Over the years, Chrysler has been one of America's most innovative brands for the Budweiser, mom-and-pop crowd, introducing pushbutton automatic transmissions, torsion bar suspensions, the streamlined Airflow of the '30s as it went after the low- to mid-priced segment of the domestic auto market.

But the company, a unit of Germany's DaimlerChrysler, has its sights set on a much higher-brow crowd. As Chrysler looks to take on the Audis, Volvos and Saabs, those familiar with automotive history would be quick to point out that several other brands over the years have taken out after the Europeans -- with little or no luck.

In the '70s and '80s, Ford's Granada, Mercury's Monarch, Oldsmobile's Cutlass Salon, Dodge's Lancer, Chrysler's LeBaron GTS and Pontiac's Grand Am sought to be domestic versions of the hot "Euro sedans," Mercedes and BMWs. Most now are long gone. In the '90s, GM tried to turn its Oldsmobile line into a strong competitor of the Europeans, with the luxurious Aurora and the svelte Intrigue. But those cars, pleasant and well built though they were, weren't really all that different from GM's other brands. Now Oldsmobile's 2004 lineup will be its last.

But Chrysler will likely have better luck meeting the European companies on their own turf, thanks to products that can't be had at other car stores. And with access to its parent DaimlerChrysler's know-how and engineering from its vaunted Mercedes-Benz lineup, you will see the German car maker's influence everywhere, from the sharing of platforms to powerplants, suspension systems and other elements.

The first volley in the Chrysler brand's transformation is the Pacifica, an elegant, well-built -- and dramatically different looking -- "sports tourer," as Chrysler officials sometimes call it. Its interior layout, materials and design reflect the firm's new direction.

But the real watershed model -- the one that shouts "change" for Chrysler -- is the new Crossfire, a two-seat sports coupe that takes the company in a totally different styling, performance and engineering direction. You can expect to see this car's influence in many Chrysler products in years to come.

"We're trying to set ourselves out from other brands by putting passion into the surface of our cars. We want to make our cars so alluring and inviting that you want to wash them by hand and experience them," said Joe Dehner, director of exterior/interior design, who worked on the Crossfire. "We wanted to build on what is uniquely American, but include some romance of past American cars."

The Crossfire's purpose in the lineup is to define in the public's mind the future direction of the Chrysler brand.

"We saw it as a great opportunity to expand the meaning of the Chrysler brand. We hadn't done a two-door sports coupe in a very long time, and we haven't done a rear- wheel-drive car from the Chrysler perspective in a long time," said Pablo Cuevas, marketing brand manager for the Crossfire.

"We see two groups in general with the Crossfire. One group is a relatively young, affluent professional crowd with no children -- perhaps folks in their mid-40s who are already enjoying the benefits of high salaries who can afford to spend money on a toy car," Cuevas said.

Chrysler is also targeting retirees with disposable income.

"Our data shows we're not far off the mark with either."

Perhaps the first thing you notice with the Crossfire is that, viewed from the side, its windows are small in proportion to the entire body. "It's one-third greenhouse [the top portion of a car's body, including the windows] and two thirds body side. The glass to sheet metal ratio is different. A lot of cars today, the proportions are 50-50," said Dehner, the designer.

The other thing you'll notice are Art Deco style elements -- a deliberate hallmark of its all-American heritage, Dehner added. From its character lines on the hood, roof and flanks, and down to the typeface of the nameplate and the Chrysler emblem.

"One of the more popular cars today is the Audi TT, and it's got an overtly Bauhaus design ethic. If you go back in time to the '20s and '30s when that was popular, you discover that Art Deco really was a response to the minimalist approach of Bauhaus ... and Art Deco is very American."