How do you make one of the dullest cars in the world fun? Well, in the case of today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe LeBaron, you turn it into a Rubik's Cube. Will its price however, be the final piece of the puzzle in making this former dullard desirable?
It's no puzzle that we love BMW's. We also love sporty hatchbacks, and we love rare classic rides too. But do you know what we really, really love? Not paying a Lincoln-shy of thirty grand for yesterday's 1973 BMW 2000Tii Touring, that's what. That at least was the opinion of the 55% of you who sent Hatchy McSpensive down in a Crack Pipe loss.
Today we have another notable car, only one that has gained its notoriety for its mundanity not its marvelousness. This 1989 Chrysler LeBaron carries a name with gravitas, but this - a K-car derivative - has always been considered automotive weak sauce.
It's not really the car's fault, it was the engineers who designed it. Still, if you ever took a trip to Hawaii in the '90s, this car was most likely what got you around the place. Well, not exactly this one, as I don't think that Hawaii has a notable population… of clowns.
Yep, that's right, this 109,000-mile Lebaron has been turned into a clown car. The multi-hued panels make it look like the legendary VW Golf Harlequin, a model created when Rolf, the paint booth inspector, decided to go to Oktoberfest instead of doing his job. Effin' Rolf.
How this PMS-Crazy car came about is anyone's guess, however the Masonic lodge license plate on the front does offer a clue- those guys are usually just a fezz-shy of Shriners when it comes to the tipple.
Whatever the reason, it's now being offered as a panacea for car buyers whose favorite color is 'can't decide.' What it doesn't come with is working A/C or cassette deck, so you'll have to fill you time behind the wheel sweating and amusing yourself with stoplight armpit farts. It's otherwise described as being in good condition for its age and rocks a 3-litre Mitsubishi V6 and a three-speed slusher. It's also claimed to be a parade car so high-speed wear issues aren't likely to arise.
Who after all would want to drive this thing fast? Clown cars are all about being able to be driven with comically huge shoes and stealing bad children to eat. In this car's case, what with its two-pedal design and reasonably commodious trunk, I'd say it fully fits the criteria.
Of course clowns are almost always typically both evil and impoverished so a proper clown car should also be cheap to buy. This one fits the bill on that account too, coming in at just a grand.
What's your take on this formerly dull, but now delightfully colorful Lebaron for $1,000? Is that a price that would make owning it a three-ring circus? Or, does even that modest amount rain on your parade?
You decide!
Lancaster, PA Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to 8000rpm for the hookup!
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