Chrysler 300C Overtakes Holden Statesman & Ford Fairlane

Joshua Dowling
6 March 2006
www.drive.com.au

Australians are taking a liking to a fancy new American and the local makers are not happy.

Just when Holden and Ford thought things couldn't get any worse for Australia's two favourite cars, the Commodore and Falcon, both brands have found themselves being attacked where it really hurts: their high-profit luxury cars.

Commodore and Falcon sales were at their lowest in 12 years in 2005 - despite four successive years of record new-car sales - thanks to a wave of cheaper, or better-equipped, imported alternatives buoyed by favourable exchange rates.

And with these wounds still fresh, Holden and Ford have started this year by discovering that their luxury Statesman and Fairlane models are also under attack. Figures from January show that the Chrysler 300C - a big American car with overt styling - has overtaken the local heroes in the luxury sedan market.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says Chrysler sold 131 of its 300C sedans in January to claim 40 per cent of the luxury sedan market, compared with just 55 sales for the Fairlane and 120 sales for the Statesman.

Holden and Ford rightly say that January is typically a slow month for its luxury sedans. But Fairlane sales in January 2006 were half those of the same month in 2005, and Statesman sales dropped by more than half, from 259 in January 2005.

Furthermore, when figures for the past three months are compared (November 2005 to January 2006), it emerges that the Chrysler 300C is shadowing the Statesman (479 sales compared to the Holden's 492 sales) and has a handy lead over the Fairlane, which recorded just 359 sales. And this was in the 300C's first three months on sale.

Also, Chrysler is making more profit on each 300C it sells.

Chrysler says 55 per cent of its customers are private buyers who have paid close to, if not full, recommended retail price for the car. By comparison, about 22 per cent of Statesman sales and 19 per cent of Fairlane sales for the past three months were to private buyers. That means the rest were sold to fleets and government departments at a significant discount - up to 20 per cent off the RRP in some cases.

Chrysler is preparing to add more 300C models to its line-up. In June, the company will introduce a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel sedan and wagon, and a 3.5-litre V6 petrol wagon, as well as a high performance SRT8 version designed to compete with Holden Special Vehicles' Grange sedan.

Holden has reacted to the slowing sales of the Statesman by introducing a special edition model and has taken the unprecedented step of introducing an all-new Statesman at the same time as the all-new Commodore sedan, due in August.

Customarily, there has been a two- to three-year gap between the release of the basic sedan and the release of the luxury-model Holdens.

It is unclear what Ford has planned for its ailing Fairlane. It still has at least three years before it's replaced by an all-new model. In the meantime, anyone looking to buy a new Statesman or Fairlane is certain to pick up a bargain.


Big Australians: A Decade Of Decline

Year / Statesman / Fairlane

1996 / 4409 / 4145
1997 / 3857 / 4100
1998 / 3806 / 3097
1999 / 4222 / 4487
2000 / 5566 / 2779
2001 / 4971 / 2306
2002 / 4347 / 2001
2003 / 4363 / 2389
2004 / 3640 / 2016
2005 / 2832 / 1829

Annual sales for the past 10 years.
Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.