Friday, June 17, 2005

Chrysler revives Aspen tag for new SUV

Could a not-so-great 1970s Dodge by the same name make this SUV harder to sell?

By Brett Clanton / The Detroit News

New Chrysler SUV Chrysler has named its new full-size SUV the Chrysler Aspen. Do you like the name? Yes No No reaction Get results and comments Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

The new full-size SUV from Chrysler coming out next summer may have a familiar-sounding name to the 30-and-over crowd.

It will be called the Chrysler Aspen, borrowing a name last used on a passenger car for the Dodge brand in the late 1970s, according to sources familiar with the plan.

The name underscores Chrysler's aim to position the vehicle -- like the Colorado ski town -- as both rugged and upscale. The name Aspen was enthusiastically approved when Chrysler tested it with consumers.

Based on the current Dodge Durango, the Chrysler Aspen will be the first full-size SUV for DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler brand. It is scheduled to debut at the Detroit North American International Auto Show in January.

Launched in 1976 with a twin vehicle known as the Plymouth Volare, the original Dodge Aspen was marketed as "the family car of the future" because of its attractive base price of around $3,300 and comfortable interior.

But sales of the car were hurt by a series of recalls and declining interest in Detroit's big passenger cars, which were costly to fill up during the 1970s oil embargo.

The bland styling of the Aspen and Volare -- even with optional wood-siding and vinyl roofs -- also kept the cars from becoming big hits, said Richard Bowman, president of the Walter P. Chrysler Club, a classic Chrysler collector group in Kalamazoo.

"That was not one of Chrysler's better eras," he said.

But Chrysler's new SUV should not be tainted by its namesake, said Jim Sanfilippo, an industry analyst with AMCI Corp. in Detroit. It was too short-lived, having been replaced in the early 1980s by Chrysler's boxy K-Car.

"Aspen did not leave an indelible negative mark on Chrysler imagery," Sanfilippo said. "It's just not there."

You can reach Brett Clanton at (313) 222-2612 or bclanton@detnews.com.