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The date on the title will read 1993, but the date for Chrysler Corp.’s new LH sedans actually goes back to 1988.

The Chrysler ’93 LH cars expected to be available in dealer showrooms around Labor Day are the Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision. They started out, however, as a Lamborghini Portofino concept vehicle.

The LH sedans constitute a radical change in styling direction for Chrysler Corp. The design executed on the Portofino in 1988 was refined on the Chrysler Millennium and Eagle Optima show cars of 1989/1990. The entire cabin of the vehicles was moved toward the front wheels.

At the same time, the rear wheels are extended farther to the back of the vehicle platform, creating a stretched interior for more driver/passenger space. It has resulted in a 113-inch wheelbase that almost is the equivalent of the 113.8-inch wheelbase on the Cadillac Fleetwood sedan.

Other general specifications consist of an overall length of 200 inches and a curb weight of about 3,250 pounds, depending upon individual equipment.

As designs go, this cabin-forward theme goes pretty good. It not only enhances the functional attributes of the automobile but creates a sharp-looking set of wheels.

The consensus of those who have seen the preview models, which were manufactured at Chrysler’s plant in Bramalea, Ontario, Canada, is that they are the best-looking cars ever produced by Chrysler. They will be followed later by a Chrysler New Yorker that is essentially a stretched version of the LH cars.

The initial trio of LHs are the company’s new generation of midsized cars, with the New Yorker being slated to be the company’s full-sized offering. Actually, the Concorde, Intrepid and Vision are bumping right up against full-sized specifications themselves, and as brand-new cars are creating a great deal of pre-introduction consumer interest.

“I’ve had more interest in the car prior to introduction than any car we’ve ever had,” said Tom Hollingsworth, general sales manager for Kennedy Chrysler-Plymouth. “There’s been more people coming through the door asking about it. It’s just amazing.”.

It appears, though, that interest is going to outrun availability, at least at the start.

“Availability is going to be very limited,” said Jerry Sneva, general sales manager for Palmer Dodge West. “Chrysler tells us they’re going to build us some cars, but for awhile we’re going to have to take what we can get. There is not going to be any selection.”

When the LHs do get to Indianapolis, prospective buyers will see an aerodynamic theme featuring soft, curving body surfaces and an aggressively raked windshield that has the forward-most point of its base resting over the center line of the front wheels.

And by pushing the wheels closer to the four corners of the vehicle, Chrysler has provided increased occupant and cargo-carrying space. “There is a huge amount of interior space,” Sneva said.

Chrysler says that in today’s conventional passenger car, 6 5 percent of the vehicle’s overall length is dedicated to driver, passengers and cargo space. With the company’s new cabin-forward design that interior space application has been increased to more than 75 percent.

Under the hood, the LH cars break about as much new ground as does the styling. Two engines will be available, a redesigned standard 3.3-liter, overhead-valve V-6, and an optional 3.5-liter, 24-valve V-6 that tends to go its own way.

Today’s V-6s that possess four valves per cylinder usually have four overhead cams to actuate the valve train. But with the new 3.5-liter, Chrysler is doing it with single overhead cams, one for each bank of three cylinders.

The engines, particularly the 24-valver, put out plenty of power for performance and flexibility of operation. The 24-valve V-6 develops 214 horsepower and 221 foot-pounds of torque. The 3.3-liter engine, which has 12 valves, develops 153-horsepower and 177 foot-pounds of torque.

In being different, Chr ysler isn’t do ing things half way. The V-6s are mounted longitudinally in the engine bay rather than in the more common transverse-mounting position used by most front-wheel-drive passenger cars.

To make things even more interesting, a new 42LE electronic four-speed automatic transmission is behind the engine so as to allow for more under-the-hood room for engine accessories and support systems. It also represents a potential for driving the rear wheels for four-wheel drive.

The body structure has been designed to complement a state-of-the-art multilink suspension system that provides ride and handling characteristics that are comfortable and well balanced.

The LH cars are aimed at drawing both old and new customers into showrooms by offering price levels