In a 1982 commercial promoting the LeBaron, Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca famously declared, “If you can find a better car, buy it.” A big boast, to be sure, but Iacocca had a lot to be proud of. Cars riding on its front-drive K-platform—like the LeBaron—saved Chrysler from death, helped the company pay back a government bailout in short order, and made a celebrity out of Iacocca. Now, keep all of this in mind when you consider this car here.
It’s Iacocca’s personal 1986 LeBaron Town & Country convertible, and it will be auctioned by Bonhams in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Thursday, January 16. If you can find a better car, buy it.
While it’s unclear how long the late Iacocca owned this particular car, it’s remarkably clean. There are just over 20,000 miles on the odometer, and Bonhams notes that unusually for a K-car of this era, there’s no sign of rust. Even the digital gauges work just like they did 34 years ago. The LeBaron Town & Country convertible is rare, too. Just 1105 were built, and 501 in 1986. Fewer had the optional 2.2-liter turbo four-cylinder, as well.
Apparently you can put a price on provenance like this. Bonhams estimates Iacocca’s LeBaron will fetch between $20,000 and $25,000 when it crosses the block Thursday. To resurrect an old Seinfeld trope, it’s unclear if this car was also owned by a Jon Voight at any point.