In the mid-2000s, excess was reaching a fever pitch in America. Bigger was the only acceptable metric for automotive success, and manufacturers were locked in an arms race to see who could slap the most chrome on a truck frame and call it luxury. It was into this volatile, hit-or-miss space that the Chrysler Aspen arrived. As the brand’s first-ever body-on-frame SUV, this Aspen car was designed to capture a slice of the premium full-size market that’s been ruthlessly dominated by the Cadillac Escalade.
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