Chrysler AG's Twenty Years of "Concept to Reality"
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For years the “concept to
reality” has been the theme that embodies the Chrysler Group design philosophy
and many are hoping that the company will apply this theme on their concept
vehicles for this year, 2007.
The ability of Chrysler to
create a design that is not only compelling but at the same time relevant and innovative
has helped it to come up with concept vehicles that are truly worth waiting
for. The latest concept vehicles from Chrysler the producer of high quality Dodge seat clearly
show a design tradition that has become the strength of the company.
Chrysler has started creating
remarkable concept vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show where it revealed a
Lamborghini engined, cab-forward style, four door Chrysler Portifino concept
sedan in the year 1987. And after almost 20 years of more than 100 concept
vehicles produced by Chrysler has helped it to reinvent and maintain its image
as a car company that is driven by design and engineering.
There are two major roles that
concept vehicles play in the Chrysler Group. First they showcase future design
direction for Chrysler’s cars and trucks. Secondly, they help to attract the
best young designers in the world to join the designing studios of the Chrysler
Group.
Chrysler’s concept vehicle
program is an opportunity given to designers for them to experiment on new
color combination, features, vehicle size and segments. Moreover these concept
vehicles displayed new design cues that the automaker may used for its future
vehicles even if the whole concept vehicle will not reach production.
Generally, most of the concept
vehicles revealed at auto shows around the world each year are not just built
to look good but used more as a specimen to see how potential buyers would
react to the design cues presented. And usually only those features and design
that get the highest approval or praise are considered for production.
One of the edges of Chrysler
over other automaker is that it produces concept vehicles that can actually be
driven and usually the automaker allows journalists to test drive their concept
cars to obtain feedbacks and of course publicity. Most of the concept vehicles
that Chrysler has presented at auto shows have made it to production. An
example of which is its Dodge Challenger which was first unveiled as a concept
vehicle at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
It was later on announced that the Challenger will go into production in 2008.
Trevor Creed, Senior Vice
president of the Product Design Office, Chrysler Group said, “We’ve always said
at Chrysler that we don’t just produce concepts for fun. We have proved year
after year that our concepts are innovative and relevant. Our track record
shows that many Chrysler Group concepts, and several of the design features
showcased on our concept vehicles, have gone into production. While we can’t
say yet if any of our 2007 concepts will eventually be seen in our showrooms,
they clearly hint at exciting and innovative future design directions that
could find their way into our company’s products.”
Concept vehicles for 2007
For this year Chrysler’s group
of concept vehicles will include one for each of the company’s brands. The
Chrysler Nassau Concept which combines refinement, style, and function
showcases a new image of the Chrysler brand. The Nassau Concept was first
unveiled at the 2007 NAIAS. It’s a four-door, four passenger luxury coupe that
is made more emotional and at the same artistically sends the message of what
it means to be a Chrysler.
The Jeep Trailhawk which was
also presented at the 2007 NAIAS combines all the spectrum of the Jeep brand.
The Trailhawk possesses the core off-road features of the new Jeep Wrangler
Unlimited and combines it with refined sophistication of an all-new on-road,
open air concept vehicle. The Trailhawk provides a unique and fresh image for
the Jeep brand.
Another concept vehicle
introduced this year is the Dodge Demon which is a compact, agile roadster with
an “attitude”. The Demon exudes a perfect balance of classic sports car
proportion and simplicity mixed with modern design and performance. The vehicle
is designed as an affordable Dodge sports car that combines brand cues of bold
design and powerful performance made even more compelling with its open-air
“fun to drive” attitude. The Dodge Demon has made its debut at the 2007 Geneva
Motor Show.
Chrysler 20 years of concept vehicles…
The Chrysler Group from its first 1924 Chrysler
sedan has been developing innovative designs and been improving the engineering
of their vehicles. And even today in the modern era, starting 1998, the company
has already produced more that 100 concept vehicles in various shapes,
configurations, sizes, and materials.
About the Author
Evander Klum is a Business Administration graduate who hails
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