1990 Chrysler TC

The Chrysler TC by Maserati was birthed from a friendship between Lee Iacocca and Alejandro de Tomaso. It was a grand tourer introduced in 1986 at the Los Angeles Auto Show and, following development delays, became available in late 1988. By the time production ceased in 1990, approximately 7,300 examples had been manufactured in Milan, Italy.

The relationship between Iacocca and de Tomaso began while Iacocca was at Ford. The early De Tomaso Pantera relied on engines from Ford, and over three-quarters of the production was sold by American Lincoln-Mercury dealers from 1972 to 1975. While the Pantera was a mid-engine sports car, the TC was a two-door convertible Grand Tourer. Iacocca headed Chrysler during the 1980s; from 1976 to 1993, De Tomaso owned Italian sports car maker Maserati.

A memorandum of understanding was signed in 1984 with the intent of creating a sports car, eventually becoming the TC, or 'turbocharged coupe.' Chrysler became an investor in Maserati during that period.

The Chrysler TC
The Chrysler TC endured a lengthy gestation period of five years before the production version was completed. The delays were caused by mismanagement and disagreements between Chrysler and Maserati engineers.

Mechanical Specification
The TC used a shortened Dodge Daytona chassis with a 93.3-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 175.8 inches, and a width of 68.5 inches. Many of its components, including its styling, were sourced from the Chrysler LeBaron. This was not the plan, as the TC was intended to be introduced before the LeBaron. A De Tomaso subsidiary named Innocenti produced the bodywork for the TC. Its wheels were made in Italy by the Formula One supplier Fondmetal, and the struts and shock absorbers were specially designed for the car by Fichtel and Sachs.

The TC had a detachable hard top with circular, beveled-glass opera windows and a six-point latching system. Alternatively, a manually operated cloth-lined convertible top was available in either black or tan.

Upon its introduction, the TC was powered by a 2.2-liter straight-4 Daytona-spec turbocharged engine, known as the Turbo II, that produced 160 horsepower and was paired with an A413 three-speed automatic transaxle. The 1990 and 1991 TC received a Mitsubishi-sourced 3.0 liter V6 engine rated at 141 horsepower. Instead of the A413 three-speed, the V6 engine was paired to a four-speed A604 unit.

Five hundred examples were built with an optional 16-valve head version of the 2.2 L paired with a Getrag manual transmission. This engine was assembled by Maserati and has a Maserati-branded cast valve cover. The engine's cylinder head was cast in England by Cosworth and finished in Italy by Maserati. The camshafts were designed by Florida-based Crane Cams and were manufactured by Maserati in Modena. The pistons came from Mahle GmbH in Germany. A Japanese turbocharger was sourced from IHI. This specially made 2.2 liter 'Maserati' engine, with its upgraded crankshaft and rods, produced 200 horsepower.

Features and Amenities
The TC excelled at luxury and comfort. The entire interior, including the armrests, door panels, dashboard, and rear fascia panels were covered in hand-stitched Italian leather. A special interior storage compartment housed an umbrella, tool kit, and small spare tire, accommodating the use of the full-sized trunk even when the top was down.

Nearly every imaginable amenitie was offered as standard equipment, including a 10-speaker Infinity AM/FM cassette stereo, power door and trunk locks, a tilt steering wheel, cruise control, power windows, map lights, and puddle lamps. The only optional equipment for the TC was a CD player that was a plug-in attachment to the standard Infinity AM/FM cassette stereo. The available drivetrain alternatives were no-cost options.

Colors
The interior colors of the 1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati were ginger or Bordeaux. Exterior colors were cabernet, red, or yellow. When the cabernet exterior was selected, the Bordeaux interior was used. Both the Cabernet exterior and Bordeaux interior were dropped in 1990. Black and white exterior colors were added to the color selection, along with a black leather interior.

Production and Pricing
A total of 3,764 examples were produced in 1989, 1,900 the following year, and 1,636 in 1991. The 1989 TC was priced at $33,000, the 1990 version at $35,000, and the 1991 version at $37,000. It is estimated that Chrylser lost approximately $600 million on this project, with the cost of producing each TC around $80,000.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2024