Chrysler 300C - an exercise in style and proportion

The new Chrysler 300C concept, to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is an effort by the car company to publicise it's credentials as a maker of fine cars. The 300C is contemporary in its Chrysler styling - but is more conservative than recent concepts. It is highly likely that, if all goes well, this car will go into production virtually unchanged.

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“We wanted to return to the proud, powerful lines that once made American automobiles the envy of the entire industry, but do so in a thoroughly modern way,” said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President of Design, DaimlerChrysler. “At the same time, we identified a dramatic new design direction that continues the Chrysler brand’s longstanding tradition of innovative design.”

The new proportions of the 300C concept were made possible by the decision to move the next generation of Chrysler saloons to rear wheel drive, after more than 10 years of ‘cab forward’ front wheel drive designs. The rear wheel drive format means the 300C can adopt more luxurious proportions than its predecessors with a longer, lower bonnet. It may also benefit from better handling - but interior space is likely to suffer slightly. “Modern elegance" is how Creed refers to the design - making it clear that this is an upmarket vehicle. The 300C concept wears the 'most elegant execution of the Chrysler face yet' say Chrysler - referring to the grille which is a development of the 1998 Chronos concept car.  This feature is set to become the most significant design cue on all new Chrysler vehicles, establishing a core design theme across the brand. Page 2 >