Dodge Mirada

The Mirada replaced Dodge's Chrysler Cordoba-clone Magnum for 1980, when the line was downsized on Chrysler's new J-body platform (basically the same as the M- and F-body platforms).

1980
An all-new Mirada debuts this year on Chrysler's new J-body platform. It was based on the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare chassis. Mirada's styling differed from the Cordoba's mainly with it's 1930's Cord-inspired horizontally slatted grille. The legendary near-indestructible 3.7L 225 cid Slant-6 was standard, the 318 and 360 V8s were optional. The Mirada was about a foot shorter and about 500-600 lbs lighter than the outgoing '79 Magnum, but overall the buying public was underwhelmed as sales dropped dramatically. Performance was also down - aside from those very few with the 360, the Slant-6 and 318s were no tire squealers by any means. It wasn't much of a sales threat to GM's personal luxury coupes (Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, etc) but it did compete more on an equal footing with the newly redesigned Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar XR-7 this year.

1981
The 1981 Mirada was a virtual rerun of 1980. To make things further depressing, the 360 V8 engine option was dropped, making the 318 V8 the top engine option.

1982
No news or changes to speak of.

1983
About the only news was that the 318 V8 was your only engine choice this year (which is what most people chose anyway). By this time the Mirada (and its Chrysler Cordoba twin) had become outclassed by the competition from GM, and this year Ford and Mercury redesigned both the Thunderbird and Cougar XR-7, so the fact that it now lost its major sales competition was certainly another nail in its coffin.

The Mirada may have been short-lived and doesn't have much value as a collectible, but it was a good looking car, and, like a Cordoba, might be an interesting choice if you're looking for a rear-drive Dodge that you won't have to pay an arm and a leg for like you would for, say, an E-body Plymouth Barracuda or Dodge Challenger. These are still pretty inexpensive (and likely to stay that way), and good clean low-mileage examples would be a rare find indeed.