Redesigning an automobile body is an expensive proposition. For that reason, car makers world-wide for many decades have chosen to spread development costs over more than one of their brands. I often present examples on this blog.
Today's post deals with the iconic
2005 Chrysler 300 and cars based on its body. One is the 2005-2008
Dodge Magnum station wagon and its European variant, the Chrysler 300C Touring. Another is the 2006
Dodge Charger.
There was a Lancia Thema version of the 300, but it was based on the 2011 facelifted Chrysler body, not the original design featured here.
Gallery
2005 Chrysler 300C - factory photos
The basis for all the variants. It doesn't photograph well, but in real life it is rather seductive in a possibly inexplicable way. I bought one.
2005 Dodge Magnum - Bring a Trailer Auctions photos
Although Wikipedia has it that the Magnum entered production about the same time as the 300, my memory is that I was seeing Magnums for a few months before I laid eyes on a 300. The Dodge front end components are similarly configured to the 300's in terms of general shape, cut lines and such, though differ in detail.
2005 Chrysler 300 Touring - factory photos
The European version of the station wagon is pure-Chrysler so far as the front end is concerned.
2006 Dodge Charger - factory photos
Dodge sedan sales were higher than those of station wagons, so the Charger's body cladding was considerable changed from Chrysler's in the expectation that its development costs wold be recovered.
Now for some side views. Pay the most attention to the door cuts, wheel openings and A-pillars. Note the short front and rear overhangs, important details for the design's character.
The Magnum's doors and side windows are the same as the 300's, as are the wheel openings.
The Touring has the 300 front end, using only the Magnum's passenger compartment greenhouse's aft section.
The Charger's shared structure includes the front door and wheel opening shapes. The rest is unique, including the greater rear overhang.
Rear quarter views. The 300C's design is only mildly sculpted, and that is in a consistent manner, unlike current rear end décor fashion.
Obviously, station wagon tailgate zones will differ from sedan rear ends. Again, sculpting is consistent, holding various elements together visually rather than being arbitrary and clashing as we find today.
The Touring uses most of the Magnum's rear, though a few details such as the brake lights are unique.
Different, as expected, but the aft sculpting is in the same spirit as the other cars.
I always thought the thick body color window frames on the original 300 looked wrong. Sure, I get the spooky chop top Mafiamobile look, but those windows just looked too small and crudely drawn. I'm not sure if the facelifted (how many panels are new - all of them?) version windows are taller, but they and the whole car look better. When the facelift version came out I thought that it was what the original 2004 model should have looked like.
ReplyDeleteI once tapped the woven chromed wire looking grille on a hot version of the original one. Points for being actual metal and not plastichrome!