Worth The Wait
by Alan Douglas (10 May 04)

The baby Bentley - that's what Chrysler calls its new flagship, and you have to acknowledge its self-confidence. I suppose if the Germans can take over one of our most famous automotive brands and make it their own, why can't the Americans capitalise on their muscle-car pedigree, produce a big luxury saloon, and compare it with one of the most stunning cars on the road?

You could call it bare-faced cheek, and that was my initial reaction until I saw the car they were talking about, the 300C, which is going to lead Chrysler's brand offensive over the next three years to re-establish its name as a major player in the field.

The first left-hand drive models are only just appearing in Europe, but potential British owners will have to be patient. Right-hand drive versions won't be available until October next  year! That's right, 2005, when its creators hope it will burst onto the British market and set alight the E-segment which has seen a decline here in recent years, with sales down by around 20,000 since 1999, when more than 93,000 were registered. I admire their ambition.

It's a highly competitive arena fought out by the likes of Audi's A6, BMW's 5-Series, Jaguar's S Type and Saab's 9-5. But the target for Chrysler is the Volvo S80, and the Americans are bullish about entering an area they've never been in before. They've been cautious in setting their sights fairly low, aiming to sell only 2000 a year to an older male-dominated and comfortably-off group of buyers, and if they stick to their ambition of pricing it "significantly" below £30,000, there probably won't be too many sitting around gathering dust in the showrooms.

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