What Did This Wagon Cost New?
Before it was a project car with questionable gauges and mystery problems, this 1985 Chrysler Town & Country Turbo was Chrysler's idea of upscale family transportation.
This Was Not A Cheap Wagon.
The 1985 Chrysler Town & Country wagon was positioned as an upscale compact family wagon. Depending on options, the original sticker price appears to have landed somewhere around the low-to-mid $13,000 range, with well-equipped versions likely climbing higher.
That may not sound wild today, but in 1985 money, this was a real purchase. Chrysler was not selling it as basic transportation. It was selling woodgrain, comfort, turbocharged confidence, and a little bit of country club energy.
Modern equivalent: roughly $38,000–$45,000+
So yes, this was basically modern crossover money for a turbocharged faux-wood station wagon.
What Were Buyers Paying For?
Woodgrain
Because nothing said family luxury quite like pretending your wagon had architectural paneling.
Turbo Power
The 2.2L turbo gave the wagon a little more personality than a normal grocery-getter.
Comfort
Plush seating, upscale trim, and the kind of interior Chrysler thought made errands feel fancy.
Utility
It was still a wagon. Room for people, stuff, groceries, tools, and probably a few questionable life choices.
Image
Chrysler wanted buyers to see this as more than transportation. This was a lifestyle wagon.
1980s Optimism
A turbocharged luxury wagon made perfect sense if you believed hard enough.
The Math Makes It Funnier.
My friends bought this wagon for far less than it cost new, which is very nice until you remember that 40 years of deferred maintenance also comes with the car.
In 1985, someone bought a stylish new Chrysler wagon. In 2026, I am trying to understand why it will not run correctly, why the gauges are suspicious, and why there are so many vacuum hoses.
Keep Digging
Chrysler Brochures & Ads
Original marketing materials from when this wagon was new.
Browse Brochures →Showroom Sunday Continues.
Every Sunday I dig into brochures, ads, pricing, options, and old Chrysler marketing to understand what this wagon was supposed to be before time got involved.