After taking the US by storm, DaimlerChrysler's hot new sedan is now being aimed squarely at Asian and European markets.
Hailed as a "Baby Bentley," the aggressive, athletic stance of the powerful Chrysler 300 made it a must-have in the trendsetting hip-hop crowd -- it even showed up in a Snoop Dogg video -- while its classic lines made it a hit with middle-aged men.
The buzz surrounding the brash styling in what is generally a staid segment has even spread to the 300's chief designer, Ralph Gilles.
PHOTO: AFP
With his movie-star good looks, Gilles, 35, became the public face of the sexy sedan. He's appeared in ads, at auto and award shows and in countless interviews. Dubbed the "Bling King" by Time magazine, Gilles was featured in a GQ photo spread and graced the cover of Black Enterprise.
The fuss doesn't suit Gilles' understated Canadian sensibilities. He seems almost embarrassed by it, though quick to admit it's been good for the company.
But his marbled green eyes shine when he talks about the ability of good design to get people excited about ordinary objects.
Exciting design
"It can be a simple thing like home furnishing and fixtures," he explained as he leaned across a paper-strewn desk in his Auburn Hills, Michigan office.
"All it does is deliver water to your cup. The reason someone says `it's a nice faucet, man' is because someone took the time to sweat it," he said.
Sweating it is exactly what Gilles and his design team did with the 300. Most cars take three years to make it from the sketch pad to the assembly line. The basic style can be traced to the 1998 Chronos concept car but the 300 didn't make it to the market until last year.
The wait was worth it.
Named Motor Trend's Car of the Year, the award-winning 300 also helped to revitalize a brand that had become tired and confused after its 1998 merger with Daimler-Benz AG.
"It's not only generating sales for itself, but it's having a flagship effect of getting people into dealerships," said auto analyst Jeff Brodoski of J.D. Powers and Associates. "It's done wonders for the car side in terms of sales and it's done wonders for the group as a whole."
In its first year on the market, around 114,000 of the loaded cars were sold in the US, making the 300 the hottest selling car in several classes. That trend is expected to continue this year, with J.D. Power forecasting sales of 140,000 vehicles in the US.
Sales in Europe have already reached 5,430 vehicles and are expected to increase when the new diesel model is released later this year. Chrysler also has high hopes for the reception the 300 will receive when a right-hand drive model is launched at the Tokyo motor show in October.
The strength of the 300 is that it can be so many things to so many different kinds of people. Something that's increasingly important in the highly fragmented auto market.
"The trick [is] how do you do a unique, huge volume product," Gilles said. "You want someone to feel `they built that car just for me,' because it anticipates their needs so well."
Innovation
Chrysler has a history of innovative design. Gilles was drawn to the company by the Dodge Viper roadster and stayed because the atmosphere encouraged risk-taking.
The goal is to bring tension to design. To create trends rather than follow them. To craft with confidence and rely on timeless styling.
"A car can be an appliance or it can be an escape," Gilles said. "That's the underlying mission of a designer -- to get the romance back."
GAINING STEAM: The scheme initially failed to gather much attention, with only 188 cards issued in its first year, but gained popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic Applications for the Employment Gold Card have increased in the past few years, with the card having been issued to a total of 13,191 people from 101 countries since its introduction in 2018, the National Development Council (NDC) said yesterday. Those who have received the card have included celebrities, such as former NBA star Dwight Howard and Australian-South Korean cheerleader Dahye Lee, the NDC said. The four-in-one Employment Gold Card combines a work permit, resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) and re-entry permit. It was first introduced in February 2018 through the Act Governing Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及雇用法),
RESILIENCE: Deepening bilateral cooperation would extend the peace sustained over the 45 years since the Taiwan Relations Act, Greene said Taiwan-US relations are built on deep economic ties and shared values, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said yesterday, adding that strengthening supply chain security in critical industries, enhancing societal resilience through cooperation and deepening partnerships are key to ensuring peace and stability for Taiwan in the years ahead. Greene made the remarks at the National Security Youth Forum, organized by National Taiwan University’s National Security and Strategy Studies Institution in Taipei. In his address in Mandarin Chinese, Greene said the Taiwan-US relationship is built on deep economic ties and shared interests, and grows stronger through the enduring friendship between
CAUTION URGED: Xiaohongshu and Douyin — the Chinese version of TikTok — are tools the Chinese government uses for its ‘united front’ propaganda, the MAC said Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) yesterday urged people who use Chinese social media platforms to be cautious of being influenced by Beijing’s “united front” propaganda and undermining Taiwan’s sovereignty. Chiu made the remarks in response to queries about Chinese academic Zhang Weiwei (張維為) saying that as young Taiwanese are fond of interacting on Chinese app Xiaohongshu (小紅書, known as RedNote in English), “after unification with China, it would be easier to govern Taiwan than Hong Kong.” Zhang is professor of international relations at Shanghai’s Fudan University and director of its China Institute. When giving a speech at China’s Wuhan
ENHANCE DETERRENCE: Taiwan has to display ‘fierce resolve’ to defend itself for China to understand that the costs of war outweigh potential gains, Koo said Taiwan’s armed forces must reach a high level of combat readiness by 2027 to effectively deter a potential Chinese invasion, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) published yesterday. His comments came three days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the US Senate that deterring a Chinese attack on Taiwan requires making a conflict “cost more than what it’s worth.” Rubio made the remarks in response to a question about US policy on Taiwan’s defense from Republican Senator John Cornyn, who said that Chinese
RSS