TURISMO

This nameplate was introduced for the 1983 model year as the new badge for Plymouth’s sporty L-body three-door hatchback coupe, which had previously been sold under different names in the same basic family. It was Plymouth’s compact, front-wheel-drive entry in the small-car market, aimed at buyers who wanted a little more style than a plain economy hatchback without moving up to a larger performance car. The model’s shape and proportions came from Chrysler’s compact L-car program, and its lineage traces back to the hatchback version of the Horizon/TC3 formula. Over its run, it remained a relatively affordable, youthful-looking coupe rather than a full-blown sports model. Early cars used the base four-cylinder engine familiar from the Horizon line, and later versions could be ordered with Chrysler’s larger 2.2-liter four-cylinder, giving the car a bit more flexibility and appeal as the years went on. The model stayed in production through the 1987 model year, after which the nameplate was discontinued. Today it is remembered as part of Chrysler’s early-1980s effort to keep Plymouth relevant with small, practical, front-wheel-drive cars that still had a slightly more distinctive personality than their mainstream counterparts.