Chrysler 300 C, goodbye American icon that brought Lancia Thema back to life

The career of the Chrysler 300 C officially ends after 19 years on the market. The large sedan, which quickly became an icon of the American brand and was able to secure an important market share for the Detroit company, was also. opportunity for Lancia to return to showcase the Thema name. Let’s trace the history of the Chrysler 300 C, from its launch to its departure.

Chrysler 300 C, an American with a European heart

Chrysler 300 C was born in 2004, when the American company was under the control of Daimler-Benz. Actually the car was mechanically related to the Mercedes E-Class, and was produced – except for the 5.7 V8 and SRT8 versions – in Austria by Magna Steyr of Europe. The 300 C replaced the 300 M sedan, presenting itself as a modern interpreter of Chrysler’s 300 series born in the 1950s.

Known by determined external dimensions of hospitalitywith a length of more than 5 meters, it was also offered in station wagon and sported versions square and retro style signed by Ralph Gilles. Under the bonnet, V6 petrol and diesel engines, as well as the inevitable ones V8 Hemi from 5.7 and 6.1 litersthe last one known by the abbreviation SRT8 and capable of producing 431 horse power and making the car reach 270 km / h.

Second generation with Lancia Thema

In 2011shortly after the acquisition of the Chrysler Group by Fiat, the second generation 300 C is released: again a little, it had a less extreme style, a revised technical plan and new, more efficient engines. Specifically, The previous V6s were replaced by the 3.6 Pentastar, while the Hemi V8 grew to 6.4 liters of displacement and 470 hp of power. As for the Diesel, the original Mercedes-Benz unit had been replaced by 3 liter VM of Italian production with Multijet II technology.

Also in 2011, the Chrysler 300 C’s twin, the Lancia Thema, made its debut. Presented as the successor to the Turin luxury sedan of the 1980s, the new Thema was sold with a 292 hp Pentastar V6 petrol and a 190 or 239 hp V6 Diesel. However, the drive was short-lived: in 2014 the model went off the list, and the following year the 300 C also left the European markets where it was still sold. In recent years the Chrysler 300 C has continued its work mainly on the American market, with new versions and updates, until its demise at the end of 2023.

At the moment, Stellantis has not officially presented the arrival of the successor to the 300 C, but. A new electric sedan will be ready to replace it in the next few years, using Dodge Charger Daytona SRT engines. In any case, goodbye to the 8-cylinder Hemi is now certain.

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