Yes, our long term Chrysler Crossfire is no longer with us. On the day it was supposed to be fetched by Chrysler’s drivers I received the reminder-call.

Unhappy, I was sad to see its departure as it had, well, grown on me. Mostly I found its Art Deco styling the main attraction. Bold and exciting its slick Flash Gordon looks may also have heralded Chrysler’s new-millennium approach for its cars.

However the most surprising part of the package was road holding, which in fact proved superior to that of sibling Merc SLK with which it shares similar suspension bits and pieces.

It proved a fine drive especially when piloted with vigour around bends. A tad taut at times over inferior road surfaces due to its harder ride, it’s something you soon get used to. Even when cornering over rough surfaces the Crossfire stayed in line with ultimate composure. An interesting aside is that the Crossfire is structurally stiffer than a Porsche 911 - and that in many ways says it all.

Perhaps not as quick as it could be, that was soon rectified when the recently launched SRT-6 arrived with its ultra-quick Merc C32 engine and acceleration to challenge the M3 up here in our rarefied Highveld air. Even better news was the belated arrival entry-level Coupe at a reasonable R369 000, which pushed the Crossfire into a more reasonable price bracket and should assist on the sales side of things.

Designed in by Americans and built by Germans at the Karmann factory (of Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia fame) it is imbued with a fine blend of both worlds. Even though the silver-paint treatment in the cabin is a little garish, I found it eye-catching – after all it does have Flash Gordon overtones.

Chrysler’s image had grown a little tired over the years the Crossfire being brought to fruition with the express intention of attracting young, hip buyers. The new entry-level version should go a long way in achieving this. However the 39% Merc content when added to its ‘hip’ shape gave the Crossfire ‘Future Collectible’ status by the reputable Collectible Automobile magazine in the USA.

First unveiled as a concept car Chrysler decided to go with the design by almost replicating that showpiece just adding minor changes to the production version. It proved a draw-card and with the multitude of orders placed it was decided to go into production.

If anything, the Crossfire did have one glaring weakness – anonymity. How many times was I told by friends and acquaintances that they’d spotted me in the car somewhere or other? Such are its ‘draw-card’ qualities.

Jokes aside, if there is anything I should like to see added it’s perhaps the addition of a V8 option. No not a hot AMG, but a Yankee mill, like the all-new HEMI found in the Dodge Charger. Yes, some Mopar heritage under the bonnet would bring a true Yank Muscle-Car ring to it.