Chrysler Centura

Chrysler Centura GL (1975-1977)

The Chrysler Centura was a mid-size car that was built by Chrysler Australia and based on the French Chrysler 180. In Australia, the car was but equipped with the locally produced six-cylinder in-line engines Hemi. Created about 20,000 vehicles between mid-1975 and late 1978.

Development

The engineers at Chrysler Australia and Simca -considered first, the change the body 180 and to shorten the drive so that the Australian six-cylinder engines could be mounted further back in the car, then decided but, instead, to extend the nose of the vehicle, because you at Chrysler Australia apparently thought that would create a more aggressive and better looking car. This also meant that fewer changes were necessary to the 180 to " australisieren ", which also lowered the cost of assembly. In addition, there was extensive cosmetic changes to the grille, headlights, hood, the rear end plate and the rear lights.

To compensate for the forward weight transfer through the heavier and more front-seat motor, you built a brake pressure distribution valve. Upon immersion of the vehicle front of this valve during the braking operation reducing the brake pressure on the rear axle, and to prevent locking of the rear wheels, and a breaking of the automobile.

Chrysler also experimented with the installation of a 5.2 -liter V8 engine from U.S. manufacturing, but decided that the body would not be stiff enough to cope with the larger engine, and the V8 version was never built.

Centura KB

The Centura KB was not only with the four-cylinder in-line engine with 1981 cc from the French Chrysler 180 available in Australia, but also with the six-cylinder OHC Hemi - line engines with 3523 cc or 4014 cc capacity of Australian production. These engines were connected with your choice of three-or four -speed manual transmission or a three-stage BorgWarner automatic transmission. The four-cylinder had 122 hp SAE (90 kW), the six-cylinder brought it to 142 hp SAE (104 kW ) or 167 hp SAE (123 kW). The KB - series was sold in the equipment XL and GL, the latter also received a tachometer, better cloth seats and, upon request, a vinyl roof. The KB - models for Europe (excluding the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus) were naturally equipped with a built-in left the cockpit, steering wheel and pedal set. Like the bigger brother Valiant mechanical ventilation was a problem, but at least the Centura had two outlets on top of the dashboard. The six-cylinder models also had larger brakes (60 -mm discs in front and 25.4 -mm rear drums ) and a dual-circuit brake system.

Problems

The bulkheads of the six-cylinder models did not fit the larger clutches, which required the car. So they recovered greatly and frequently broke with older vehicles. For all Centura there were difficulties with the quality of the interior; Door panels parted and the vinyl headliner tore down at the seams. In the six-cylinder models, there was electric fire in the engine compartment, because the cable was of the battery to the starter motor, which were at opposite corners of the motor, as long. This was due to the rubbing of the cable to the metal brackets on the bulkhead.

In 1973 the importation of bodies from France was hampered by strikes of dock workers who were protesting against France's nuclear tests in French Polynesia. So many bodies remained for months lying on the wharves, where they were exposed to the salt water laden air and later reinforced tended to corrosion. Because the strike lasted a full two years, remained doing bodies are so long on the quays.

In addition to the strike consequences for French imports, the supply of spare parts and the commitment of Chrysler Australia for used vehicles became more difficult, because 1978 Chrysler Europe went bankrupt and was bought by Peugeot. Soon after the takeover, there were many French Peugeot / Talbot factories strikes, reducing sparing situation in Australia continued to deteriorate. The mixture of metric and imperial threads, which resulted from the mixture of French and Australian components, the maintenance of a Centura did not simpler.

Market position

The six-cylinder models were four times as likely to be sold on the Australian market as the four-cylinder model. It was known that they joined an unproblematic road location with good torque and strong acceleration performance. Available on request sport equipment were available from the merchants rally stripes on the hood and sides of the vehicle to sports steel or aluminum rims.

The main competitors of the Centura in Australia were the Australian four-and six-cylinder versions of the Ford Cortina and the Holden Torana models LH and LX Sunbird. The Centura offered a much larger interior and a larger trunk than its competitors. The Centura was also to a lesser extent competitor to the better-equipped four-cylinder Datsun 180B Bluebird and Toyota Corona and the larger Holden, Chrysler Valiant (including the Charger coupes ) and the Ford Falcon. All of these competitors - even if they did not offer the extreme acceleration ability of the six-cylinder Centura - had less to deal with rust and offered more modern design. In retrospect, the Centura was not a typical midsize car of the 1970s. Only after the production setting the Centura brought Holden Commodore in October 1978 the first out of the Centura offered as a similar amount of space inside.

Chrysler Australia could then expect little financial support from her stuck in their own troubles U.S. parent company, whereby the larger Valiant had to keep for years the same chassis, essentially the same body and the same interior ( without forced ventilation ). Thus acquired the Valiant the image of old-fashioned model, which also impact on the image of the manufacturer had and possibly the sales figures of the Centura negatively influenced. The design of the 180 was also a bit outdated as the model ( later than planned ) was presented to the Australian market, what the bad image of the brand further strengthened. The larger Valiant was still with Australian farmers popular, the great and powerful cars in the U.S. style preferred, but the Centura could not offer that.

Centura KC

In KC model, which was built from June 1977 to the end of 1978, were the engines with 2.0 liter and 3.5 liter displacement away. Instead, a low -density (7.6: 1) was 4.0 l -R6, which ran on regular gas and fuel saved, and a highly compressed version (9.0: 1) with higher performance and higher torque. In Centura KC and the share of parts manufactured in Australia rose; he had VDO instruments, a steering wheel, a steering column and various other parts of the nature of the larger Valiant. While the 3.5 -liter version nor a final drive of 3.23: 1 was, the 4.0 L had such a of 2.92: 1 The KC was offered in the basic GL and GLX better equipment.

1979, the Centura was replaced by the sigma from the Mitsubishi design offices.