Re: Dump the brand!
Who makes it? You already spelled out who assembles(ed) the car.
For whom was it manufactured, who caused it to be manufactured? The Chrysler part of Daimler Chrysler. They wanted to use up the outdated Mercedes parts, such as the recirculating ball steering and last generation engine/trans.
You can put any lipstick on it you want, you can call it anything you want, you can put any badge on it you want...but it's a Chrysler product.
With a few exceptions, the Mercedes dealer won't work on it, or at least won't do warranty work. Frankly, most Chrysler dealers SHOULDN'T work on the cars...
Relax, at the end of the day, does it make any difference? Are Viper owners embarrassed by the fact that Dodge makes virtually no other interesting cars (sorry, but the Magnum and Chargers, even in SRT8 form, are bloated, bland looking lumps)? Is the Prowler less interesting because it was a Plymouth? Is the ZO6 C6 Corvette less interesting because the rest of the Chevrolet line is as bland as vanilla pudding? Does the Ford GT need to be embarrassed because it's a Ford?
Now, the Shelby GT500 should be embarrassed because for the money it does not begin to live up to its name, but that's another story.
There really are very few cars made today that have a shot at having any collectibility. I think the Crossfire may be one, and the fact that it's such an anomaly for Chrysler will ultimately add to its cache.