1983 Chrysler E Class sedan

“Chrysler’s largest front-wheel drive sedan.”

Chrysler’s E Class sedan was all-new for 1983, along with the closely related Chrysler New Yorker sedan and Dodge 600 sedan. Heavily based on the K-car, the E-body featured a wheelbase that was three inches longer than that of the LeBaron, Aries, and Reliant.

The standard powertrain consisted of the 94 bhp K 2.2-liter/134 ci inline four with a two-barrel carburetor paired with a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. A Mitsubishi 4G54 93 bhp 2.6 liter inline four with a two-barrel carburetor and more torque was a $259 option.

Making a larger and heavier car while retaining the same engine was not a recipe for performance—Consumer Guide recorded a 0-60 time of 17 seconds with the 2.2 liter engine. EPA fuel economy was rated at 24 city/32 highway by the day’s standards. With a smallish 13-gallon gas tank, an E Class owner could expect a range of 270 to 290 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $9,341 Chrysler E Class (about $30,600 in today’s dollars) included halogen high and low beam headlamps, power rack-and-pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P185/70R14 steel belted radial ply tires on 14-inch wheels with Luxury wheel covers. Inside, the headlining Electronic Voice Alert System, a cloth front bench seat with a center armrest, a corporate Luxury steering wheel, a digital electronic clock, and a manually-tuned AM radio were included.

Options, Market Positioning, & Production Numbers

Exterior and mechanical options included two-tone paint ($170), tinted glass ($104), and cast aluminum wheels ($363). Inside, buyers could choose a cloth 50/50 bench seat with dual armrests and dual recliners ($267), tilt steering wheel ($105), air conditioning with bi-level ventilation ($732), Automatic Speed Control ($174), power windows ($255), power door locks ($170), the Electronic Travel Computer Cluster ($206), and three radios ranging up to an electronically tuned AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player.

I recall Chrysler marketing these cars as a more contemporary alternative to the New Yorker, which shared the same platform but had a more traditional bent—a Chrysler press release stated that the E Class had “smart Euro styling.” Chrysler does this a lot—they did it again about 15 years later with the 300M and LHS.

Chrysler produced 39,258 E Classes for the 1983 model year, making it the second most popular Chrysler sedan—in 1983, the rear-wheel drive New Yorker Fifth Avenue remained the sales leader. Chrysler would sell another 32,237 in 1984, and then the E Class would leave the Chrysler marque and become the Plymouth Caravelle for 1985 (as it had been in the Canadian market from 1983 forward).

The View From 2025

The E Class was a common sight for about ten years, but they’re gone from the streets now—I haven’t seen one for decades. They’re almost never seen in either the Hemmings Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors. As I write this blog entry in July 2025, Bring a Trailer is auctioning its first E Class—a 1984.

Make mine Nightwatch Blue, please.

Other K-platform related Chryslers I have written about include the 1982 LeBaron convertible, the 1984 Laser hatchback coupe, and the 1986 Town & Country convertible.