It is a good thing that Chrysler didn’t have to count on the Crossfire to help it revive its image in the new millennium. I thought that this European-built two-seater, based on Mercedes mechanicals, was doing well--15,000 sales per year--until I saw it being offered recently on a bargain basement Internet deal. Nor would I call the pricey Cadillac XLR roadster a flaming success, but then I wouldn’t call it a failure, either.
Among the halo failures of the recent past are the Buick Reatta, the Cadillac Allante, the Plymouth Prowler, the Isuzu VehiCross and the Chrysler TC by Maserati. A halo program needs perfect or near-perfect execution in order to be a success. Otherwise, it becomes an embarrassment. Take the Cadillac Allante, a $50,000 roadster (a lot of money back in ’94, when the car died) aimed at competing with the Mercedes SL. The Allante lacked a power roof, didn’t have enough of an engine and the top leaked, too. That is not the way to compete with Mercedes.
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