“I know my own needs. And what I need from an automobile, I know I get from this new… Corrrrdoba!”  (Cue Spanish horns)  And so, with a velvety voiceover from Ricardo Montalban, an amazing automotive success story began.  You young designers can go ahead and crack all the jokes you want, but here’s the truth:  If the Edsel was the single biggest design strike-out ever, then the Cordoba was likely one of the biggest design home runs ever.   Too bad most of these “small Chryslers” are just small cubes today…

The personal luxury segment in the mid 1970s was a sea of sameness.  It was said that if you lined up all the competing products, their profiles would look identical – which is probably a bit of an exaggeration.  Still, if Chrysler wanted a piece of this segment, they needed to stand out in a big way.  As usual, styling played the crucial role.

At the time, Highland Park designers were enamored with cars of the 1930s, such as Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs – which makes sense.   But would imagery like this still look appealing on a 115 inch wheelbase?  Thanks to some expert surfacing in the profile and the hood, the Cordoba has the grace and nuance we usually associate with much bigger cars.  And thus, it can carry off the kind of baroque detailing that would look wildly out of place on a Monte Carlo or a Ford Elite.

Inside, the Cordoba is not as notable for its forms as it is for its choice of trim – okay, the naming of its choice of trim.  One wonders how Chrysler arrived at the term Corinthian Leather (were the chariots from Ben-Hur equipped with this material?), but however it happened, it proved to be a marketing masterstroke.  Montalban’s smooth delivery of “soft, Corrrrinthian leather” became an overnight pop culture sensation.  And suddenly, Highland Park had a major hit on its hands.

But then came 1978.  A new rectangular lamp was available, and Chrysler decided to incorporate it into the Cordoba refresh.  In hindsight, this was a costly mistake.  Not only did these lamps dampen most of the front end’s classic appeal, but they made the ’78 look way too much like its cross-town rivals.  By 1980, the Cordoba was a Dodge Mirada derivative, and a shadow of its former self.  Mercifully, it was discontinued in 1983.

But for a brief, shining moment, this was the darling of the American automotive market.  They literally couldn’t build these cars fast enough.  And while a suave Mexican movie star was a big part of the equation, it was design that played the most critical role of all.