1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati review from North America

Seat and armrest leather is very worn.

Slight oil leak around the turbocharger seal.

CV joints were worn when I got this car.

Most things wrong I'm chalking up to age vs. mileage.

Chrysler's TC by Maserati was an attempt by Chrysler to boost its image by teaming up with Maserati on building a two-seat convertible. A fiberglass hard top with opera windows and a hybrid Chrysler/Maserati logo was also included.

It is styled much like the Lebarons of the time. Though the TC was designed first, it was released second, and this affected sales. Few would pay thousands more for a car resembling a Lebaron.

The interior is nicely appointed in places. Nearly every surface is covered in leather. Power-everything includes seats. The weird thing is that the gauges and switches are all stock Chrysler, and add a certain cheapness to the car.

In the 1990/91 models, some panels are replaced with fake wood trim. On this 89, however, it's all leather. This makes the forward console look strange, as relatively small climate and radio controls are surrounded by a comparatively huge black leather insert.

There is ample storage. Because the body is similar in dimensions to the Lebaron but only has two seats, a large trunk is possible. Likewise, there's an interior lockable compartment which holds the spare tire and provides a bit of extra space.