6 Retro Flops, and 6 Concept Cars That Should Have Replaced Them

Retro Flop: 2004–2008 Chrysler Crossfire

The Chrysler Crossfire concept that debuted in 2001 was a cool retro sports car that aped just enough from the Audi TT and blended it with historic Chrysler designs and an Art Deco aesthetic. But here was a concept that did not elegantly make the leap from show floor to showroom. Instead, the Chrysler Crossfire became a poster car for the misguided and mismanaged marriage between Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler in the late 1990s. The company wanted customers to believe that DaimlerChrysler brought together the best of American and German engineering and design into its cars. The idea for the Crossfire, company executives proclaimed in a lavish auto show unveiling, was to show "where Route 66 meets the Autobahn." But, in truth, the Crossfire concept's elegant proportions and design were adapted and shrink-wrapped to fit onto a retired version of the Mercedes-Benz SLK's chassis. It looked awkward, and it was cramped inside. Performance was respectable, especially the rare SRT-6 model—a mechanical copy of the Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG. But the ride was rough, especially on that model, and sales were slow. Today the weird Crossfire is generally unloved by both American and German car fans.