Dodge St. Regis - Market Timing

Market Timing

The new cars (like their 1974–78 predecessors) arrived at precisely the wrong time. A second gasoline crisis hit the U.S. in 1979, and despite the fact that the St. Regis was somewhat smaller than its predecessor, the Dodge Monaco, it was not much more fuel efficient. Also, under the sheet metal, the St. Regis was mainly the same old B-body that dated back to 1962, and could not compete with the completely new GM B-bodies and Ford's Panther platform vehicles. At the same time, higher interest rates and Chrysler's ongoing corporate and financial problems, all combined to keep sales low. The St. Regis, and the other R-body models, were dropped midway through the 1981 model year, leaving the Dodge Diplomat, (a mid-size car), to soldier on as the marque's sole "full-sized" model, until the introduction of the Dodge Monaco in 1990.