These Lamborghini-Badged Chrysler Models Could Have Been A Reality

When Lamborghini was briefly under the ownership of Chrysler in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca came up with the bizarre idea of creating a Lamborghini-branded variant of the Imperial.

Thankfully, Iacocca didn’t get his way and Lamborghini and Chrysler never mixed but Abimelec Arellano has rendered what such a vehicle might have looked like. He also went to the trouble of rendering a possible Lamborghini version of the Dodge Daytona.

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Motor Trend reports that Bob Lutz and designer Tom Gale were so against the idea of launching a Lamborghini-branded Chrysler Imperial that they intentionally designed a vehicle that looked so bad that the project was instantly killed off. No images of this ‘Lamborghini Imperial’ are available but according to Lutz, the vehicle was painted red, included gold Lamborghini ‘phone dial’ wheels, and had distinct Lamborghini badging.

Arellano’s 1989 Chrysler Imperial by Lamborghini incorporates the elements described by Lutz, making for a rather strange looking vehicle. However, the Dodge Daytona by Lamborghini doesn’t look half bad.

Painted white, the car also sports wheels like the Imperial by Lamborghini and features some Lamborghini Countach-inspired parts, most notably the wheel arch extensions and large rear wing. While it is odd seeing a Dodge Daytona with Lamborghini badges, the vehicle’s sporty shape means it looks pretty good with some Italian touches.

Had Lamborghini been reduced to the high-end trim level of a Chrysler Imperial, it’s possible the company’s reputation would have been crippled beyond repair so it’s fortunate it never happened.