Land Rover. Cadillac CTS-V. And now, I'm adding another highly recognizable name to my unique car history: the Chrysler PT Cruiser.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen: after thousands of suggestions and several months of searching, I can finally report that I've decided on my next car to buy and write about. Many of you have asked questions about this upcoming car; questions like: "Is it fast? It's none of those things. It's a PT Cruiser. You'd know all this if you followed me on Twitter , because I recently posted a picture of myself standing next to my newest acquisition: my PT Cruiser, painted white, complete with handsome wood trim down each side; wood trim that's peeling to reveal its true status as a screen-printed laminate that Chrysler no doubt farmed out to the lowest bidder.
More importantly, I've created a video review of my PT Cruiser , which highlights all of its wonderful attributes. For example: in the video, I explain how to get the cabin feeling a little warmer if the heated seats aren't quite doing their job. I also demonstrate many of the PT Cruiser's highly advanced features, like its reverse parking sensors. And at one point, I adjust the mirrors in a slightly unconventional way.
But for those of you who can't watch my latest video due to draconian workplace restrictions, the kind of workplace restrictions that limit how often you can go to the bathroom and with whom, please allow me to tell you all about my new PT Cruiser.
Beer me up Keep it simple or deck yours out with RGB lights, a touchscreen, and even a digital thermostat. Before I get started, however, a few words about the PT Cruiser in general.
One of the major aftermarket players, PTeazer in Santa Ana, California, still sells parts and builds custom vehicles. She had it customized with painted flames, extra chrome, and a mountain scene mural.
Liles recalls one from St. Another, made by a man from Hawaii, had a working volcano and a pond filled with live goldfish. Unsurprisingly, the tailgate displays had their own competitions. The following year, the whole PT line received a mild facelift, dialing back the retro vibe with a deep front apron, shorter grille, and scalloped headlights. The refresh bumped up the GT to hp, while a hp version of the turbo engine, using a different computer calibration, became an option on other models.
The PT Cruiser would go on to sell nearly a million in the U. European markets, which also offered a diesel engine, sourced theirs from a plant in Graz, Austria. Car Profiles. Jim Koscs. That design defined the PT Cruiser. It arrived as the retro craze was taking off, inspired by the New Beetle. This was the period that saw the return of the Mini Cooper in as a cheeky modern hatchback with throwback styling. Ford got in the game big-time with the vintage-inspired Ford Thunderbird , followed by the similarly retro Mustang and Le Mans-tribute GT.
Even General Motors picked up the fad, poaching Bryan Nesbitt—lead designer of the PT Cruiser—and having him whip up the exceedingly similar Chevy HHR for itself a retro follow-on to the outrageous SSR hardtop-convertible pickup truck that landed in When the PT Cruiser debuted, it was one of the first cars on American showroom floors to capture this moment. In a sea of late-Nineties blandness, the Cruiser offered something new and bold. It was, as our original review called it, a car that captured the heart of a generation.
Just not the one Chrysler targeted. The hot-rod proportions appealed to them, and launched a whole catalog of retro accessories: faux wood paneling, flame decals, and Thirties-style chrome tack-ons.
But Chrysler made a big misstep, assuming the PT Cruiser could hold onto its runaway success. The automaker ramped up production to satisfy initial demand. When the newness faded, Chrysler found itself with far too much inventory of a niche vehicle.
Then, when the economy collapsed in the financial crisis, the slumping sales came nearly to a halt. No one wanted a thirsty for a compact , dated, retro hot rod in the midst of a national economic depression. PT Cruiser sales halved between and Fewer than 18, of them found homes in , damned by changing tastes, rising fuel costs, and tumultuous circumstances that pushed buyers toward more conventional vehicles. The Prowler was a favorited classic hotrod that many people enjoyed, but Chrysler seemed to really miss the styling cues in following suit.
There is only one notably positive feature of the PT Cruiser is the motor. It produced the exact same amount of horsepower, and like the Dodge Neon tested to have a higher horsepower than the manufacture claimed. If the engine is the only positive thing you can think of when looking to buy this car, it might make more sense to just buy a Dodge Neon all together.
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