The hot-selling 1975 Cordoba saved the Chrysler division, but just a few short years later the automaker could barely give them away.

Earlier at Mac’s Motor City Garage, we shared the story of how the 1975 Cordoba saved the Chrysler Corporation’s flagship brand, then in real danger of cancellation. (See the feature here.) Better than 150,000 of the stylish personal-luxury coupes were sold that first year, doubling the volume of the Chrysler division and then some. Sales continued to climb to 183,000 in 1977, but then fell dramatically as gasoline prices soared in the second oil crisis of 1979. By then, plans were already under way for a more fuel-efficient Cordoba to be introduced for 1980.

Yes, downsizing was the buzzword throughout the Motor City in those days. For the Cordoba’s turn under the knife, it was moved from the medium-large Mopar B-body to the J-body platform originally developed for the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare. (This same Unibody rear-drive package was shared with the Dodge Mirada and later, the Imperial.) The wheelbase shrank only slightly from 114.9 to 112.7 inches, but overall length was reduced six inches and curb weight by more than 400 lbs.

In the pursuit of fuel economy, the standard Cordoba engine was no longer a V8, but a 225 cubic-inch Slant 6 with a smog-choked 90 hp. However, most buyers went for the optional 318 CID two-barrel V8 with 130 hp. Also listed was a 360 CID High Output V8 with a four-barrel carb and 185 hp, but fewer than 100 were produced, reportedly, and it was discontinued after the first year. The sole transmission was a Torqueflite A904 three-speed automatic.

In most other ways the second-generation Cordoba was familiar, with the standard complement of personal-luxuy features: squared-off styling, formal roofline, opera windows, and a well-equipped interior. A range of upholstery choices were available, including rich velour and the Corinthian Leather made famous by Ricardo Montalban. By then he was playing Mr. Roarke in the hit ABC television series, Fantasy Island, and it’s said his rise to celebrity was triggered by his frequent appearance in Chrysler commercials.

One interesting Cordoba variant was the LS (below) with its exclusive slanted front fascia and four-segment grille opening. As the grille suggests, it was orignally going to be called the 300 after the famed series of Chysler performance models, but maybe the product planners decided this one wasn’t worthy of the name. The car below also happens to be equipped with the optional Cabriolet Roof, an almost convincing simulated convertible treatment. But in reality there was just one body style, the two-door coupe.

Chrysler’s messagng declared the new Cordoba “an American classic.” However, the second-generation package failed to arrest the decline in sales. In fact, volume continued to tumble: not quite 47,000 cars in 1980, barely 20,000 in 1981. The market for rear-drive, personal-luxury coupes was shrinking.

While the Olds Cutlass Supreme and Buick Regal held their own, the Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Monte Carlo stumbled and the Cordoba was nearly erased. In 1983, the Cordoba’s final year, only 13,471 were sold as Chrysler shifted its focus to minivans and front-drive compacts. In 1984, the Chrysler division’s best-selling product was the LeBaron, a deluxe K-car.