First Crossfires roll off the line

CHRYSLER'S sleek-looking Crossfire sports coupe has started rolling off the production line in Onsabrueck, Germany.

The first production car off the line was driven by Chrysler chief operating officer Wolfgang Bernhard, just over two years after the car was unveiled as a concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The two-seater uses a 3.2-litre V6 with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, and 600 have been allocated to the UK during 2003 with deliveries expected to start in September.