In the beginning, it was introduced as a sport luxury model, using the Straight Eight engine from the Chrysler New Yorker which was more formal, and the Imperial which had graduated to special order limousine.

[1] The Saratoga was introduced one year after the luxurious New Yorker and was well equipped, wearing the Chrysler nameplate.

As it maintained its high performance image for Chrysler, it was used to introduce the 331 cu in (5.4 L) overhead valve Hemi V8 in 1951.

The Saratoga nameplate first appeared in 1939 and shared the 125 in (3,175 mm) wheelbase and the 323.5 cu in (5.3 L) Chrysler Straight-8 with the C-23 Imperial and C-23 New Yorker.

Fluid Drive was offered for the first time, mated to a three-speed manual transmission along with Cruise and Climb overdrive.

The Saratoga offered Fluid Drive and the eight-cylinder version of Vacamatic which consisted of a three-speed transmission mated to an overdrive unit.

The Saratoga offered pile fabric or broadcloth upholstery, rubber floor covering for the front passengers with a carpeted rear passenger compartment, turn signals, an electric clock, two-speed electric windshield wipers, and an illuminated trunk compartment.

[4] When production resumed, Chrysler had very little resistance selling every car they made as customers wanted something new and modern.

[4] Model year 1949 and later Chryslers had a padded dash as a safety feature, the first in an American mass production car.

For 1951 the Saratoga was built on the shorter 125.5 in (3,188 mm) wheelbase shared with the flathead six powered Windsor, but offered the Chrysler's famed 331 cu in (5.4 L) Hemi V8.

This combination of the shorter, lighter Six body and the powerful new V-8 put the new Hemi Saratoga in the same performance league as the Olds Rocket 88, but was the quicker car.

The difference between an 8-passenger sedan verses a limousine was the presence of a glass divider and all leather seating surfaces in the front compartment.

A further 1,300 Saratoga models were built in Canada, the first eight-cylinder Chryslers to roll out of the Windsor plant since 1937.

1952 Model year Chryslers suffered from a war strategic materials shortage and the pot metal trim was painted silver rather than chromed.

The Saratoga maintained its position between the entry-level Windsor and top New Yorkers models, and was related to the DeSoto Firedome, but received trim upgrades and better appointments inside the passenger compartment.

Early 1957 models featured dual headlights, with quad-headlights as an option where permitted by state law.

In its final year in the U.S., the 1960 Chrysler Saratoga was based wholly on the New Yorker body shell, less New Yorker trimmings, and again offered in three body styles – four-door sedan, four-door hardtop, and two-door hardtop coupe.

It used a name which in 1961 was commonly associated with Chrysler's expensive hardtops in the early and mid-1950s to take the market segment left open when the manufacturer's DeSoto brand was canceled.

The cluster's appearance was compared to a gum ball machine, and the gauges at night could be viewed with electroluminescent lighting Chrysler called "Panelescent Light", a feature shared with all Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, and Imperial vehicles starting in 1960.

The same three models continued, but this year the American 300 convertible and two-door hardtop were imported and marketed as the Sport 300.

The Saratoga name was revived in 1989 when Chrysler rebadged its Dodge Spirit sedan for export to Europe.

Differing vehicle safety regulations in the rest of the world versus North America required the Saratoga to have different headlamps and front, side, and rear lights and reflectors, glass, mirrors, seat belts, instrument clusters and radios; engine control units were programmed in accord with European emission standards rather than the North American standards.

Basic equipment included the 2.5 L 4-cylinder engine with throttle-body fuel injection and a 5-speed manual transmission; the most commonly ordered powertrain upgrade was the Mitsubishi 3.0 L V6 with A604 Ultradrive 4-speed automatic transmission, though the turbocharged version of the 2.5 was also available with 3-speed Torqueflite automatic or 5-speed manual transaxle.

Starting in 1993, the Saratoga was available with leather seats and other luxury equipment not provided in the North American market.

These models were all equipped with the 3.0 liter Mitsubishi V6, the A604 automatic transmission, leather seats and air conditioning.