The Chrysler Centura was a failed Aussie and French collaboration

Built to compete with Ford's Cortina and Holden's Torana, the Centura faced many issues much like its manufacturer.

Japanese cars were gaining traction in the Aussie market during the ‘70s, boasting better full economy and reliability than the country's large sedans. While Ford and Holden had answers to this onslaught of imports, Chrysler was however, on the back foot.

Despite selling a steady number of Hillman Hunters, the car was discontinued in 1973, leaving a hole in the company's line-up.

A year earlier, the Chrysler 180 was transported over from Europe (it was developed in France) to be tested on local soil. Labelled as unsuited to Australian conditions, the engineers didn't give up and travelled to France to 'Australianise' the 180.

That meant slotting in a in-line six along side the 2.0-litre four fitted in Europe. In fact, they wanted to fit the larger 3.5 and 4.0-litre Hemi engines under the bonnet.

Chrysler had the idea of shortening the drivetrain and placing the engine as far back as possible. This would result in better handling, but the US stepped in and reduced the Centura's budget, the first of many problems to come.

Despite the added performance, the Hemi engines affected handling. (image credit: Shannons)

A new (cheaper) plan was formed to stretch the front end to accommodate the six-cylinders, making the nose of the car heavy. Chrysler also experimented with a 5.2-litre V8, but realised the body lacked the rigidity to cope with the extra torque.

Other changes were limited to a new grille, bonnet, rear panels and tail-lights.

Is that dust or smoke from under the car?

When the Centura was ready to be sold in Australia, France began testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific, leading to French imports being blocked in the country, pushing back the release date of the sedan.

Finally, in mid-1975, the Centura was available to buy and was well received by journalists, praising the spacious interior and comfortable ride. The public on the other hand loathed the Chrysler for its nose diving under brakes and poor handling.

The Centura's interior was next to identical to the French Simca 180.

To help the braking issue, a proportioning valve was fitted to all models which was a mechanical link, reducing brake pressure on the rear wheels. Despite keeping the rear in check, the front end was still a mess, much like the build quality.

Chrsyler tried to improve the car but the damage was already done, sales were poor and by 1978 the Centura was dead and buried.

At the same time Chrsyler Europe was bought out by Peugeot, leaving our local arm looking for a replacement which it found in the form of Mitsubishi's Sigma, but that's another story altogether.

Was this the worst car Chrysler Australia ever made? Let us know in the comments.