By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
Just over 20 years ago, Chrysler introduced UK car buyers to a rare sports car fusing European and US design and engineering.
The two-seater Crossfire was the result of a collaboration between Daimler, who acquired Chrysler in the late 90s, and Mercedes-Benz.
The new car came with the Karmann-built Mercedes 3.2 litre V6 engine and was largely based on the first generation SLK, sharing its platform and many of its components.
To much fanfare the car was launched in 2004.
Chrysler’s vision for its new coupe and roadster was to ‘give the brand a touch of class and take inspiration from the 1930s art deco period’.
It was a car that looked sporty but to some buyers brought up on brands like BMW, Mercedes and Audi, it was a step into the unknown.
Chrysler did add the Crossfire SRT-6 which came with a supercharged 3.2 V6 engine, courtesy of Mercedes’ performance arm, AMG. This upgrade would boost performance to 330bhp, but sales continued to stall.
Unfortunately, relations between Daimler and Chrysler were hitting the rocks in 2007 and a looming global economic crisis was just around the corner.
In 2008, production ended. By then, 76,000 Crossfires had been sold, the vast majority to US buyers.
Personally, I liked the retro styling of this car. It set it apart from other sports coupes at the time. Plus, under the bonnet there was a reliable Mercedes power unit.
Today, if you can find a good condition Crossfire, you might be surprised by its affordable price tag. Scanning online auto sites suggests a standard 3.2 V6 model can be picked up for as little as £2,000, whilst the SRT-6 will cost over £6,000.
Not bad, when you consider new UK prices for the Crossfire originally ranged from £24,700 to £34,178.