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Daimler's abuse of the Dodge Charger legacy.

659 messages,  Last post on Jun 21, 2006 at 2:03 PM

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#106 of 659 Why not? by andys120 Jan 15, 2005 (11:15 am)
.... How would the Germans or British like it if an American were the lead designer to bring back a classic Porsch [sic], or Jaguar.   It's a global economy and there are Americans in charge of styling BMW and Ferrari, can Porsche and Jag be far behind?
#107 of 659 This is odd.. by emmanuelchoke Jan 15, 2005 (1:21 pm)
Remember the Charger from the Fast and the Furious that got rolled near the end of the movie? It's for sale at volocars for $36,000...in rough shape.       Hate to see classics destroyed in movies.
#108 of 659 by grbeck Jan 15, 2005 (3:45 pm)
I'm sure the head honchos of Daimler-Chrysler smile when they ponder the controversy over the return of the Charger as a four-door. The publicity is priceless...   Mopar purists are undoubtedly disappointed, but let's be realistic - a mass-market company cannot design cars for purists and hope to remain in business (let alone a mass-market company). The debate over whether the Charger should return as a coupe is lost on over 90 percent of the car-buying public.   The simple fact is that unless the car has a galloping horse on the grille and a "Mustang" nameplate on the side, reasonably priced coupes that share no sheetmetal with a sedan variant are dead in the American market.   People, for whatever reason, do not want them anymore. The days of Chevy Monte Carlos scoring 300,000+ sales annually and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supremes sitting on top of the sales chart are over. Daimler-Chrysler knows this.   At the same time, "Charger" is Dodge's most recognizable nameplate, the marketplace is becoming increasingly cluttered with new entries, and Dodge is coming from behind in the sedan segment...so, the new car is christened "Charger." Like it or not, this makes perfect sense from a business standpoint.   As for the car itself - so far I like it, although I'll reserve final judgment until I actually see one in real life. Judging from the photos, it's distinctive and has a business-like look. Yes, it polarizes people, but I give Daimler-Chrysler credit for making an end run around the Japanese competition and trying something different.   Last time I checked, that strategy seemed to be working pretty well with the Chrysler 300... Replies to this message: explorerx4 (Jan 15, 2005 6:14 pm) rik4 (Jan 15, 2005 6:41 pm)
#109 of 659 Although I'd never buy one... by 210delray Jan 15, 2005 (5:23 pm)
...I consider the Charger the best-looking of the 300/Magnum/Charger triplets.   All 3 are head-turners, no question. The high beltlines and the gun-slit windows grab your attention, no doubt. But I really like the fastback rear glass of the Charger and the 60s-like kickup of the rear quarter panels, kind of reminiscent of 1965-66 full-size Pontiacs.   But personally, I prefer a lower beltline for visibility and airiness, and although I do prefer more upright windshields, the windshields of these 3 cars are too far forward from the driver's seat for optimum visibility.   I grew up in the heyday of the original Charger, but I was a GM fan back then. Now I buy Japanese, so what do I know
#110 of 659 Re: [grbeck] by explorerx4 Jan 15, 2005 (6:14 pm)
Replying to: grbeck (Jan 15, 2005 3:45 pm) "The simple fact is that unless the car has a galloping horse on the grille and a "Mustang" nameplate on the side, reasonably priced coupes that share no sheetmetal with a sedan variant are dead in the American market." as a mustang owner i say; no guts, no glory. the 5 year old(pre d-c) concept was much better. i think the whole 300 look is because the 'hemi' is such a tall engine(designed to go in a ram pickup).
#111 of 659 Re: [grbeck] by rik4 Jan 15, 2005 (6:41 pm)
Replying to: grbeck (Jan 15, 2005 3:45 pm) well not all you say is true. HOw do you explain the 2 door viper and the very low market it is aimed at the amount of capital it took to produce it in such low numbers and then there is the crossfire . it seems they can make a 2 door and justify it when they want too. Truth is they are out of touch with the mass public. 2 dr cars or coupes will sell if they are reliable and aesthetic to the eye. THen mustang and Ford GT prove that. Use your theory and make a 4 door mustang and see what happens in sales. Ford tried a 4 door T bird and it bombed. Why is there a sebring 2 door and convert. why not 4 doors there too. If you cannot make a 2 door and make money why have they been building the sebring for almost 20 yrs. Maybe they should stop it now and invest in a more lucrative style. No from the beginning some idiot decided it should be a family car with a big engine and they never explored the alternative and now they will reap what they have sown. ANd i think heads should roll when the car does not sell. DCX is not cash rich and this is a very big mistake and could in the end be the downfall of dodge. Diamler did not want dodge or for that matter chrysler they really wanted jeep and the jeep patent rights on 4 wheel drive. This is a mistake just like the bangles BMW diaster. If someone has the email address of deiter Zeitsche then post it and we can all email him by the thousands of this mistake and let them know. If he fails to respond then his head should roll too when it fails. remember if you plant a crab apple tree you will not get any macintosh apples.
#114 of 659 Don't put too much faith... by andre1969 Jan 15, 2005 (10:10 pm)
in those on-line polls. It's too easy to skew them. All you'd need is for a Dodge Charger club or a Mopar club in general to get ahold of a website like that, and it's all over.   Oddly, at certain angles, the Charger actually makes me think more of a vintage 300 Letter Series than the new 300 does! It's mainly in the "face" of the car...makes me think a bit of the snout on the '57-59 cars, or even the trapezoidal openings on the 60 and '61-62 models. Or heck, even the '63-64 a bit.
#115 of 659 Why is there a sebring 2 door by iowabigguy Jan 15, 2005 (10:28 pm)
"Why is there a Sebring 2 door" rik4 asked? Well I believe in 2006 it goes away. I was told no more 2 doors will be made by Dodge other than the viper. Simply economics, like the demise of the 2 dr Neon. They didn't sell enough to justify the 2 dr models.

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