The bad end of the Chrysler 300C

Officially, production of the Chrysler 300 will continue until the end of the year. This week, however, the last known Chrysler 300C, with the HEMI V8, rolled off the production line.

The Chrysler 300C has always been unusual in the Netherlands. Immediately after its introduction in 2004, the large square sedan fell out of step with the widespread fashion image. As a result, he almost immediately gained the status of a cult, which he will never lose.

Gangster car

What we know here as the Chrysler 300C is the American luxury version of the Chrysler 300. In America there is a basic version, which we have never had. The car we know was more elegant version. The interior was not inferior to more expensive cars, such as BMW and Mercedes. In the Netherlands, the Chrysler 300C was sold at a price between 60,000 and 100,000 Euros: much lower than that of the cars it had to compete with.

Add to this its square shape, complete with large wheels and mostly black paint, and it’s no wonder that the Chrysler 300C quickly acquired the image of a ‘gangster car’. In many films and series, the villain chased this American square, something that only contributed to his popularity in certain circles.

In her underwear

Under the big hood we found the V6 or of course the famous HEMI V8. Chrysler didn’t do it for less than 2.7 liters. The sports version, the latter of which goes on sale this week, has a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 up front. This special edition, especially to say goodbye to the 300, goes from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.3 seconds thanks to 485 hp. A total of 2,200 were built: they were sold within 12 hours of the announcement.

In 2011, the Chrysler brand disappeared from the European market. Stellantis’ parent company reached the stupid decision that the Chrysler 300C should henceforth be sold with the Lancia badge. Although the modifications were minimal to the logo and grille, the 300C could not recover from this blow. Like the Lancia Thema, this tough American had his underwear on. Even after the update in 2014, nobody in the Netherlands bought this beautiful car.

In America – like Chrysler – it continued to be popular. After this week, however, the Chrysler 300 and 300C are finally gone. There is no successor: the square sedan with its big engines is no longer relevant in these times of simplification and electrification. Stellantis declares that factory in Brampton, USA, will be converted to electric vehicle production. Maybe the 300C name will come back one day, but it won’t be as special as this gangster car was.