Chrysler AG's Twenty Years of "Concept to Reality"

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.