AROnline
  • Home
    • Go to random page
  • Cars
    • Austin/Morris
      • Morris Minor
      • Austin A30/A35/A40
      • Austin FX4/FL2 Black cab
      • BMC 1100/1300
      • BMC 1800/2200
      • Austin 3 Litre
      • Austin Maxi
      • Austin Kimberley/Tasman (X6)
      • Austin Apache
      • Morris Marina
      • Leyland Sherpa
      • Leyland P76/P82
      • Austin Allegro
      • Austin-Morris Princess
      • Morris Ital
      • Austin Metro
      • Austin Ambassador
      • Austin Maestro
      • Austin Montego
    • Rover
      • Rover P5
      • Rover P6
      • Rover SD1
      • Rover 200 (SD3)
      • Rover 800 (XX/R17)
      • Rover 200/400 (R8)
      • Rover Metro/100 (R6)
      • Rover 600 (SK1)
      • Rover 200/25 (R3)
      • Rover 400/45 (HHR)
      • Rover 75 (R40)
      • Rover Streetwise
      • CityRover (RD10)
    • Jaguar
      • Mk2/S-type/420
      • MkX/420G
      • E-type
      • XJ6/XJ12 (XJ4)
      • XJ-S
      • XJ (XJ40)
      • XJ (X300/X308)
      • S-TYPE (X200)
      • X-TYPE (X400)
      • XJ (X350)
      • XK (X150)
      • XF (X250)
      • XJ (X351)
      • XF (X260)
      • F-Type (X152)
      • XE (X760)
      • F-Pace (X761)
      • i-Pace
    • Land Rover
      • Defender
      • Range Rover (Classic)
      • Discovery
      • Range Rover (P38A)
      • Freelander
      • Range Rover (L322)
      • Evoque
      • Range Rover (L405)
      • Range Rover Sport
      • Discovery Sport (L550)
      • Discovery 5
      • Range Rover Velar (L560)
    • MG
      • Midget
      • MGB/MGC
      • Austin/MG Metro (LC8)
      • Austin/MG Maestro (LC10)
      • MGF/TF
      • ZR
      • ZS
      • ZT
      • XPower SV
      • MG6
      • MG3
      • MG GS
    • Mini
      • Mini (ADO15)
      • Mini Cooper
      • Mini Clubman
      • MINI (R50/R56)
      • MINI (F56)
      • Countryman/Paceman
    • Triumph
      • Triumph Herald/Vitesse
      • Triumph Spitfire
      • 2000/2500
      • Triumph 1300/Toledo/Dolomite
      • TR6
      • Triumph Stag
      • Triumph TR7/TR8
      • Triumph Acclaim
    • Ford
      • Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac
      • Cortina
      • Escort
      • Capri
      • Ford Granada (1972-1985)
      • Fiesta
      • Sierra
      • Mondeo
    • Vauxhall
      • Viva
      • Victor
      • Chevette
      • Cavalier
      • Astra
    • Rootes/Chrysler/Talbot
      • Hillman Imp
      • Hillman Hunter
      • Hillman Avenger
      • Simca 1000
      • Simca 1100
      • Chrysler 160/180/2-Litre (C Car)
      • Chrysler Alpine/Talbot Solara
      • Chrysler Sunbeam
      • Chrysler Horizon
      • Matra Bagheera/Murena
      • Talbot Tagora
      • Talbot Samba
    • TVR
      • M-Series
      • TVR Tasmin
      • Griffith
    • ‘Other cars’
      • AC 3000ME
      • Alfa Romeo Alfasud
      • Argyll Turbo GT
      • Bond Equipe
      • DeLorean DMC-12
      • Enfield 8000 Electric
      • Lotus Esprit M70/X180
      • Matra-Simca Rancho
      • Midas
      • Nissan Qashqai
      • Reliant Scimitar
      • Sinclair C5
      • Trident Clipper
  • Reviews & Drives
    • Car Reviews
    • Drive Stories
    • Our Cars
      • Mike’s Rover 400
      • Mike’s Rover 416GSi
      • Mike’s Montego
      • Mike’s Rover 75
      • Mike’s Rover 214SLi
      • Mike’s 214GSi
      • Alexander’s Citroën XM
      • Alexander’s Rover 800
      • Keith’s Range Rover P38
      • Keith’s Freelander
      • Keith’s Rover 75
      • Keith’s Citroen Xantia Activa
      • Keith’s Citroen C6
      • Keith’s Polish Rover SD1
      • Keith’s Rover SD1 Vitesse
      • Keith’s Renault Avantime
    • Staples2Naples 2004
    • Staples2Naples 2005
    • Czech Wrecks 2008
    • RatRod 2011
  • News
    • All News
      • Jaguar Land Rover
      • MG Motor UK
      • MINI
    • All Events
    • MGR@10 Month
    • Rover SD1@ 40 Special
    • Geneva Motor Show
    • Archive
  • Opinion
    • Opinion
    • Your Cars
    • Best of AROnline
    • Videos
  • Facts & Figures
    • Mechanical marvels
      • Commercials
      • Buses
      • The bus section
      • Rail Projects
    • History Files
      • British Leyland – The Grand Illusion
      • British Motor Holdings – the joining of BMC and Jaguar
      • Evolution of the AR logo
      • The Road to Perdition
      • The Whole Story
      • Road vs Rail
      • Urban myths and old wives’ tales
      • Interviews and personalities
      • Production figures
      • Development codes
      • Project Drive
    • The converters
      • Avon Coachworks
      • Chris Humberstone
      • Crayford
      • Lynx Engineering
      • Mumford
      • Panther
      • Paul Banham Conversions
      • Rapport International
      • Startins/MacNeille
      • Tickford
      • William Towns
      • Wood & Pickett
      • Woodall Nicholson
    • Concepts & Prototypes
      • BMC, BL and ARG Concepts
      • Ford concepts
      • Jaguar concepts
      • Land Rover concepts
      • MG concepts
      • MINI concepts
      • Rover concepts
      • Sports car concepts
      • Supermini concepts
      • Vauxhall concepts
    • AROnline Overseas
      • Around the World
      • Also known as
      • Carrozzeria designs
      • Connections
    • People
      • Alec Issigonis
      • Spen King
      • George Turnbull
    • Galleries
      • In production
      • Museums
    • Resources
      • Buying Guides
      • BMC, Leyland and Rover engines
      • Press photos
    • The Ryder Report
  • Marques
    • Austin
    • Authi
    • Hillman
    • Hindustan Motors
    • Innocenti
    • Jaguar
    • Land Rover
    • MG
    • Morris
    • Riley
    • Rover
    • Standard
    • Standard Motor Products
    • Sterling
    • Triumph
    • Vanden Plas
    • Wolseley
  • Timeline

Chrysler Centura

The Chrysler 180 might not have been a stellar seller in Europe, but it had enough potential to be considered as a  suitable basis for a new mid-sized saloon down under. Sadly, politics may have had a hand in its undoing. Here is the Chrysler Centura development story – the Australian Leyland P76 rival you’ve probably never heard of.

The multi-cylinder Centura also makes for an interesting comparison with the Australian Morris Marinas, which also boasted multi-cylinder engines.


Chrysler Centura: C Car down under

Chrysler Centura

The Chrysler 180 was imported into Australia and rebranded as the Chrysler Centura to try and feed the growing demand for more realistically-sized cars to fight the growing influx of Japanese newcomers. The company also needed a competitor for the popular Holden Torana, which had started life as an upgraded, lightly restyled, re-engined Vauxhall Viva.

However, as Chrysler was seen as a domestic Australian producer at the time, it was decided that the 180 would need to undergo a certain degree of localisation to fit into that market. When the company launched the Chrysler Centura in March 1975, it was indeed a seriously revamped 180.

It is traditional to put large engines into small cars in Australia, and the Centura was true to local form. The entry-level model in the range was the 2.0-litre, but the upper models were altogether larger, explaining the need for the re-styled front end…

Chrysler Centura: Hit by trade embargo

The European version of the Chrysler 180 only differed from the Australian Centura at the front, where it had two rectangular headlights as opposed to four round ones sitting either side of a bulbous grille. There are rumours that the Centura front end was originally designed for the abandoned British Sunbeam 2000 version of the car.

Sadly, Australian-French relations were at an all-time low at the time of the Centura’s launch, and its announcement coincided with a trade embargo due to the French nuclear tests in the Pacific. Just before the cars started to arrive, the French were conducting nuclear tests in the South Pacific, and the Australian Waterside Workers Union introduced a ban on the handling of French products.

Australia’s newly-elected Labour Government were sympathetic (or didn’t want to upset the Unions) so the Chrysler bodies were left on the wharves until 1974 when the tests stopped (for a while). As result of all that ‘sea air’ many Centuras started rusting before they were built. This tarnished the car’s reputation before it even had a chance to get established. Spending several months in crates on the quayside had done little for the cars’ longevity.

Model range details

Centura engines were put in at the Chrysler plant in Tonsley Park and the new car was announced in two forms: Centura 4 and Centura 6. The lower model was almost pure Chrysler 2-Litre, but with drum brakes at the rear as opposed to the discs of Euro-spec models.

It used a French differential and the French overhead cam 1981cc engine with twin-barrel Weber carburrettors. The 2.0-litre version was initially available as a basic model or as a sports model which included a sports exhaust system: four-into-two-into-one. The four-cylinder models lacked the vented disc brakes of the sixes and some had a four-stud wheel pattern as opposed to the six’s five-stud pattern.

The wheel style of the cheaper Centuras was used for the European 1979 and 1980 1610 and 2 Litre models.

Six-cylinder changes

Chrysler Centura

The Centura 6 was a different kettle of fish altogether. An Australian Chrysler Valiant Hemi engine, Australian Borg-Warner gearbox and differential were installed at Tonsley Park. The big engine was available in 3.5-litres (140bhp SAE) or 4.0-litres (165bhp SAE) versions mated to either a three- or four-speed manual gearbox or an automatic box.

In true Australian style, they were simple, rugged cars. Air conditioning was offered as an option and high-backed bucket seats were standard across the range but, other than that, the interior was all but identical to the European cars. The factory experimented with V8 318cubic inch powered prototypes but the body lacked the rigidity to cope with the torque.

There were two trim levels available across both series:

  • Centura XL
    Cheaper model with no fake wood trim, rev counter, clock or vinyl roof
  • Centura GL
    Luxury model with vinyl roof, elaborate hubcaps and mock wood dashboard trim. Clock and rev counter standard.

The Centura was produced in two versions – the KB announced in 1975 and the KC model introduced in 1977. The two series were differentiated by trim and option choices.

What became of the Chrysler Centura?

Centuras were extremely light in the rear and suffered a little in the handling department. The major attraction was – and still is for Australian petrolheads – the straight-line performance. In Australia today, the Chrysler Centura is seen as a bit of a classic as well as being popular with hot rodders who often upgrade their cars with an American V8 engine.

Chrysler Centura


Written with reference to the excellent French Chrysler 180 website, where the pictures are also sourced from.  Thanks to Andy Thompson for the huge amount of extra information added to this page.


Chrysler 160/180/2-Litre (C Car)

Concepts and prototypes : Chrysler Diplomat

10 February 2019 Keith Adams 44

Keith Adams Diplomat: the Chrysler 180’s big-brother that wasn’t We’ve long admired the ability of Australia’s engineers to take a European product and make it fit for purpose for their […]

Chrysler 160/180/2-Litre (C Car)

The cars : Chrysler Centura development story

20 March 2018 Keith Adams 3

The Chrysler 180 might not have been a stellar seller in Europe, but it had enough potential to be considered as a suitable basis for a new mid-sized saloon down under. […]

  • Login
  • Register
  • Forgot

Have an account?

Register for this site!

Sign up now for the good stuff.

Lost Your Password?

Enter your username or email to reset your password.

Latest story

Austin Allegro design sketch
Austin Allegro (ADO67)

I was there : The Austin Allegro – rejected by South Africa

15 August 2022 9

Former British Leyland man Michael Wattam recalls the process of the Austin Allegro’s productionisation… And the reaction from the firm’s South African outpost when presented with the option of building […]

AROnline on Facebook

Most recent comments

  • Mr Steve on Opinion : Deutschland über alles?
  • Mike Wattam on I was there : The Austin Allegro – rejected by South Africa
  • philippe on Opinion : Why the Allegro was a hatchback!
  • Mike Wattam on I was there : The Austin Allegro – rejected by South Africa
  • Mhalliwe on I was there : The Austin Allegro – rejected by South Africa
  • Mike Wattam on Opinion : Why the Allegro was a hatchback!
  • Nate on People : Octav Botnar and the rise and fall of Datsun/Nissan UK
  • Richardpd on Opinion : Why the Allegro was a hatchback!
  • Richardpd on Blog : Mad marque mix-up
  • Richardpd on Opinion : Why the Allegro was a hatchback!

The AROnline writers

  • Keith Adams

    published 5378 articles

  • Clive Goldthorp

    published 644 articles

  • Mike Humble

    published 439 articles

  • Ian Nicholls

    published 150 articles

Archive (1959-2019)

Featured stories

Cars in Film : Goodbye Pork Pie

2 October 2011 3

MG UK : The next phase of the New Journey?

17 April 2009 0

Opinion : Why a hard Brexit risks destroying much of car manufacturing in the UK

18 February 2019 230
The news that Honda is to close its Swindon factory and that Nissan isn’t bringing production [...]

Blog : Remembering the Deltics…

3 September 2015 63
Ian Nicholls Question: What does the Lamborghini Miura have in common with the British Rail Class 55 [...]

News : New Metrocab to go zero on emissions

16 January 2014 10
Andrew Elphick ‘Designed, engineered and built in Britain,’ declared Frazer-Nash at the launch of its [...]
  • About AROnline
  • Terms of use
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Commenting policy
  • Acceptable Use Policy
  • Contact us

AROnline © Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages.