I like Texans. Direct, to the point

roadster with a stick

 

I am sitting here looking at an article from Road & Track that I printed from the WEB. Go to the Road & Track internet site and do a search for the Crossfire. The article, with photos, is by Matt DeLorenzo, dated October 2003, and titled "2004 Chrysler Crossfire." This will shut up all of your detractors.

The Crossfire's pedigree is clearly defined, no doubts.

 

Link to above article so you don't have to search for it.....
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....article_id=769

 

an old poll - https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ysler+mercedes

 

Maybe it's just me, but I have the opposite problem...People always ask, "What kind of car is that?" When I answer, Chrysler, THEY just roll their eyes, and reply "Yea, right." TBW

 

TBW, I have had the same response, amazing isn't it...

 

mine is a AMG ..........lol
if it were a Chrysler.. the Tech's could work on them.

 

There are enough Mercedes logos under the bonnet. However, it’s to Mercedes as Skoda is to Audi. The logos are there, but hidden. People see the Chrysler badge and think "pffttt" or, if you know the same idiot I know, "it’s a Ford".

I’ve not had the reaction the OP has posted with my car. They aren’t common here, and I think it’s seen as a bit of a novelty on the road. I certainly agree that the SLK is a far worse looking car.

 

Great pic's.

 

As a note I will tell you ahead of time that my X-fire has very small Harley emblems in the corner of the quarter windows and I have removed the CROSSIRE emblems on the tail.
While in a restaurant awhile back an older lady came in to eat with some friends. I overheard her talking to them upon entering. she asked her friends if they had seen that beautiful little car in the parking lot! How it had such a pretty interior. Boy it sure looks expensive! One of her friends asked her what kind of car it was. She said, I don't know but it says it's a Harley-Davidson.

 

Should someone ask "What kind of car is that?" and they seem to truly be interested . . . Tell them the truth. Crossfire is by todays standards a limited production car marketed at Chrysler dealers and engineered when Chrysler was owned by Mercedes Benz . . . therefor the former name Daimler Chrysler. The vehicle is built in Osnabrueck Germany by a coach builder named Karmann, they have built specialty market cars for German Automakers for decades. Some of there clients over the years include VW and Porsche. Best of all Daimler Chrysler dipped deep into the Mercedes Benz parts bin to provide the Crossfire with mostly 320 SLK mechanical components. Everything from brakes, powertrain, suspension, and electronics are 320 SLK. The car is quite unique and a lot of fun to drive.

Just for the record, mine has the Chrysler winged badges both front and rear. The Crossfire lettering has been removed from the hatch because I'm tired of picking off lint and debris from each letter after it gets a bath and then straightening the letters. I do miss the cool crosshair letters and the splash of chrome they provided though. I also have the powered by Mercedes Benz emblems, one on each front fender down below the vents. On a base, which is black of course, they blend in quite well.

 

What's in a Name? Some interesting history.
The AC Cobras body and chassis was built in England by A.C. Bristol Co. had a Ford engine and drivetrain.
Everybody calls it a FORD.
The Pantera was built in Italy by the Detomaso Plant and only used a Ford engine.
Everybody referes to it as a FORD.
The Cadillac Allante was built by Pininfarina of Italy, and was flown to the U.S. in 747's where they installed the Caddy V8.
Everybody thinks it's a CADILLAC.
Probably the one car that shares the most similar convoluted build and distribution circumstances to the Crossfire, would be the Opel GT.
It was conceived by a General Motors and its subsidiary OPEL, built by a French contractor, Brissonneau & Lotz, and sold in America by the Buick Division. But even though they built over 100k of them, I don't remember anybody refering to them as a Buick.
That being said, why would a car conceived by Chrysler in a joint effort with Daimler Benz of Germany, built by a well know German manufacture, Karmann, using over 80% German parts from a Mercedes Benz, ever be considered anything but a Mercedes?

 

Maybe it's because of my socioeconomic background, but I still don't think of the Chrysler name as a pejorative.

I own a Chrysler Crossfire.

I have shown people the mercedes parts under the hood and for me that always gets a laugh and some thoughtful discussion going about the auto industry.

 

That being said, why would a car conceived by Chrysler in a joint effort with Daimler Benz of Germany, built by a well know German manufacture, Karmann, using over 80% German parts from a Mercedes Benz, ever be considered anything but a Mercedes?

Because it says Chrysler on it?

 

Hmmmm, the Cadillac Cimarron (spelling?) was nothing but a re-badged economy Chevy. So, is it really a Cadillac?

Re-badging is just a marketing ploy.



Hmmm, Looks like a Cavalier to me...

 

See also this thread
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ghlight=Jaguar

Not similar experiences but I can tell you that you are right.

Take a look at any part that is large enough to put the three-pointed star on and you will find a three pointed star. Even the little buttons that are holding the interior panels have a three pointed star.

The engine is entirely MB as are the ancillary components (keep in mind that Mercedes outsources some stuff but it's the same stuff you would find in an SLK.)

Then there are the facts that the car was manufactured for Daimler-Chrysler in Germany by Karmann, in the same factory as the SLK, many Porsche, Audi, VW, and other cars.

The literature on the car comprehensively documents the depth of Mercedes parts that are direct from the Mercedes parts bin.

The body is by Chrysler design, built by Karmann, and those parts are manufactured by Daimler-Chrysler, about 80% of that in Germany.

The whole concept of "badge engineering" is pretty abstract to non-car people. Try telling a Jaguar X-Type owner that they don't really own a Jaguar (it's a Ford Mondeo) and you'll get a whole lot of eye-rolling (and maybe even beat up), but the fact remains it's a Ford that has been badged a Jaguar - no more Jaguar than your sneakers.

You shouldn't worry about those who doubt you, they just don't know and for whatever reason choose not to believe you. If it's really important you could walk them through the car with an SLK parked right next to it and prove it. They might still deny it, just because they're unwilling to be wrong.

You could also do the online research and refer them to the sites that have the info. They'll probably cite a dozen reasons why that too is not right.

But really, you know, so who cares what they think?

 

My question is how anyone could argue that the crossfire is a chrysler at all. It has no chrysler parts at all. The car is more european than many european-badged cars we get in the US. The only thing chrysler about this car is the badging, and I wonder if that was even made in the US.

Put another way, I simply wouldn't put my car in a chrysler-only car show, or for a multimake show, I wouldn't park in the Chrysler section. I drive a mercedes that I bought new from a Chrysler dealer. There's an all german car show in my area and next year, I'm thinking I will put the crossfire in the show, just to ruffle some feathers.

Oh, and don't forget that the inside of the key FOB also has the mercedes star on it. The key itself, I believe is made by the same people who made the key on recent VWs I've owned as well.

 

+fireamx quote
"The Pantera was built in Italy by the Detomaso Plant and only used a Ford engine.
Everybody referes to it as a FORD."

"Probably the one car that shares the most similar convoluted build and distribution circumstances to the Crossfire, would be the Opel GT.
It was conceived by a General Motors and its subsidiary OPEL, built by a French contractor, Brissonneau & Lotz, and sold in America by the Buick Division. But even though they built over 100k of them, I don't remember anybody refering to them as a Buick."

Actually, the Pantera (a drop dead stunning car imo ) was marketed by Mercury dealers.

I do remember TV adds for your Buick-Opel dealer.

 

Very true, but You never hear anybody ever say it's got a "Mercury" engine in it now do ya?

 

I couldn’t agree more! This is a great way of looking at our red headed step cars!