RealRides of WNY - 1997 Chrysler LHS

AMHERST, N.Y.

1997 Chrysler LHS

Chrysler called the LHS “The luxury of passionate engineering.” It was part of Chrysler’s Cab-Forward styling school. Aptly named, cab-forward cars had the interior portion of the car (the cab) moved — are you ready for it? — forward, from its usual position in the center of the car between the axles. It’s the antithesis of the long-hood short-deck design made popular by Ford’s original Mustang in 1964. Introduced for MY 1993 as the Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde, and Eagle Vision, Chrysler told us the cab-forward design enabled them to make the interior roomier without changing the overall size of the car. Extra space was taken mainly from the engine compartment, where it was being wasted for the sake of style.

We saw this seldom-seen-at-a-car-show LHS at the recently held Walter P. Chrysler Club Car Show at the Buffalo-Niagara Marriott.

— Jim Corbran