After two years of development delays, the TC became available in late-1988 and a total of 7,300 units (the minimum required under the contract) were manufactured in Milan, Italy, through 1990.

In 1985, Lee Iacocca stated that the planned "Q-coupe" would be the prettiest Italian to arrive stateside since his mother immigrated.

The Turbo II was replaced by a Mitsubishi-sourced 3.0 L 141 bhp (105 kW; 143 PS)[4] V6 engine for the 1990 and 1991 model years, with the automatic transaxle being upgraded to a four-speed A604 unit.

The TC's platform was based on a shortened Dodge Daytona chassis with suspension and axles from the original model (except for the 5-speed Getrag with "Maserati" engine).

[5] The struts and shock absorbers were specially designed for the car by Fichtel and Sachs, and a Teves anti-lock braking system was standard.

After every other Chrysler executive insisted that the TC was hopeless and should be written off, Iacocca refused to accept responsibility for its failure saying it might have worked if his marketers had "positioned" it properly.

A special interior storage compartment came with an umbrella, tool kit, and small spare tire that allowed the use of the full-sized trunk even with the top down.

The only extra cost option available for the TC was a CD player that was a plug-in attachment to the standard Infinity AM/FM cassette stereo.

The original idea of combining a Chrysler engine with a Maserati body was viewed by some automotive journalists as "taking the worst from each partner.

[10] Lee Iacocca was a proponent of the new model "to change the way the world looked at Chrysler" and to create a new image for the automaker.

[12] Though the TC was expected to achieve annual sales between 5,000 and 10,000 units, it sold very poorly due its high price tag among other factors such as the lack of exterior color choices and undistinguished performance.