The Chrysler Atlantic
by T. L. Stone

"What the hell is THAT?" asked a Chrysler staffer upon first setting eyes on the car pictured above. The setting was DaimlerChrysler's (just Chrysler back then) Arizona proving grounds, and the car was the 1995 Chrysler Atlantic.

This prototype drew crowds and generated speculation at the 1995 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Some observers compared it to the classic Bugatti type 57S. Some noted it's resemblance to the famous Talbot-Lago. Others thought it simply outrageous - a fantasy executed in steel and rubber.

This particular fantasy, however, actually started out as a sketch on a napkin. That sketch was by Chrysler president Bob Lutz and Chrysler's chief designer Tom Gale was who Lutz showed it to. That was in January or February 1993.

"This is what a luxury coupe should look like," an obviously satisfied Gale told a reporter from AutoCar Magazine (April 1995). "The Atlantic redefines the two-door coupe as an art form." When prompted to comment further on the retro styling of the coupe, Gale responded: "You probably can't find a period in history like the late '30s with a stronger statement of incredibly elegant, romantic, image-leading coupes. But the two-door market as we used to know it has gone."

In its place, we have legions of sporty sedans. Drivers today are more likely to make their statement by displaying how sensible they are, or how frugal, or by buying a sport-utility vehicle. Could Lutz have looked into a crystal ball and seen this change in American car-buying patterns?

I think he did. He went on to say about the sedans that were beginning to absorb market share: "They're sporty and aggressive, and you don't need a two-door to express yourself any more. And that's too bad, because we're losing an automotive art form that makes people say, 'Now that's a coupe!'"

The Atlantic. Now that's... Let's admit that maybe "a coupe" isn't what springs to mind.

How about "massive?" The car had a 128-inch wheelbase and rode on 21-inch tires front, 22-inch rear. The twin-cam straight eight engine, created by welding together two Neon engines, produced 360 hp. Suspension parts came from the Viper bin, and the select-shift automatic transmission-turned-transaxle came from a Chrysler LH.

And this show car was driveable. Again from AutoCar: "You sit low in the Atlantic and look down a valley framed by the bulging wheel arches. Glance in the door mirrors and your view is dominated by the rising haunches over the back wheels."

Stylistically, it was impressive. Here's how Chrysler phrased it in the press release before the show: "Chrysler Atlantic -- conceived by a longing for the days when cars were designed on an artist's canvas. It's what a two-door luxury performance car was always meant to be -- bold, classically proportioned, beautiful, sophisticated, and bigger than life."

This writer thinks the Chrysler Atlantic is simply beautiful, and that's why it's this month's featured show car.

       

For an online reprint of the April 1995 AutoCar article on the Atlantic, go to this site: Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters - News

Flights of fancy, rendered in fiberglass and steel. Concept cars capture our attention and, sometimes, our imagination. Thanks for reading this.

Copyright © 2002 T. L. Stone
All rights reserved

Images: DaimlerChrysler Corporation

About the Author

"T. L. Stone" is the pen name of Kudzu Monthly's publisher, Lamar Stonecypher. He hopes that you enjoyed this article, and he'd like to extend best wishes for this coming year to all of the magazine's readers.