There's no shortage of examples of retro design these days. Think of the Art Deco radios and kitchen appliances that pepper specialty catalogs like Hammacher Schlemmer and even mainstream retailers like Sears (SHLD) and JC Penney (JCP). And then there's the way Chrysler (DCX) celebrates the past.
At this year's North America International Auto Show in Detroit, Chrysler Group is unleashing two design "concepts," the Imperial and Challenger. Both are based on the highly successful Chrysler 300 sedan, which itself is a decided nod to Chrysler's muscle car past. But the concept cars also have a 21st-century flair that the auto maker hopes will incite enough buyer interest to get the cars greenlighted, which means they could end up in showrooms as early as 2007.
SO-SO RESULTS. There's much debate about whether retro styling of cars constitutes lazy designing that will ultimately appeal only to a limited audience. Sure, the Mini Cooper has oversold BMW's forecasted sales goals, but the Ford (F) Thunderbird remake was a bust. The new Mustang, which is a reinterpretation of the 1960s Mustang is a big hit, but Chrysler's Dodge Charger, which launched last year, has been met with a cool reception. Trevor Creed, chief designer at Chrysler, says the Charger fills a need at Dodge dealerships for a midsize four-door sedan.
"We took a lot of flack for using the Charger name and hanging four doors on it, but I believe the car will find its audience," he says. "Every product we do now fills a specific segment. We have to be efficient and smart enough to make a profit on however many the market wants rather than push big volumes on the public with big discounts."
Chrysler may have better luck with these two concepts. The Challenger is a two-door, muscled coupe powered by Chrysler's Hemi engine that has found a huge and profitable market in the 300, Dodge Magnum, Dodge Charger, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The design is meant to evoke memories of the Challenger that Dodge sold in the early 1970s, which has become a highly sought collectible. One 1970 Hemi-powered Challenger recently sold at auction for $134,000.
SPEED LIMIT 174. Unlike the 300 and the Chrysler PT Cruiser, which are completely original designs that merely reinterpret cues and elements from the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Challenger pays more direct homage to a specific design. This Challenger nods to the 1970 model's horizontal "thrust" line that creases the fender and door, and noses up just ahead of the rear wheel. The long, low hood featuring twin diagonal scoops is a lift from the original as well. Inside the cabin, the deep gauge holes that were common 35 years ago make a comeback, as does a pistol-grip shift handle.
The Hemi engine in this Challenger concept isn't the 5.7 liter that powers the 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, but rather a 6.1-liter performance-tuned V-8 version that produces 425 horsepower and 420 lb.-feet of torque: a true muscle car. Chrysler says the car will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and will do 174 mph -- if only on the German autobahn or a closed track.
Chrysler has been enjoying the glow of the 300's success. But the lineup of vehicles built on the 300's engineering platform haven't all been successful. The Dodge Magnum, a station-wagon styled like it might be for Ma Barker and her boys, hasn't turned heads like the 300 sedan. And roughly a five-month supply of Magnums is sitting on dealer lots awaiting customers.
LONG AND TALL. Chrysler's other attention-grabbing look-back car is the Imperial sedan. Again conjuring up a model nameplate from the past, the Imperial is also built on the same engineering platform and architecture as the 300, Magnum, Charger, and Challenger. The Imperial is meant for those who find the pretty substantial 300C a bit too cramped. The platform has been stretched three inches, but the car's overall length is 17 inches longer than the 300, while its height is an astonishing six inches taller. The concept car rides on huge 22-inch wheels and tires, with passengers sitting some seven inches higher than in the 300C.
Close your eyes and you can picture P. Diddy or Ludacris and their respective entourages riding to the Grammy Awards in this baby. And the limousine coachbuilders are filling out orders to stretch this already long and tall dream machine.
The Imperial has a long hood, and the front end is dominated by a very upright, horizontal grille. The headlamps, which appear to be freestanding rather than integrated into rest of the front end, were inspired by headlights of the '30s, '40s, and '50s. The "gun-sight" tail lamps evoke those of the 1960s Imperials. And the new one is powered by the standard 5.7-liter, 340-hp, 390-lb.-ft. Hemi V-8, linked to a five-speed transmission borrowed from the Mercedes E-Class.
HOW BIG A MARKET? The concept car lacks a B-pillar, which might not be something Chrysler carries through to a production car. The interior is two-tone leather and suede, and the wood accents are California burl, which every car company should use. Chrysler has been enjoying huge success of the 300 in the influential hip-hop crowd, and this car, if and when built, is sure to get the full treatment from car customizers and wind up in music videos and even in song lyrics.
Unlike the Challenger, the Imperial doesn't draw directly from a past design. Instead, the name is intended to evoke the days of "big elegant cars" that were made between the 1930 and 1960s before muscle cars and compacts came to dominate the showrooms, says Creed. The market for a car like this is hard to pin down, but executives say its base price would certainly be above $40,000 before thousands of dollars in customization is added on. In any case, its size and proportions would make it a truly unique offering.
It used to be that cars like the Challenger and Imperial represented big financial risks to car companies. But some of them are getting so good at making compelling variants off the same basic mechanicals that they can bring out exciting niche vehicles and sell at relatively small volumes without upsetting the accountants. With creations like these, no wonder car executives are forecasting sales of passenger cars to increasingly cut into the market share of trucks and SUVs.
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