If I were looking to buy a car in 1977, I’d definitely consider a Dodge Aspen! This video was pretty well done for its time. I LOVE that red cashmere interior. That sold me.
My dad had a 76 Aspen and my mom drove a 78 Volare. Both with 318's. Both were solid cars and didnt give them allot of trouble. My moms unfortunately was totaled out in a rear end accident and my dad drove his Aspen until 89 with 166,000 miles and it still looked and ran good.
My Grandmother passed down her Aspen sedan when it became too big for her. Drove that car throughout high school and beyond. Good old 318 never let me down. Still ran great when I had to let it go. Miss that car 🚗 😢
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Aspen, always have. I use to prep these cars when they were new. The interiors and seats and combinations were fantastic. That's the great part about this video, seeing all the combinations.....but seriously, check out the 3:13 mark, look at the chrome strip on the door, the molding, it's not lined up with the front fenders molding. How could they not fix this for the video is beyond me....
I really miss those days of cars without center consoles, I used to take girls to drive-inn theaters and they'd cuddle up to me and I'd always have a blanket in the back seat to cover us when it cooled down at night, the windows would eventually fog up so much we'd completely forget all about the movie!!! :)
OMG. I"ve watched this so many times and haven't ever noticed this before....at the 37 second mark, they say. And this Sedan.......but the Sedan they show....is a Volare!!!!! not an Aspen...check out the front grill, it's definitely a Volare by Plymouth, not Dodge....lol How did I never see that before?
When I was in the Air Force I knew a guy who bought the higher end wagon with wood sides, but ditched the hubcaps and drove it around that way. I asked him if they were stolen or lost and he told me that he threw them away the first day that he bought the car as you inevitably always lose one. This way he said that he now never had to worry about replacing one or having the car look silly, should that happen. Interesting logic I guess.
I had a very rare 1979 dodge aspen RT station wagon! Only made something like 50 of them! Came with a 195hp 360 V8 automatic transmission and air conditioning. Red with black accent stripes package I've never been able to find another one anywhere nor any information on this car. Was in one of the car magazines back in the 70's, not sure if it was car&driver or HOT Rod magazine....
At the 37 second mark, where Wink Martindale says, "It's available as a roomy sedan".....the car pictured is not an Aspen but the Plymouth Volare. Funny they let that mistake go thru.
we used to have a 80 Aspen wagon when I was a kid. I rode in the bed and noticed the floor pan was getting hot, I watched the rear wheel center hub falling off, by the time we got it to the local garage they looked at it and the rear axle had welded itself shut, lol! after that we got a 81 cutlass Cierra wagon, lol. the motor got burned up and quit too, lol!
Say what you want about the aspen We had a 79SE coupeDefinitely one of the nicest cars I’ve owned I would put it right up there with the Firebirds and cutlass I’ve had the only thing I like better was my Dakotas I even liked it as much as my Cordoba
Me gusta el carro un Dodge Aspen; le hizo competencia al Ford Fairmont; es un excelente automóvil; me gusta con el motor 318 V8 transmisión automática; aire acondicionado; frenos de disco en las cuatro ruedas; me encanta el Dodge Aspen SE; por su comfort y elegancia; por su excelencia Dodge; me encanta ese carro; es mejor qué el Ford Fairmont; prefiero más con el motor 318 V8 de fabrica; transmisión automática; también me gusta la versión ranchera; saludos y buenas noches.
Terry Wiebe That's a myth. The only thing wrong with the system is the location of the computer on the air cleaner. Later M body squads had the computer up under the dash, and seldom went bad. Most problems were actually carb related.
My 1977 Volare 360 had major leanburn issues..Then I traded it for a 1978 Magnum with a 318 that again suffered from leanburn issues....The dealer could never solve it
I had dozens of those stupid things fail over and over on one car. If the car wouldn't start, then pull the headlights on/off while you turned the key. If that didn't work, pull the big screwdriver you keep under the hood for just such a purpose and jump the connectors. Ugh.
AAAAAAAAARGH........the ballast resistor.........the death of nearly all Chrysler Corporation vehicles from this time period!!!! Between that & the ELB, '70's & '80's Chryslers were REAL pains in the ass on cold starts!!!!!
Walter Zoomie except chrysler was before nova. Unibody was on valient and dart before Nova (dog track. you could tell a 4 door Nova from behind because GM could not get anything right back then). But Amc was the best anyways
landyachtfan79 the ballast resistors are cheap. You always kept a spare in the glove box. The Lean Burn system was fine, but if the carb went out of tune, or the standard timing chain got sloppy, they had some trouble.
Aspen is "unbelievable." It was. Unbelievably poorly built. My Dad always bought Dodge cars. The 77 Dodge Aspen SE station wagon was the last Chrysler product he ever bought. The car was a comfortable ride but did not hold up.
Aspen and Volare were garbage cars! They may look nice in this film, but only God knows where they are now! Motor Trend magazine had the nerve to name these atrocities "Car of the Year" in 1976. But then again, they (and we) had no idea how badly these cars were made. If Chrysler Corporation took the time to improve the quality of these vehicles, they probably might have not come so close to bankruptcy in the early 1980s. One good thing, though: The A/V twins did spawn a (somewhat) better built derivative, the Dodge Diplomat and Chrysler LeBaron, in 1977.
William Reed Yes, the M body certainly proved that care in assembly, using high quality parts, can really make a difference. The F body lasted 5 years. The M-body went right to the very end of RWD (at that time), 12 model years. One quality of the M body that continues to live on with today's LX 300 and LD Charger - physical size: The M body was probably the perfect size for a "large" car. Chrysler used very similar dimensions, including wheelbase, in its 1993 LH vehicles. And, excepting the wheelbase, today's large Mopars still share a size similar to the M-body.
And the M-body is quite similar in size to a 1967 AMC Rebel, a standard in reasonably sized intermediate cars. Some intermediates by the late 70s (LTD II to note) had become well oversized.
Love these old commercials, cool to see how the cars were showcased as new
If I were looking to buy a car in 1977, I’d definitely consider a Dodge Aspen! This video was pretty well done for its time. I LOVE that red cashmere interior. That sold me.
Mom has had an Aspen wagon since 1980, a used 1977. Still runs fine despite the rust.
there's some cool looking seats in this promo
One of my old co-workers used to drag race an Aspen station wagon. With a 360 and steep rear gears it would keep up with some serious hardware.
My dad had a 76 Aspen and my mom drove a 78 Volare. Both with 318's. Both were solid cars and didnt give them allot of trouble. My moms unfortunately was totaled out in a rear end accident and my dad drove his Aspen until 89 with 166,000 miles and it still looked and ran good.
This was a very popular series even at a time when our lives were fast becoming a freak show!!
My Grandmother passed down her Aspen sedan when it became too big for her. Drove that car throughout high school and beyond. Good old 318 never let me down. Still ran great when I had to let it go. Miss that car 🚗 😢
I LIKE THEM.. IM SURPRISED HOW MANY SEAT OPTIONS AND PAINT OPTIONS THERE ARE.. GOSH..
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Aspen, always have. I use to prep these cars when they were new. The interiors and seats and combinations were fantastic. That's the great part about this video, seeing all the combinations.....but seriously, check out the 3:13 mark, look at the chrome strip on the door, the molding, it's not lined up with the front fenders molding. How could they not fix this for the video is beyond me....
I really miss those days of cars without center consoles, I used to take girls to drive-inn theaters and they'd cuddle up to me and I'd always have a blanket in the back seat to cover us when it cooled down at night, the windows would eventually fog up so much we'd completely forget all about the movie!!! :)
Too busy neckin' 😆
@@DSchea Yes!!! :)
OMG. I"ve watched this so many times and haven't ever noticed this before....at the 37 second mark, they say. And this Sedan.......but the Sedan they show....is a Volare!!!!! not an Aspen...check out the front grill, it's definitely a Volare by Plymouth, not Dodge....lol How did I never see that before?
When I was in the Air Force I knew a guy who bought the higher end wagon with wood sides, but ditched the hubcaps and drove it around that way. I asked him if they were stolen or lost and he told me that he threw them away the first day that he bought the car as you inevitably always lose one. This way he said that he now never had to worry about replacing one or having the car look silly, should that happen. Interesting logic I guess.
2:03 Sold!
I had a 1977 orange R/T white interior. Cool looking car
I had a very rare 1979 dodge aspen RT station wagon! Only made something like 50 of them! Came with a 195hp 360 V8 automatic transmission and air conditioning. Red with black accent stripes package I've never been able to find another one anywhere nor any information on this car. Was in one of the car magazines back in the 70's, not sure if it was car&driver or HOT Rod magazine....
Sounds pretty cool!
I really miss the days when I used to play Frisbee sticking out of the top of my roof of my car🤣🤣🤣
The tape sounds a little stretched and low in pitch, but I'm pretty sure this was Wink Martindale speaking..
Totally agree. Can't figure out whats wrong with the sound. Love the Wink Martindale promo videos.
Thumbs up if your driver's ed course used an Aspen. Ours was a 1980 Coupe with a Super Six.
We used a baby blue Volare sedan.
Baby blue? if the 70s could be summed up in one color, that color would certainly be baby blue.
Totally. We had a choice between Aspens/Volares and the Ford Fairmont--which NObody wanted to drive! lol!
I'm sorry to say but the Fairmont of that era was pretty feeble.
You're putting it mildly. The Fairmont was an atrocity! lol
At the 37 second mark, where Wink Martindale says, "It's available as a roomy sedan".....the car pictured is not an Aspen but the Plymouth Volare. Funny they let that mistake go thru.
I wish I could buy a brand new '80 Aspen R/T with a 5.9L 4 BBL V8 with Torqueflite automatic transmission!
we used to have a 80 Aspen wagon when I was a kid. I rode in the bed and noticed the floor pan was getting hot, I watched the rear wheel center hub falling off, by the time we got it to the local garage they looked at it and the rear axle had welded itself shut, lol! after that we got a 81 cutlass Cierra wagon, lol. the motor got burned up and quit too, lol!
Notice the Plymouth Volare' sedan at 0:36
I had a 77' Volare 318 it was slow. After a few mods it run with a 340 Cuda and Chevy Chevelle 350!
If only these had been better at release!
My parents owned a 1976 Aspen sedan and they didn't have any major issues mechanically but last few years of owning the car she rusted out.
I've never seen so many seat options!!!
The 70ties and 80ties are really the dark ages of US car design.
Did you know the manual gearboxes were not offered in California back then?
Those interiors
Yeah, way better than today
Ah yes... A monster truck favorite
I took my road test in a '77 Volare.
I miss the 70s and I also miss the no bra movement lol
Say what you want about the aspen We had a 79SE coupeDefinitely one of the nicest cars I’ve owned I would put it right up there with the Firebirds and cutlass I’ve had the only thing I like better was my Dakotas I even liked it as much as my Cordoba
Who ever really played Frisbee through a sunroof? 🤣
The sedan at 0:37 is a Plymouth Volare!
Me gusta el carro un Dodge Aspen; le hizo competencia al Ford Fairmont; es un excelente automóvil; me gusta con el motor 318 V8 transmisión automática; aire acondicionado; frenos de disco en las cuatro ruedas; me encanta el Dodge Aspen SE; por su comfort y elegancia; por su excelencia Dodge; me encanta ese carro; es mejor qué el Ford Fairmont; prefiero más con el motor 318 V8 de fabrica; transmisión automática; también me gusta la versión ranchera; saludos y buenas noches.
I have a Johnny Lightning version of the R/T.
0:36-0:39 Plymouth Volare. Maybe they figured it nobody would notice
Dodge ass-pain to those of us who had one or the Volare. But then nothing compact of the big 3 was decent in the mid seventies.
With a performance appearance. *snicker*
Mom had a '77
Mine too!! :) A green one.
Mom's was green inside and out
lean burn system....my god what a disaster
Terry Wiebe That's a myth. The only thing wrong with the system is the location of the computer on the air cleaner. Later M body squads had the computer up under the dash, and seldom went bad. Most problems were actually carb related.
My 1977 Volare 360 had major leanburn issues..Then I traded it for a 1978 Magnum with a 318 that again suffered from leanburn issues....The dealer could never solve it
I remember the 1970s...kind of anyway.....back then safe sex meant having a padded headboard.
Looks like she's ready for a 'deep shag' at 2:04!
Lmao! 😂🤣. U guys r tough.
We had a 76 Aspen, 78 Aspen Wagon, 79 Volare door, and 80 Aspen 4 door. Great car but rust buckets
I'll take a black r/t with 318 and 4 speed.....
360 4bll
0:07
...and standard for 1977, bumpers you can see through due to rust!
Aspen... unbelievable. (Like when you say unbelievable when it breaks down for the second time that same week)
We had a new 77 special edition station wagon with a 318. Nice looking car but it did not hold up. Worst Chrysler product we ever owned.
I like Mopars but that Lambert had to be the stupidest idea ever except that porcelain resistor that always went out
I had one fail in the early 80's in my 70' 383 cuda' it left me stranded big time.
I had dozens of those stupid things fail over and over on one car. If the car wouldn't start, then pull the headlights on/off while you turned the key. If that didn't work, pull the big screwdriver you keep under the hood for just such a purpose and jump the connectors. Ugh.
I took mine out Twisted the two wires together and put a wire nut on them never had a problem after that
100 versions of fugly.
What a heap. Nova ripoff... ;)
AAAAAAAAARGH........the ballast resistor.........the death of nearly all Chrysler Corporation vehicles from this time period!!!! Between that & the ELB, '70's & '80's Chryslers were REAL pains in the ass on cold starts!!!!!
Walter Zoomie except chrysler was before nova. Unibody was on valient and dart before Nova (dog track. you could tell a 4 door Nova from behind because GM could not get anything right back then). But Amc was the best anyways
landyachtfan79 the ballast resistors are cheap. You always kept a spare in the glove box.
The Lean Burn system was fine, but if the carb went out of tune, or the standard timing chain got sloppy, they had some trouble.
Aspen is "unbelievable." It was. Unbelievably poorly built. My Dad always bought Dodge cars. The 77 Dodge Aspen SE station wagon was the last Chrysler product he ever bought. The car was a comfortable ride but did not hold up.
Aspen and Volare were garbage cars! They may look nice in this film, but only God knows where they are now! Motor Trend magazine had the nerve to name these atrocities "Car of the Year" in 1976. But then again, they (and we) had no idea how badly these cars were made. If Chrysler Corporation took the time to improve the quality of these vehicles, they probably might have not come so close to bankruptcy in the early 1980s. One good thing, though: The A/V twins did spawn a (somewhat) better built derivative, the Dodge Diplomat and Chrysler LeBaron, in 1977.
William Reed Yes, the M body certainly proved that care in assembly, using high quality parts, can really make a difference.
The F body lasted 5 years. The M-body went right to the very end of RWD (at that time), 12 model years.
One quality of the M body that continues to live on with today's LX 300 and LD Charger - physical size: The M body was probably the perfect size for a "large" car. Chrysler used very similar dimensions, including wheelbase, in its 1993 LH vehicles. And, excepting the wheelbase, today's large Mopars still share a size similar to the M-body.
And the M-body is quite similar in size to a 1967 AMC Rebel, a standard in reasonably sized intermediate cars. Some intermediates by the late 70s (LTD II to note) had become well oversized.
Meh. Not a fan.
Garbage cars. No wonder Detroit nearly went out of business.