One of the marques that define American motoring, together with General Motors and Ford. Formed in 1925 by Walter Chrysler, the company is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, USA. From 1998 to 2007 it was in a merger with DaimlerBenz, makers of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, in an ill-fated marriage. Chrysler was in real trouble in 2009, again with its brethren GM and Ford, after the double blow of sky-high oil prices followed by a severe economic recession. These caused many loyal customers to abandon the 3 companies and turn to smaller-displacement cars, mainly from Japan and Europe, and the trio only recovered after bailouts from the U.S. government. Chrysler actually filed for bankruptcy but managed to emerge like a phoenix, and is currently in partnership with Italian maker Fiat.
One of their standout models is the PT Cruiser, whose retro styling definitely attracted those who dared to be different. However, current Chrysler models available in New Zealand are the 300C and the Voyager. The former is a brawny muscle car that’s a throwback to the 70’s when such vehicles were in vogue. Its imposing grille and narrow side windows give it a thuggish yet attractive look. The 300C is available with the famous ‘Hemi’ engine, so called because of its hemispherical cylinder heads; and also as the SRT8 high-performance version. The Voyager, on the other hand, is a more sedate minivan. It is well-respected and much loved, both for its ability to swallow large amounts of family gear and also its neat features, like the (optional) power sliding door, clean-looking grille and six-seat multi-configurable layout.
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