V8 Chrysler 300 ute looks cool and could be yours

Chrysler was axed after 57 years in Australia late last year following the end of right-hand drive 300 production, yet we can’t help but think a low-volume run of custom V8 ute versions like this would’ve been a sensational way for the big, bold American sedan to bow out Down Under.

This very cool looking two-door ute is based on a 2006 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and a pick-up conversion of the current model would not only deliver more street-cred – it could have helped generate more local interest in the broad-shouldered rear-drive cruiser.

That said, it wouldn’t have granted the Chrysler 300 a stay of execution, since utes aren’t as useful for NSW highway patrol duties and mainstream V8s are a dying breed now.

Spotted on eBay and priced at $US17,900 ($A26,000), this two-owner Chrysler 300 SRT8 ute appears to be an absolute bargain compared to late-model 300 SRT sedans for sale in Australia, where two examples are currently pegged at $200,000 on carsales.

This Chrysler 300 pick-up looks very clean and tidy and was professionally converted three years ago, its seller pointing out that “this is not a kit” but instead a custom build that involved removing the rear doors, part of the roof and boot, and fitting a custom steel sub-frame to which the new tray was welded.

Power comes from Chrysler’s 6.1-litre HEMI V8, which back in the day belted out a very handy 317kW and 570Nm via a five-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration for the rear-drive sedan was rated at 4.9 seconds, which would raise the eyebrows of a few V8 FPV ute owners.

Car-based pick-ups were popularised in Australia by the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon utes and a renaissance of sorts is occurring in the US, where pre-fab kits are increasingly transforming muscle cars like the Dodge Challenger into HSV Maloo wannabes.

Despite being officially axed here, a few examples of the Chrysler 300 continues to remain available Down Under, where pricing starts at $60,550 for the V6-powered 300C Luxury, rising to $72,450 for the 300 SRT Core and $78,250 for the 300 SRT, both powered by a 6.4-litre HEMI V8.

A total of seven Chrysler 300s were sold in June 2022, with a grand total of 76 vehicles finding homes in the first half of this year – roughly the same amount as the year before.

The big, bold all-American sedan was given a lifeline in Australia via a deal with the NSW Police Highway Patrol back in 2017, but the writing was on the wall last year when Chrysler’s local arm suggested it would be lights out sooner rather than later for the 300 sedan.

No firm details on the Chrysler 300’s future in the US have been divulged by parent company Stellantis at this stage, although respected US publication Automotive News reports that production and sales will cease in North America in 2023.

However, new reports suggest an all-new Chrysler 300 could be resurrected from the ashes as an EV from around 2026, when an all-electric large sedan may reinstate the long-running 300 nameplate – and potentially elements of the iconic design too.

Development work on the Chrysler 300’s all-electric replacement, along with a four-door sister model from Dodge that will reportedly precede it in 2024, is believed to be already underway and at least some details could be revealed soon.

Dodge is prepping for a big EV event in August, when it’s expected to detail its ‘game-changing’ electric muscle car, whose electric powertrain may work its way into the next-gen Chrysler 300 EV.

Chrysler has promised to introduce its first electric vehicle in 2025, which could be based on the Airflow concept, but lags behind its rivals in the US and globally when it comes to offering a portfolio of EVs.

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