One of the coolest cars at the Detroit auto show (if not the coolest) was the Chrysler Imperial concept.
Bold, in your face, elegant, stunning, groundbreaking, trendsetting are all adjectives that come to mind when I think of it.
They hit a homerun with the 300c and now they're capitalizing on the momentum and kicking it up a notch.
If they build it, they will buy.
Even if just the Limo company guys buy them, you've got a huge business case.
Price it at 5-7K above the 300c and people will flock to buy it!
The thing that confuses me is that GM and Ford have been getting killed by the 300c but neither company showed a potential competitor at this year's show.
GM scores a big hit with the Escalade and they main reason it was successful was because of its brash 'take no prisoner' attitude.
But do they realize that this is the formula for success for future products?
NO!
What do they do?
The show the brash 'Sixteen' but do they use it as a design model for the STS or DTS?
NO!
Instead, they follow up the Escalade with the ultra boring and sedate STS and DTS.
Lincoln on the other hand out 300c's the 300c with their 61 suicide door continental concept a couple years ago but do they build it?
NO!
Let me pose a question for the teams over at Lincoln and Cadillac.
If Lincoln built a modern day 61 Continental-type sedan or Cadillac made the STS or DTS resemble the 'Sixteen' and they all rolled the same day as the 300c, which car would the rappers and stars be clamoring to own?
Which one would be getting all the press today?
My guess is the 61 Lincoln concept first, the Sixteen-like STS/DTS second and the 300c in a distant third place.
In fact, the 300c might have ended up as the ugly stepchild.
Then, GM and Ford could have expanded these models out to Buick, Chevrolet, Ford and Mercury.
Just like in the 60's.
Lincoln/Cadillac, I'll make it easy for you...
Here is the winning formula.
The success of the 300c says one thing LOUD and CLEAR...A LOT of Americans want an IN YOUR FACE, large sedan with ATTITUDE and SWAGGER.
It couldn't be any simpler.
Yet, year after year, the answer is right in front of you and you don't even see it.
And that's a shame.
And by the way Lincoln...Good luck taking on the Lexus LS with your lame LS clone concept...That has about as much chance of working as I have of going home with Gisele tonight!
More photos of this are in our Detroit auto show gallery on page 31 and others...
Click here to view the 2006 Detroit auto show photo gallerySpecial thanks from the Spies and our readers to the Lexus for making the 2006 Detroit auto show photo gallery possible!