all brand new. Reportedly having 70k miles from new, it’s rolling on steel wheels topped with the stylish turbine wheel covers and looks like it’s been lowered a little bit – not sure, but looks good if it was. The seller states the car has been fitted with new brakes front and rear, which is reassuring, because even though Chrysler called the Cordoba the little car, there’s not much little about it. The body shows some seemingly minor signs of corrosion (base of the passenger side rear roof pillar, above the right rear wheel arch, around the Cordoba logo), and considering Chrysler products of this era were rust prone, it might be worth investigating whether or not this is factory vinyl-top delete, or if the vinyl was just removed to correct rust damage.
Inside the car’s is equipped with the optional “60/40 individual seat with folding center armrest and passenger-side recliner” upholstered in grey cloth and accented by requisite ’70s faux wood trim, silver-lined gauges and cluster, full instrumentation with aftermarket auxiliary gauges, a sporty three-point steering wheel and power windows. While the car’s not pristine, we kind of like it this way – it’s something that can be enjoyed and easily restored to factory spec or built out for a little more performance and technology. You can live out all of your ‘70s fantasies for under $10k, and Mr. Roarke will personally approve of your choices in luxury transportation.
Despite relatively decent production numbers, not many Cordobas remain on the road today – there might be more Duesenbergs listed for sale at any given point. When they do come up, they’re typically either totally thrashed or pristine and finding a middle ground example like this one is a little tricky, and it seems to be priced right – maybe a little on the high side, but when pristine examples are commanding in the mid-to-high teens, this honest example seems pretty fair, especially considering the seller is indicating it’s a good driver car lots of recent service and new parts.
