Chrysler does not build many cars like the Chrysler 180: a 4-door saloon with 1.6 , built from 1970 to 1982 as the oil crises and the first emissions rules rewired the industry. Its designer of record is Roy Axe / Curt Gwinn.
Where it came from
The Chrysler 180 was the base name for a series of executive cars produced by Chrysler Europe. Resulting from joining the development efforts of Rootes Group and Simca, the car was produced from 1970 to 1975 in Poissy, France, and later in Chrysler's subsidiary Barreiros' factory in Spain. The Chrysler 180 was also the base for the medium-sized model built by Chrysler Australia, the Chrysler Centura.
Depending on the engine, the cars were marketed as Chrysler 160/180/2 litre, and since 1977 in France and rest of continental Europe as Chrysler-Simca 1609/1610/2 litres. After the takeover of Chrysler Europe by PSA Peugeot Citroën, the continental Europe models were renamed Talbot 1610/2 litres for 1979 and 1980 model years, after which the model was discontinued in Europe with the exception of Spain, where a diesel model was sold until 1982. The large, American-inspired Chrysler fared quite poorly in the principal European markets. The replacement for the car was developed by Chrysler Europe under the codename C9 and was finally launched by PSA as the even more ill-fated Talbot Tagora.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 1.6 other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. The gearbox is a 4-speed manual / 3-speed automatic. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2667 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Chrysler's history is not in doubt: the Simca Vedette / Humber Hawk came before it; the Talbot Tagora followed it; it was built at Poissy. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Suzuki Jimny, the American Motors Corporation AMC Gremlin, the Chevrolet Impala. Nearby in the Chrysler catalogue sit the Chrysler Falcon and the Chrysler Chronos.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Chrysler 180 has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.