CHRYSLER K PLATFORM

The Chrysler Corporation's 'K-Car' platform of the 1980s ranks as one of the most overt uses of platform sharing in automotive history. Chrysler even advertised the K-Cars as a group, using the term in publications, and put "K" badges on some models. They later advertised the LH cars similarly, but with lesser emphasis.
Some consider the K platform as a brainchild of Lee Iacocca - the platform was originally rejected by Ford Motor Company when Iacocca was chairman right before he was terminated in 1978.
The K cars have been categorized as compact for their external size and small front-wheel drive layout. The K cars were designed to carry six adults on two bench seats and were aimed not only to replace the former compacts Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare (which succeeded the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant), but also to compete against the segment now defined by the downsized Chevrolet Malibu as intermediates and the similarly sized Ford Fairmont (predecessor to the Ford Taurus). Indeed, the Aries was placed in the same midsize category by the EPA as the larger and more expensive Aspen-based Chrysler Fifth Avenue.
Technically, only the Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant, second generation Chrysler LeBaron, and the Dodge 400 used the K platform. The rest of the group had different platforms based on the K. The famed Chrysler minivans were also based on the K platform to a lesser extent. The "last of the K-cars" was the long-hood fixed-headlight LeBaron convertible that was superseded in the 1996 model year by the "cab-forward" Chrysler Sebring convertible.
Some enthusiast groups refer to the expanded set of platforms based on the K as "EEKs," where EEK stands for "Every Extended K-car". Most of these vehicles had modified suspensions and most were longer and heaver than the original K-cars, but all had the same basic design, with a solid beam rear axle, independent front suspensions with MacPherson struts, front wheel drive, and generally a base 2.2 L Chrysler engine hooked up to a three-speed ''A413'' automatic transmission or a five-speed manual. In later years, the four-speed ''A604'' automatic transmission was used.
The EEKs offered a large variety of engines depending on year and model. Four cylinder engines started with carburetors and moved to a single throttle body injector or, for turbocharged models, four injectors, and ranged from 86 hp when introduced to 224 hp in the Turbo III. Most vehicles had the 2.2 or 2.5 L Chrysler-designed four-cylinder engines or the Mitsubishi 3.0 L V6. All V6 models had fuel injection, as did all turbocharged four-cylinders.
Chrysler economized greatly across the EEK models with standardized parts, often not tuning them for use in vehicles as far apart as sporty cars, minivans, and near-luxury sedans. Most parts (aside from sheet metal) are easily interchanged across the lines. This has led to owners upgrading by looking for heavier or more sporty EEKs in the junkyard and borrowing components from them for bolt-on upgrades.
However, in the 1990s, lack of investment in the EEK models coupled with the effects of too much cost-cutting and standardization, led to a reliance on heavy rebates to sell EEKs, which, along with inefficiencies in Chrysler's management and manufacturing, led to Chrysler selling many of these vehicles at a loss. Their replacements, though sometimes not selling as well, were profitable due to changes in the engineering and production processes, and innovative designs.
Though the EEKs did not have a strong reputation for performance, several were notable, including the Spirit R/T sedan, which could reach 60 mph in under six seconds unmodified, the Daytona R/T, and the turbocharged five-door liftback Chrysler LeBaron GTS/Dodge Lancer, praised for its mix of sport and luxury. Chrysler offered roomy and powerful alternatives to smaller compact imports from Honda or Mazda. Chrysler undermined the line by not investing in powertrain improvements such as multiple-port injection, and by not differentiating vehicles sufficiently; interiors were sometimes not up to the exterior image, such as on the Dodge Dynasty.
It should be noted that Chrysler often reused platform designations; thus the E platform based on the K cars was unrelated to the company's E platform of the early 1970s. In 1989, to end confusion, the company started to use two-letter codes, so that the new A platform became AA, P became AP, and so on.
The K platform was primarily a way to commonize parts use, saving money through economies of scale and by reducing the variety of parts in inventory, which was one of the problems that caused Chrysler to near bankruptcy in the 1970s. At the time, current flexible manufacturing systems were unavailable due to the state of the art in electronics and assembly, so the full benefit of platform sharing could not be realized; it was impossible to send a Reliant, Lancer, and Daytona down the line in sequence, for example. Most automakers use EEK-like platform engineering with flexible manufacturing now, generally differentiating the vehicles more, and building different vehicles on the same line, alternating as needed (for example, the Dodge Charger (LX), Dodge Magnum, and Chrysler 300 are all built interchangeably on the same assembly line).
The following cars used the K platform and its variants. Note that Chrysler applied nameplates somewhat capriciously, so that there could be an E-body New Yorker at the same time a C-body New Yorker was sold. While there were no Jeep EEKs made, at least one Rubicon-ready prototype was made. Eagle did not get any EEKs, either.

★ K midsize cars

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★ 1981-1989 Dodge Aries (often referred to by Chrysler as the 'Dodge Aries K', owing to strong publicity for the K cars)

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★ 1981-1989 Plymouth Reliant (as above, also known as the 'Plymouth Reliant K')

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★ 1982-1988 Chrysler LeBaron (coupes and convertibles were produced on this platform until 1987)

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★ 1982-1988 Chrysler Town and Country

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★ 1982-1983 Dodge 400

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★ 1983-1988 Plymouth Caravelle coupe (Canada only)

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★ 1983-1986 Chrysler Executive

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★ 1984-1986 Dodge 600 coupe and convertible

★ E (Extended-wheelbase) mid-size cars

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★ 1983-1984 Chrysler E-Class

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★ 1983-1987 Chrysler New Yorker

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★ 1983-1988 Dodge 600 sedan

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★ 1985-1988 Plymouth Caravelle

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★ 1988 Chrysler New Yorker Turbo

★ G sports cars (designated as the AG platform from 1989)

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★ 1984-1986 Chrysler Laser

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★ 1984-1993 Dodge Daytona and Chrysler Daytona (Canada)

★ S minivans

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★ 1984-1990 Dodge Caravan

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★ 1984-1990 Plymouth Voyager

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★ 1990 Chrysler Town and Country

★ H mid-size cars

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★ 1985-1988 Chrysler LeBaron GTS

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★ 1985-1989 Dodge Lancer

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★ 1987 Shelby Lancer

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★ 1989 Chrysler LeBaron

★ P compact cars (designated as the AP platform from 1989)

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★ 1987-1994 Dodge Shadow

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★ 1987-1994 Plymouth Sundance and Duster

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★ 1987-1989 Shelby CSX

★ J sport cars (designated as the AJ platform from 1989)

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★ 1987-1995 Chrysler LeBaron coupe and convertible

★ C mid-size cars (designated as the AC platform from 1989)

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★ 1988-1993 Chrysler New Yorker

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★ 1988-1993 Dodge Dynasty and Chrysler Dynasty (Canada)

★ A mid-size cars (also designated as the AA platform)

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★ 1989-1994 Chrysler Saratoga (Europe only)

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★ 1989-1995 Dodge Spirit

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★ 1989-1995 Plymouth Acclaim

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★ 1990-1994 Chrysler LeBaron sedan

★ Q sports car

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★ 1989-1991 Chrysler TC by Maserati

★ Y luxury cars (a stretched variant of the C platform used for two top-line models, also designated as the AY platform)

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★ 1990-1993 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue

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★ 1990-1993 Chrysler Imperial

★ AS minivans

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★ 1991-1995 Chrysler Town and Country

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★ 1991-1995 Dodge Caravan

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★ 1991-1995 Plymouth Voyager

Contents

External links

External links

★ EEK mailing list - hosted by Topica and still active

★ Allpar EEK section - in-depth information on all EEKs and their components

★ EEKcars - an index to various EEK models with links to different sites.