California Survivor: 1980 Plymouth Horizon
In 1980, things were pretty grim for the country in general and automobiles in particular. The prime interest rate in this country reached an all-time high of 21.5% and inflation sat stubbornly at 13.5%. Doomsday predictors were all forecasting that we would run out of oil soon, and, if that weren’t enough, Mount Saint Helens erupted on May 18 of that year. As you can imagine, automobile sales were abysmal. Suffering most of all was the Chrysler Corporation. Teetering on bankruptcy, the company was struggling to offer products that frugal consumers wanted. Their best chance to gain these sales was with cars like this 1980 Plymouth Horizon for sale on Craigslist in Laguna Beach, California. This neat little economy car is in great condition for its age, has received numerous recent repairs, and is in running and driving condition. Would you be willing to pay the $2,700 asking price for a car that can still deliver 35 MPG and take your (small) family to Cars and Coffee on Saturday morning? Thanks to numskal for the fascinating find!
While our current gripes about interest rates, inflation, and the cost of everything have plenty of merit, the late 1970s and early 1980s were quite rough for the average family. In times of high inflation and interest rates, sales come to a standstill for everything but necessities. Cars, for the most part, are not necessities unless yours has been damaged or needs expensive repairs to run. Back then, if times were lean and you needed a car, it was almost always going to be an economy car. Your choices weren’t as broad as they are now. Domestic dealer lots were still filled with cars that occupied their own zip codes. However, each manufacturer had managed to field a few cars for what they disdainfully regarded as the bottom end of the market. Many of those were re-badged imported cars, known as captive imports. Meanwhile, offerings from Japan and Volkswagen’s Rabbit were gaining market share by the day.
In a stroke of luck for a company that had little good fortune in the 1970s, Chrysler Europe started the development of an economy car in 1974 at the behest of Chrysler’s president at the time. This project wound back and forth with contributions from Chrysler’s United States office and divisions of the company in France and Great Britain. The models we came to know as the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon came to fruition in 1978, with European models debuting at the same time. Cars such as this were desperately needed on both sides of the Atlantic, and their sales helped keep the company afloat during these precarious years when Chrysler was bleeding money by the day with no end in sight. These were four-cylinder cars, originally offered in five-door form like the Volkswagen Rabbit that they resembled. The model line came to add a hatchback coupe and a small pickup during their production run. That run ran longer than anyone expected. By the time the line shut down in 1990, the cars were little changed except for the engines offered.
The car you see in the ad is a textbook example of a small car from this era. Looking carefully at the pictures reveals a very well taken care of economy car that still wears its original paint and interior. It also came with a few desirable options such as an AM/FM radio, air conditioning, and an automatic transmission. From there it wears the usual features for an economy car such as manual windows, a vinyl interior, and a dash with a bare minimum of instrumentation.
A look under the hood reveals an engine somewhere under that Indiana Jones-level nest of snakes (wires, hoses, and tubes). Believe it or not, the engines for the first few years of production were supplied by Volkswagen and attached to Chrysler-produced transmissions. The engine was rated for a piddling 68 horsepower and 83 lb. ft of torque. The seller tells us that the car has recently benefitted from a new smog system, tires, brakes, belts, timing belt, struts, and upper motor mounts. The air conditioning is said to blow cold, and the car gets a still very good 35 MPG.
It would be nice to hear a back story on this car, especially if that story detailed how this economy car managed to survive in such good condition when nearly all of the other Omni and Horizons of this period have vanished from the planet. This is the kind of car that is worth saving because it tells the story of survival for Chrysler before the K-Car. Lee Iacocca may have been there at the time, but this car was the product of the abilities of some talented people who managed to stave off disaster with their work. The seller makes this car easy to save with an asking price of only $2,700. Hopefully, someone who respects the car for what it is will come along and scoop it up. People need reminders of tough times in the past to help them cope with such times in the present.
Have you ever owned a Dodge Omni or Plymouth Horizon? Do you think it is important for cars like this to be saved to tell their story? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Comments
A round of applause to the writer,,,our timeline Jeff describes, doesn’t any more accurate than that. Stout purists, in denial, refused to accept our changing automotive scene, and by golly, would rather drive the old Pontiac than an foreign car. Oh sure, we dabbled with Pinto/Vega/Gremlin, but not really a new design, FWD was the way of the future, like it or not, and the Omni/Horizon changed everything. While as mentioned, it was probably more foreign than domestic underneath, didn’t matter, it had that Chrysler Pentastar logo, and that meant a lot to a lot of Americans, like almost 250,000 workers. It can be said these cars saved Chrysler, but more importantly, it finally offered an US alternative. In the 11 year run, they sold over 2.5 million cars, and while they were “disposable”, some managed to escape that, and here you go. What’s fun is look how much we changed again. Simple car, that a/c makes most of the clutter, no info screen, no lane deviation alerts, or crash avoidance( love that one), just a car that everyone could drive. Think we’ll ever get back to that? Nah,,too late, yet some lucky buyer can relive the simplicity of 1980, Amen.
I’m one of those who would NEVER be content to drive anything like this! It’s far beyond MY Horizon 😉. As is any other small car, especially with a foreign name. My smallest car was a 77 Monte Carlo. I don’t care how much gas it uses, give me a great American Land YACHT. My current Town Car Signature Limited is the last gasp of traditional American Luxury. I will thankfully drive it as long as I can drive!
Dear HoA, the engine may have been foreign, but everything else was AMERICAN on the L body cars.
For the rest, with automatic transmission and a/c it would be pretty much impossible to get 35 mpg. I drafted an 18 wheeler from Detroit to Chicago with a 1978 version and got 33 mpg.
auto writers say, “No”. “There’s too much on the dash & in the extras dept in the cars now. Becoming dangerous.”
I’m so glad my tax dollars helped Chrysler launch this turd. From the Hemi Challenger to the OmniRizon in the span of a decade. Oof!
Happy Chrysler survived TEMPORARILY. But the last REAL Chrysler was the 80s RWD Fifth Avenue. Iacoca went loca 🤪. The night was dark. The sky was blue. Down the road a Horizon flew! A bump was hit. A scream was heard 😳! Someone got hit by a Horizon TURD! 😲 😄 😁 🤣 😂! 👍. Great minds DO run in the same gutters!
I’m assuming you’re referencing Chrysler’s infamous “bailout.” The Omni/Horizon was launched in 1978, while the Chrysler Loan Guarantee Act wasn’t signed until 1980, so your tax dollars had nothing to do with launching these cars. You may be thinking of the K-cars, which were definitely launched with the money secured by the loan guarantee. However, it wasn’t a government loan, it was a loan guarantee, meaning the government effectively co-signed Chrysler’s loans, guaranteeing to pay them back if Chrysler defaulted. No tax dollars were involved, as Chrysler paid back the loans in three years, seven years ahead of schedule. I recall GM and Ford taking out full-page ads in newspapers and flooding the radio airwaves in support of the loan guarantee, because we all benefit from a competitive market. It was a rare instance of an entire industry coming together in support of one of its failing companies.
There’s no question that our tax dollars are often squandered on things that offer no real value, but Chrysler’s 79/80 loan guarantee isn’t one of them.
Thanks for Setting the record straight. I was Chrysler employee then and I well remember those days. People forget that Chrysler received a loan at that time and it was repaid early. I had three of these cars: 2 hatchbacks and one Omni 2+2, a fastback. These were good cars for their time. I drove mine for years and 2 kids learned to drive on them.
Om i
So these cars CAUSED Chrysler to go bankrupt? Glad you cleared that up.
Do you aim it or drive the tank on wheels?
Glad you rich ppl are jerks (curds) anyway//////////poor ppl with 2 kids sure liked them & they were reliable(except the vw engine was a slop box–2.2 Chrysler fixed that problem later) —As for a decade—about every auto manufacturer did about the same thing. The Caravan was a HUGE success beginning in ’84 as well—-
Thank you Dan, and also CCFisher and HoA! You three are truly auto people who recognize the function of a car, that of transporting from Point A to Point B with, perhaps, a little Walter Mitty fun thrown in. We truly pity the barge captains- they know not what they’re missing (brains?).
I owned a special-order ’84 Voyager- base model, HD suspension, HD clutch, 5-speed. Why they put tachs in automatics I’ll never know, but once I worked out the red line (6,000 RPM) in the gears (35, 55, 75, off the clock for IV and V) and tightened up the shift linkage (1/2 the stock throws) and left out the rear seat, I used to chase M-Bs, Bimmers, etc., around the hills and twists of the Berkshires and Litchfield Hills. FUN!
We put 178K miles on it over 16 years, wife, dog and I camping from the Bay of Fundy to the Pacific Coast… multiple times. Routine maintenance and a head gasket every 100K and lt the good times roll! 26.5 MPG overall.
To WILL… with all due respect, there are many, myself included that want a CAR built for comfort and panache. In our own way, we too are enthusiasts. We love our LAND YACHTS just as much as you enjoy your choices. Too each his OWN 😉. Fortunately in America 🇺🇸 we can STILL have our own opinions! 👍
How about chilling with the insults? To each one’s own.
This model and its’ twin, the Omni, may have saved Chrysler and gave my wife an opportunity to buy the 1986 Fifth Ave which may have been our best vehicle she ever drove. Kudos to the previous owner for taking care of this one.
The 80s RWD Fifth Avenues were IMO, one of the best revisions ever made for an existing platform. Had 83 and 85 Fifth Avenues. Great cars. Formal styling, OTT luxury, comfortable, reliable 318, plush tufted velour seats all contributed to its appeal. Then Iacoca went loca with Kcars. The FWD Fifth Avenues, New Yorkers, and Imperials, were definitely a sad ending for those storied models. My Fifth Avenues easily held their own with other upscale vehicles I have owned. ONE of my numerous automotive errors was not keeping the 85. 😢
Dear Big C, your tax dollars had nothing to do with the launch of the L body cars. They went on sale in February 1978. That was 2 1/2 years before the loan guarantees went into effect. For the historical record, Chrysler paid those loans back 8 years and paid the US government a hefty fee to get the loans. That’s right the US government made money on the deal. Not very often does the government make money on your taxes.
I like seeing these cars no one likes or say throw away cars. Keep them coming!
“Your choices weren’t as broad as they are today”? Actually, automotive choices were much more plentiful then than now. If you want a American made CAR you’re out of luck. And even the Japanese quit making economy cars. There are no economy cars, no roadsters, no small pickups. Today’s pickings are mighty slim.
Amen and Hallelujah to that! Today’s? Choices? Are largely limited to SUVS, crossovers, and a few melted jelly beans. Color combos of two and tri tones are no longer available. Color choices are as boring and basic as the vehicles. Luxury SEDANS have been replaced by glorified trucks! 🤮 👎
The Shelby GHL model was a very quick little car that was a real sleeper
Goes Hell Like!
I agree that someone needs to save this little puppy. I knew someone who had a warehouse–well, room in a warehouse–full of DAFs. Humble little Dutch rollers are not something you would want to daily drive or commute in, or certainly not take on the highway. But they’re a piece of history, with an early CVT transmission, and DAF was later bought by Volvo. I wrote DAF/DAFs/the collector in several magazines and have republished a couple on my website.
But I digress.The “ordinary” models deserve to be saved because they are history. Not everyone wants them, but I don’t understand the hostility often expressed about them. If you don’t like them, don’t read the article. Don’t click on the link.
Me, I’d like to have a warehouse to save cars like this. And then take one to a C&C or car show, and I guarantee more people will come and talk than just another Mustang or Camaro.
Cool thing about those old DAFs with the “Variomatic” transmission is that the CVT drive belts were *external* and could be replaced by putting the car on a lift and taking the back wheels off (they were RWD), no further disassembly needed.
Lovely car. Although I was way too young at the time to drive a car, I remember cars like the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon. My favourite of the two was the Plymouth Horizon. If only more pics were posted on Craigslist. I don’t think there’s such thing as too many photos. People want to see as much of a car as they can, engine, cargo area, passenger cabin, gauges, etc. I know I would want to see the entire car.
Listed 9 days ago with a $2,500 price tag, turn key with a lot of recent work in the heart of a metropolitan area with 10,000,000 people and no takers. That speaks to its desirability when even in the land of overpriced used cars no one has stepped up. Even the, “it will draw a crowd at a cars and coffee” crowd are sitting this one out.
Steve R
ugly… i kinda take pride in what in drive… not some small embarrasing ‘lil wennie’ poop mobile… i ‘lean’… git it… with RICK W… i drive V-8 fords… 89 fox, 93 bro, and 06 f-150… and i got gas money… always have… :)
So happy for you.
I sold these cars new back in the day. My favorite was the truck load that came in that said Horizon on one side and Omni on the other! Plymouth grill, Dodge wheel covers. That was about 1985 or so. Amost as cool as the turbo stick shift mini vans a few years later. BTW if you (me) could sell these cars at 18 percent interest you could sell!!
Ha! I heard from others there was a lot of that. There was such a demand, the factory had no time to correct the screwups. That was the dealers job. My favorite story, was a Ford dealer in the 70s, unloading a pickup, it started but wouldn’t move. Looking underneath, it had no transmission.
My dad bought a new ’81 Plymouth horizon. It had the Volkswagen engine, 4 speed manual, and am/FM radio, no a/c. He was a very conservative driver driving 64 miles round trip back and for to work. He managed 45 mpg. I drove it across Illinois to Indianapolis, Indiana. It was all Interstate. I drove at 78 mph and managed 41 mpg on the trip. I myself owned a ’85 Plymouth Horizon with 2 young children. For a compact it was very roomy. I’m 70 and have driven land yachts to compacts, RWD, FWD, and AWD, automatics, manual, diesel and gas, but not EV yet. I love all cars equally.
Would be an ideal car for something
like Door Dash or delivering pizzas. 35 or more MPG is great but can you
still get parts for these things? I really like the ones with the wood trim
and a roof rack too. Always dreamed
of owning a GLH too. Holy crap! What a screamer! Bet they were loads of fun back then. If my back
wasn’t so bad, I’d really consider this
one. Just can’t ride in a small car with sciatica. I need help getting out
of something like this these days. If
it had a better suspension, I might
consider it. With these things, you
felt every bump in the road. And brick
streets, you’ll jar the fillings out of your teeth before you know it. Sure, I
want it, but my body won’t respect in the morning!
“Jar the fillings out of your teeth” I’m still chuckling at that! 😄
My dad sold/exchanged (I don’t know or remember) a perfectly good 1978 Buick LeSabre Coupe for an ‘82 Horizon. I couldn’t believe he replaced the Buick for an Horizon! Mom wanted a smaller car to drive so dad went to automotive hell for the car. After a period of time, I heard her complain that the ride was too rough! Mom was pretty clueless about automobiles. If I recall, I gave her the ‘71 Electra I had as I was recently married and only needed my ‘69 Fleetwood Brougham to get around. Musical cars….
Exactly! Perfect car for puttering around the city, at this point. Was the right car at the right time for Chrysler.
The Horizon was in fact a French Simca. In 1963 Chrysler bought Simca and the new Horizon was named Chrysler Horizon here in 1979, and a few years later Talbot Horizon. They did have a Simca engine here and certainly not a VW!
Mechanically you could not wear them out, because they rusted much faster!
The worst rust buckets I ever had in my life!
“Rusted much faster” than it wore out!
The comments for this car are hilarious!
Thanks! So Horizon was a son of Simca? That explains a lot! The Horizon was just as bad as Bart, son of Homer Simpson! 😁 🤣
The early Horizons were, in fact, powered by VW engines. In the mid 80s, I operated an automotive business that included auto repair. A good customer came in to proudly show off his latest acquisition- an ‘81 Horizon. He pontificated how he was so happy that he had bought an American car, ‘cause he sure didn’t want any stinking’ Volkswagen. The hood was open- I said, “Chuck, you need to look at this.” There was a large VW emblem cast into the front of the block. He was shocked! “But it says right here (on the air filter housing) ‘PROUDLY MADE IN THE U.S.A.!” Upon closer inspection, it actually said “air cleaner (small letters) PROUDLY MADE IN U.S.A.”
(big letters). Simca may have contributed something back in the early development, but the engines in early domestic Omnis and Horizons were irrefutably supplied by Volkswagen. I don’t care for Horribleicons or Ominous, and I’m amazed that they have a “collector car” following. Whatever floats your boat. 🤷♂️
The Simca Horizon was originally built in France and had a 1300cc engine. They were basic cars that competed with the VW Golf. They did 120km/h, which was the maximum allowed in Europe. But they rusted so easily!
We loved these cars back in the day. Our 1st one was an ’83 Omni with the 1.6 and a 4speed stick, 6 grand plus tax. It wasn’t fast but got 40 mpg’s and the money we saved in gas (had a ’67 Newport that got 10mpg at best) made the 150 dollar a month payment. When news hit ’90 was going to be the last year we bought another Omni with the 2.2 and five speed, same price 6 grand plus tax. It was like a rocket compared to the old one. We sold it because it got to small for our growing family. But when my wife needed a small car to go back and forth for her new job, We got a ’90 Horizon with a 2.2, 5speed, air, p.s. and p.b. that was our favorite. After a few years she got her 1st Caravan and said her shifting days were over. 40 years ago these were your best bang for a buck and 1990 was the last time we bought a brand new car.
I had an ‘83 Horizon with the 2.2 and 5 speed when I started college. Admittedly, it was a fun car to drive. I hated it at the time. I also had a ‘67 Pontiac Lemans that I started rebuilding the summer after high school and drove the Horizon as a backup beater car during the restore. Started college, ran out of money, and my parents weren’t exactly happy about the Poncho taking up space in the driveway, so had to sell it….Grrr
In 1984 my company car was a 1980 Chevette when I got upgraded to an 1982 Dodge Omni. I definitely preferred the Omni. I know I wouldn’t have bought either vehicle for myself but I was driving on someone else’s dime so I was happy with my Omni. I’d consider this one a good buy today. GLWTS.
This brings back some memories. Had a white 1980 Dodge Omni just like this with the VW engine. Mine had the 4 speed. If this were closer to PA and about $1,500, I would take a look and go pick up some old friends and have some fun.
My own first car was an ’81 Omni Miser in red with this exact same interior but in tan and the 4-speed manual, and I had previously driven Mom’s 2.2/auto ’86 Horizon.
I didn’t have a lot to compare them to but I’ve favored small manual hatchbacks ever since so they got some things right!
Yeah Tim, it’s true. These things were
like the Hyundai Accents of 15 years
ago. No real suspicion under them
whatsoever! Seemed like all you had
were 4 tires to soak up the bumps and send ’em up to the cabin where you were. With those tires as your
shock absorbers, it felt like you were
riding on four basketballs as you bounced and jossled your way down
the road. Sis had a ’12 Hyundai Accent that did the same thing. After
riding in the backseat of that car for
2 hours or more. When we got to my MILs house, I was in so much pain
that I couldn’t straighten up without
help! Tried everything to make it better but had no luck at all. That’s
why I’d pick the ’77 Catalina I saw here this morning. Do I want good
mileage per gallon? Sure I do. But
I need a large comfortable car now
that I’m pushing 70. Maybe if I ask
my doctor, he’ll prescribe one for me
so that I can travel in comfort.
Bought one of these as a beater. Great little car for what it was. My ex wife literally loved this car and had tears in her eyes when I finally sent it to the junker.
Put a lot of miles behind the wheel of an ’81 TC3 Miser. Made this one look loaded. Auto air and am-fm? Whew! I ordered it with the sunroof and rear defrost. Stop. Solar heated in winter and summer. Never less than 35 mpg from the 1.7 VW sohc four. Driven hard and put away wet. Lots of good times in that car.
My Father in Law bought a brand new Omni in dark blue that was a magnet for accidents. No problems mechanically, but every year he owned it, he was in an accident and none were his fault! He was rear ended in traffic several times, once by a big truck, and once somebody flung open the driver’s door of a parked car right into traffic, just in time for my Father in Law to hit it! We were constantly getting rescue calls and when he traded it in on a Ford LTD II, I doubt if there were many original Chrysler body parts left!
Traded in my ’76 Camaro (12mpg)for a ’79 Dodge Omni during the 2nd gas crisis; Omni ran fine for 44000 miles, then imploded! Other interesting fact- the dealer offered a loaded ’79 Dodge St. Regis for the same $5400 that he was selling the Omni!
FYI the k cars were designed and ready for production when Iaccoca joined Chrysler-he had nothing to do with their development
FYI the k cars were designed and ready for production when Iaccoca joined Chrysler-he had nothing to do with their development
Borg Warner helped out by helping their employees buy Chryslers as a credit against their accounts payable due. Driving an early Horizon rented from Hertz at Detroit Airport I was given hope that Chrysler, our division’s best customer would survive!
– In fact, I thought it was terrific, for a first small American car, compared to the VW, Peugeot & and Rileys I was driving.
Lord, if this car had a four speed (the 5 speed wasn’t available until December of 1982) I would be out the door on my way to get this. I’ve had three L bodies….an ’83 Turismo with the 1.7, an ‘ 85 GLH Turbo and an ’89 Horizon. I also bought a ’90 Omni for my height-challenged Mum. She found it much easier to to park that her old ’78 Cordoba
The 1.7 litter engine was a VW block with a Chrysler head. The Turismo was not fast, but it did get amazing gas mileage. The hatch was commodious……in point of fact, the only cars I’ve owned with larger rear compartments were my Saabs.
My GLH was a sleeper….it was gold and surprised many a Camaro or a Mustang at red lights. The ’89 Horizon was indestructible mechanically; body-wise, not so much.
I miss my L bodies……..I traded the Horizon for my first Saab. I wish that I had kept it…..rust, peeling paint, dents and all…….
a few in the middle of the ‘comments’ pack got it mostly correct. This is the 1st of the ‘world cars’. ( “the basic” is) Designed by guys of different countries together (agreement anyway) to have their parts put in it for their own countries’s sales. I think the lancia may have taken it the farthest? https://barnfinds.com/1-of-173-1984-lancia-delta-integrale-hf-evoluzione-ii/?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter+(Daily)
One iteration – Rampage/Scamp is in my favorites bucket (early ‘60s ‘chero, BRAT, this, 1st gen Bronco, some Suki models) esp if having the Shelby mods (ina tiny SCCA livery). Who needs much more (work, daily, groceries, then wk end play thing)?
So much discussion on such a little car? Has anyone actually bid on it?
Who cares, great to see something other than 500 hp, mint or clones that regular families bought years ago. That’s a Find!
I’m also not a fan of heavily modified cars. I’d much prefer original, unmodified, or lightly modified cars that people drove every day.
68hp Automatic, Woof, Woof!