CHRYSLER is aiming to secure a 1% share of the British car market by the turn of the century but will not sacrifice residual values to accelerate growth. Managing director of the UK importer Richard Mackay said the marque's growth in the UK would continue to be measured and demand-led rather than forced and volume-driven.

Three years after its UK launch with a single product and modest market aspirations, Chrysler has expanded its range to six models and expects to sell 16,000 vehicles through its 98-strong dealer network. Demand for the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee is still high -Neon sold out of its allocation in 28 days and Chrysler already has 1,000 orders for the new Voyager MPV.

However, unlike the majority of small-scale importers in the UK, Chrysler does not want to chase growth by courting fleet business. He said his overriding priorities were to establish a positive market image and strong dealer network - both of which had been achieved to the satisfaction of Chrysler in the US.

The Stratos upper medium/executive contender is likely to appear in Britain before the end of the century, but Mackay said there were no immediate plans to introduce further RHD models.