Dodge Mirada

1981 Dodge Mirada

Malaise Era cars make for great Guilty Pleasures entries, in my case because I'm old enough to remember these terrible clankers when they were new and should know better than to want any of them. I just couldn't get enough of the Chrysler J Body when I honored the 1981-83 Imperial, and so I'm back for more with the Imperial's odd-yet-compelling-looking sibling: the 1980-83 Dodge Mirada.

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1981 Dodge Mirada

You can love it or hate it, but the Mirada's strange-O front bodywork makes a vivid impression.

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1981 Dodge Mirada

Yes, it is a close relative of the Cordoba. No, you couldn't get it with anything called Corinthian Leather, though it wouldn't be shocking to find that the leather-optioned Mirada used the same low-end leather that went into its Chrysler sibling.

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1981 Dodge Mirada

Standard engine was, of course, the reliable-though-sluggish 225-cubic-inch Slant Six engine. A 130-horsepower 318-cubic-inch V8 was optional. The final year for the Mirada was 1983, after which Dodge ceased selling rear-wheel-drive cars. Should you want a Mirada? Not if you're smart. Do I want one? You bet!

Image source: Old Car Brochures