YANK TANK WITH MERC MECHANICALS Maybe the idea of Mercedes ownership has always appealed to you but the prices combined with the brand image have put a block on taking things further. There is a way round this, and that’s to buy Mercedes E Class mechanical bits clothed in a body inspired by the American retro dream. But there comes another problem, for American car build quality can sometimes leave a bit to be desired – the rest of the time it’s a lot to be desired. There is, however, still a solution and that comes in the form of the Chrysler 300C. This car, with a Mercedes V6 3.0 litre diesel under the bonnet, has some of the best big car styling around thanks to the Americans and their love of all things from yesterday. The build problem is overcome because Steyr in Austria, a plant that makes some other notable cars for European and American brands, constructs all 300C cars for the European market. Best of all the 300C models is the Touring estate, a massive car with a narrow window line and a front end dominated by a huge grille, on the test car I drove with a chromed Bentley mesh effect to make the look complete. If you could get a Bentley Continental in estate form, which you can’t at present, then it would be likely to cost you far more than the £35,000 or so you pay for the top whack 300C Touring by a margin of £90,000. And the 300C saloon, which could quite easily take the place of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur saloon in your life, could be yours in the used market for only around £22,000 with a diesel engine and £2,000 less wit the 3.5 litre V6 petrol. I’m amazed at how quickly these big Chryslers have caught on in the UK. While driving my 300C Touring estate during the last week in June I became aware of a good number of other examples, both saloon and estate. So the supply of these cars might be greater than you imagine. The Touring estate was only introduced in March last year so will be harder to find used, although it is the better buy if you can source it. The saloon is great to look at, too, sharing the Touring’s huge dimensions, and if you want a rip-roaring lifestyle how about the 5.7 litre V8 Hemi engine, the stuff American dreams are really made of. Surprisingly, this thirsty behemoth is also popular and it has both the looks and the soundtrack to go with them. Running costs of the Hemi are not for the meek where money’s concerned. I haven’t driven one, but I bet if you saw as much as 15 mpg you would be having a good day. Like the supercharged Range Rover Sport, it’s one hell of a way to blitz the planet but on the other side of the pond they’ve only just started to care about such things. Service intervals on these big Chryslers are 12,500 miles, which is not too onerous, and while used diesels might be high miles cars, I’d suggest here’s very little to worry about on that score in view of their pedigree. I was alarmed when my test car suddenly produced a cloud of smoke. I thought the gearbox had failed but it turns out that every 4,000 miles or so the catalytic converter burns itself clean, resulting in the smoke cloud. Insurance on the Chrysler is Group 16, rising to 18 on the Hemi. You can get the 3.5 petrol on a 55 plate for little more than £20,000, less if you haggle and price guide Parkers suggests that all 300C prices are now starting to tumble. The £2,000 premium for the diesel reflects their popularity, even though it was the same price new, and a diesel will be easier to sell. And a 55 plate Hemi for £23,500 is a bargain for a four door luxury 5.7 litre Yank muscle car. Maurice Hardy