Encyclopedia:
Plymouth Gran Fury
Plymouth Gran Fury was an
automobile manufactured by the
Chrysler Corporation from 1975 to 1977, and again from 1980 to 1989.
In
1975, the car previously known as the
Plymouth Satellite was restyled and became known as the
Plymouth Fury. As a result, the previous full-sized Fury became known as the Gran Fury. The Gran Fury, however, only lasted from 1975 to 1977, when all of Plymouth's
full-size C-body models were dropped. The mid-sized Fury would follow a year later.
In
1980 the Gran Fury returned, this time based on the
R-body introduced for 1979. Nearly identical to the concurrent
Chrysler Newport, it was intended to satisfy dealer requests for a lower-priced full-size model, but more importantly to fulfill fleet orders. The model was short-lived, and was discontinued midway through the 1981 model year along with the other R-body models. Like its sibling, the Dodge St. Regis, the R-body Gran Fury was mainly popular among fleet customers, especially police departments.
In
1982, Plymouth launched the last car to carry the Gran Fury name, this time using the
Dodge Diplomat's
platform. Although available to the general public, the 1980s Gran Fury was far more popular with police departments and other fleet customers, primarily since the car was reasonably priced and had a conventional drivetrain with proven components that could withstand a good deal of abuse. Declining sales, a lack of advertising and general old age (the platform dated back to the 1976
Plymouth Volare and
Dodge Aspen) eventually contributed to the model's demise in
1989.
The M-body Gran Fury was also sold in
Canada from 1977 to 1989 as the
Plymouth Caravelle, and later as the Caravelle Salon, after the
front-wheel drive Caravelle debuted there for
1983.
Category:Plymouth vehiclesCategory:Rear wheel drive vehiclesCategory:Full-size vehiclesCategory:Mid-size carsCategory:CoupesCategory:SedansCategory:Station wagonsCategory:1970s automobilesCategory:1980s automobilesde:Plymouth Gran Fury