“Fun is affordable again.”
For 1987, Plymouth’s Turismo hatchback coupe was little changed as it headed into its final model year. The 2.2-liter engine became standard, along with argent Rallye wheels.
The Turismo’s standard powertrain was the K 96 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four with a two-barrel carburetor paired with a five-speed manual transmission. A three-speed automatic was available as part of the Basic package or the Duster package. 0-60 times are hard to come by for the Turismo, but I’m betting on a little over 10 seconds for the 2,281-pound car—with the five-speed. Fuel economy is better known—25 city/35 highway with the five-speed by the day’s standards (22/32 by today’s measures). With a 13-gallon gas tank, a Turismo driver could expect a range of 320 to 350 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
The $7,199 Turismo (about $21,200 in today’s dollars) had better base equipment for 1987 than it had in previous years. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included tinted glass, black bodyside moldings, halogen headlights, an electric rear window defroster, a remote liftgate release, power brakes, and P165/80R13 steel belted radial tires (a size now only available from Michelin at considerable expense) on argent 13-inch Rallye steel wheels. Inside, cloth with vinyl trim low-back front bucket seats, a four-spoke color-keyed Sport steering wheel, and an electric rear window defroster were included.
Packages, Options, & Production Numbers
Plymouth offered three packages for the 1987 Turismo:
- The $776 Basic package included the three-speed automatic and power-assisted steering.
- The $575 Duster manual package included Duster and Plymouth decals, black dual remote control exterior mirrors, power-assisted steering, cloth with vinyl trim Sport reclining high-back front bucket seats with increased lateral support, Deluxe door trim panels with cloth inserts, a console, and an electronic tuning AM stereo/FM stereo radio with a digital clock and four speakers
- The $1,009 Duster automatic package included Duster and Plymouth decals, black dual remote control exterior mirrors, the three-speed automatic, power-assisted steering, cloth with vinyl trim Sport reclining high-back front bucket seats with increased lateral support, Deluxe door trim panels with cloth inserts, a console, and an electronic tuning AM stereo/FM stereo radio with a digital clock and four speakers
There were few individual options, but they included California emissions, air conditioning ($701), and an AM/FM stereo cassette with Dynamic Noise Reduction and auto reverse ($246).
Plymouth sold 24,104 Turismos in its final model year—a far cry from the 52,162 sold two years prior. Introduced for 1987, the Sundance coupe would be the putative replacement going forward in Plymouth’s model line.
The View From 2025
I’m going to declare this version of the L-body as vanished. I haven’t seen a Turismo in the wild for decades, and they have little presence in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors. Bring a Trailer hasn’t sold any Turismos, though they did sell one of the Scamp pickup truck variants in 2019.
Make mine Garnet Red Pearl Coat, please.
Other Plymouths I have written about include the 1980 Horizon hatchback sedan, the 1980 Volaré station wagon, the 1981 Reliant coupe, and the 1984 Voyager minivan. I’ve also written about the 1983 and 1985 versions of the Dodge Shelby Charger hatchback coupe—the Turismo’s higher-performance sibling.
Last updated October 2025.
Eighties Cars 