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.

 

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I totally disagree and believe Crossfire owners overall keep their cars longer than most other brands.

 

Well two of the other flops (Thunderbird and GTO) shared something with the Crossie they didn't mention: a high sticker price. OTOH the Crossie sold over 70k cars, the T-bird just under (68k), and the GTO 40k. For a specialty "halo" car that isn't bad.


OF course I would not look to MSN for biblical accuracy particularly when they think the Crossie is retro.

 

Actually, the write-up is correct with regards to the car being a DC poster child on the outgoing SLK architecture, and the fact that the Xfire was a total sales & marketing disaster. Recall that it was listed on Overstock.com.

I love the styling of the limited roadster and have had two, but would not have paid $40K for a new one.

 

Mainly because Chrysler didn't promote it and Mercedes didn't want anything to do with it. A lot of folks still do not know what a CHRYSLER CROSSFIREis. How many commercials or ads did you see?

 

Mainly because Chrysler didn't promote it and Mercedes didn't want anything to do with it. A lot of folks still do not know what a CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE is. How many commercials or ads did you see?

 

That's very true. I can't tell you how many people come up and asked what kind of car it is and then talk about buying one for themselves. They don't even realize it's an 11 year old car. One gal I dated went and bought a roadster the very next day after seeing my SRT-6!

 

You either love them or hate them, the first time I saw a roadster I knew I had to have one, it's the sports car that hardly no one knows anything about. People come up and ask me about it all the time and then the next thing out of their mouth is OMG! This car is 11 years old!

 

Same here, every time i have it parked in the driveway, traffic slows down. I get people walking past, coming up the driveway to take a closer look, and try and figure out what it is, and that it's almost 12 years old now. I bought this car because it's rare.

 

Like other Crossfire Owners, I'm extremely passionate about my 2007 Limited Coupe. I love the way it drives, the way it looks, the fact that it was a limited production run vehicle and isn't seen everywhere I go, and that it still draws stares from passersby everywhere we go in it. I agree with others that true crossfire Owners keep these cars far longer than the typical car owner and, as such, maintain these cars in very good or nearly new condition. I know mine looks every bit as good today as the day it came off the showroom floor.

 

I had the hood up on mine the other day and a buddy who had never seen under the hood asked me how I kept it so clean, I said it was easy, I never let it stay a little dirty.

 

I looked at a brand new coupe in 2004, test drove it and decided it cost a little more than I wanted to spend. Ending up buy a 2004 Ram Pick-up. Silly me.

 

I know this...I have a ten year old car that folks gawk at...when I tell them it is a decade old, they can hardly believe it.

Good looks, respectable performance...and so far, reliable.

(now I do admit that the radio ain't all that)

 

At least once a week somebody compliments or asks about my Crossfire. Many think they've never seen one before. I even had a guy in a Maserati think it was a Porsche.

You'd be damn hard pressed to find another car this age (and price point) that attracts this much attention.

 

Since I have replaced the Chrysler badging with AMG, people who check it out are really baffled! My handmade grill adds to the illusion.

 

Hah BS
Those journo/******* know nothing , take no notice of their crap .

These cars are a rare one of a kind fun sports car with awesome looks and engineering .
They have a loyal fanbase around the world and will likely be much sought after in a few years.

they are a big bang for buck right now for sure!

ps dont put AMG badges on it cos its not , just be proud of what you got.

 

Chrysler Crossfire wasn't a flop. It was the abandoned step child of a Corporate divorce. More importantly, it was not generated to be another Mustang or crossover offering to mass buyers of common cars.


That said, some still think it pretty valuable. To wit:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2005-Chrysler-Crossfire-Limited-/142028788670?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

That is more than I paid for my 2006 NA stick roadster with only 4 miles on the odometer.


Jus Sayin'

 

LOL's
The SRT's ARE.


Mine's got Chrysler Badges on it and IT"S NOT! Soooooooooo.

 

If the SRT's are AMG's then the NA's are Mercedes which of course they are not.
Just as some Lotus's are not Toyota's or some Ford Taurus SHO's are not Yamaha's and so on.
In future these will be still known as Chrysler's.

 

I'm sure you would love to make an argument of this but truly you should know better.


I'm not suggesting putting a Mercedes label on the car. I'm just saying they aren't Chrysler even though that badge is stuck on the hood. And that is all I said.


Our Crossfires are a product of the Daimler company built by Karman and have no Chrysler parts in their construction. NONE! At best they are mongrels, but if they are not Mercedes then what are they? Because they sure ain't Chrysler, and they sure ain't American built.


BTW, your examples are not pure bred in terms of parts. Non-sequetor!