Chrysler 300 to Be Produced in Europe

Will Chryslers All-American Powerhouse be as Popular Overseas as It Is Here?

Its no surprise to see that Chryslers 300 luxury sedan is selling well in North America. It embodies unmistakable presence,

boasts American automotive values with its gleaming, upright chrome grille, acres of interior room and available HEMI V8 power. Its a real-live piece of 1960s American history, complete with a warranty.

But to the surprise of enthusiasts around the globe the 300 is much more than just a pretty face, its controlled and refined to a degree that comes close to most high-end European sedans thanks in part shares componentry with the previous generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The demand for the 300, and its twin Dodge Magnum wagon, is so great that not only has DaimlerChrysler announced it will be adding a third shift at its home-base Chryco assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, but that it will be contracting Austrian affiliate Magna Steyr to begin production in Europe.

Magna Steyr is a renowned coachwork company and third-party assembly firm for many American-designed, European-specification vehicles. Magnas broad list of clients include DaimlerChrysler, having built Euro-spec versions of the Dodge Caravan, dubbed Chrysler overseas, and Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it also has contracts with BMW to produce its compact X3 SUV. Chrysler Group recently announced that it will contract Magna-Steyr to add a single shift at its Graz, Austria facility in the second quarter of 2005 to build the 300 sedan and the European-only 300 Touring station wagon for European and Asian markets. The Austrian facility will make the 300 sedan and Touring in left and right hand drive, as well as assemble the high-performance SRT-8 version, and a turbodiesel variant powered by a Mercedes-Benz sourced 2.7-liter CRD motor.

Chrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche spoke of DCs European strategy, commenting, "Since the introduction of the Chrysler 300C Touring and sedan in markets outside of North America, the public response to the vehicles has been greater than we expected. For next year, demand from the markets is far beyond our original projections."

Producing the 300 at a European facility is good news for Chrysler and its clientele, because overall costs should be reduced with cross-continental shipping no longer needed, and delivery wait times should also be slashed. Austrian-built 300s would take the additional load of producing European-spec vehicles off of the Brampton plant, freeing up production room to manufacture the upcoming Dodge Charger sedan, an exclusive for North American markets.

Given General Motors decision to increase its presence in Europe by re-branding its Daewoo arm as Chevrolet, and reintroducing the

Cadillac luxury brand, there is no question that European-produced 300s will help Chrysler fight back and perhaps even take the upper hand. Chrysler intends to increase its market share in Western Europe from 0.7 percent to a full 1 percent in four years time. Although current sales figures of the 300 are unavailable, the brand hopes to sell 8,000 300s in the Western European region by this time next year. With the capabilities to produce right-hand drive vehicles, Chrysler will also expand its market horizons to Japan, Australia and all-important Great Britain, capturing prime global markets in one fell swoop. No doubt, it will be interesting to see just how well this popular piece of Americana is received in dramatically different cultures.