Splendour in Orange - A Chrysler Alpine LS

16 February 2026

This Seville Orange Chrysler Alpine belonging to Milestone Classics is one of the few left on the road. Here are 20 facts about this very rare machine: 

  1. Work in Project C6 began in 1972, and its role was to replace two Chrysler Europe products: the Hillman Hunter ‘Arrow’ family in the UK and the Simca 1301/1501 in France.
  2. Roy Axe in Coventry was responsible for the C6’s styling, while a limited budget meant it used a floorpan adapted from the Simca 1100 and Simca 1,294cc, and 1,442cc engines.
  3. Production in France began in August 1975.
  4. The ‘Chrysler-Simca 1307/1308’ starred at the Paris Motor Show and, as the ‘Chrysler Alpine’ at the London Motor Show.
  5. The Alpine’s launch was against a background of high-profile disputes.  On the 30th of September 1975, Chrysler stated it would never be made in at the Ryton plant in Coventry, as it was “the wrong shape” for the production lines. 
  6. Worse, on the 3rd of November 1975 Chrysler informed the Government that its UK operations were so unprofitable that they planned start closing it by the end of November – with a potential loss of 25,000 jobs and £100million worth of exports. 
  7. By December 1975 the Government responded with a plan to underwrite Chrysler UK’s projected losses, to the value of £72.5 million, in addition to a loan of “£55 million to finance capital expenditure on plant and model development”.
  8. One major effect of this plan was the C6 to be made in Ryton, initially from kits despatched from the Simca factory in Poissy, with the eventual aim of full manufacture.
  9. The Alpine defeated the BMW 3-Series and the Renault 30TS to became Car of the Year 1976.
  10. On the 12th of January 1976, Chrysler UK announced that “the exciting new Alpine will soon be made in Britain”. In addition, it was the “only car in its class with electronic ignition”.
  11. However, the March 1976 edition of Car magazine reported some potential customers were holding back on their orders out of fear that Chrysler would leave the UK.
  12. Assembly at Chrysler UK’s Ryton plant finally commenced on the 16th of August 1976.
  13. L.J.K. Setright wrote in Car that the Alpine was “rather a good machine, restoring Chrysler to a competitive place in what has been described as the ‘upper middle-class market’ in Europe”. He thought engine noise was its “only major shortcoming”. 
  14. The Observer found it a “modern design with plenty of potential for development to keep up with market demand”.
  15. Thames TV’s Drive In regarded the Alpine as ‘the best Chrysler product yet’.
  16. Chrysler UK launched the LS version in December 1978 at £3,299 for the 1.3-litre model and £3,499 for the 1.5-litre model.
  17. At that time an Austin Maxi 1500 was £3,297, a Renault 16TL was £3,594 and a Volkswagen Passat LS was £4,155.
  18. The 1.3LS had “full width chequer cloth seats” and the 1.5LS also had a clock and a cigarette lighter. If you wanted a panel lamp rheostat, rear compartment heating and halogen headlights, you needed to aspire to GL ownership.
  19. The Milestones Alpine is one of the last Chrysler-badged versions, as in 1978 the US concern sold its UK, French and Spanish operations to Peugeot.
  20. On the 15th of July 1979 there were press advertisements stating, “Today Chrysler UK Has A New Name And A New Future”, as their line-up would now wear Talbot badges.

Chrysler Alpine LS

With thanks to Milestones for their time.

With thanks to Milestones for their permission to use the images in this blog.