Chrysler creates ‘Pacer’ 300 SRT

To mark 50 years since the first ‘Pacer’ was produced by Chrysler on the VF Valiant, Chrysler Australia have produced a Pacer tribute car. Currently a one-off, the Pacer will go to production as a limited edition.

“We’re excited to bring to life a modern interpretation of an Australian classic, the Chrysler 300 SRT Pacer tribute car,” said Guillaume Drelon, Director of Product, Chrysler Australia.

“Highlighting the signature details of the original, the Pacer tribute takes inspiration from the iconic design cues of the celebrated 1969 Valiant Pacer.”

Revealed in November, the modern Pacer tribute takes the current Chrysler 300 SRT Core and, on the one-off, adds a full vehicle ‘Wild Yellow’ wrap replicating one of three colours available on the original Pacer from 1969. Black side stripes and ‘Pacer 392’ decals on the front guards and boot lid continue the homage.

In a further nod to the original, 20-inch ‘Black Noise’ alloy wheels add a red detail line, which is matched to red trim on the front splitter and boot lid.

The original Pacer was released as an affordable performance sedan, and the 300 SRT-based revival aims to do the same, especially following the demise of the Falcon and Australian-made Commodore.

While it may look a little like the original on the outside, the modern Pacer is a very different beast under the bonnet.

The original Pacer featured a 225 cubic inch (3.7-litre) Slant Six engine producing 130kW and 312Nm, matched to a floor-shift 3-speed manual gearbox. The current 300 SRT core features a 392 cubic inch (6.4-litre) V8 that puts out 350kW and 637Nm, matched to a TorqueFlight 8-speed automatic with Rotary E-Shift, as well as a Launch Control function.

In revealing the Pacer tribute, Chrysler Australia announced that the one-off will be followed by a limited-edition production model in the near future. Pricing and further details, like whether the limited editions will also be available in the Wild Red and Wild Blue colours the original Pacer was offered in (as well as Wild Yellow), and if Pacer identification and custom touches also feature on the interior, are yet to be revealed.