Already 25 years for the Chrysler PT Cruiser

It was a quarter of a century ago. Ready. Chrysler raised the curtain at the Detroit International Auto Show, on a rare hatchback that will be a huge hit in Uncle Sam’s country. In fact, no less than 1.35 million units will have been assembled between 2000 and 2010, in Mexico and Austria. Because really, PT Cruiser It would also be a great success in Europe, where it was truly a symbol of the American dream.

Being at the event (but unfortunately I was not there during the official unveiling), I still remember the reaction I would have had when I saw this car, which was difficult to describe as such. Was it a car? A small truck? It is not clear. But the answer would come quickly with the discovery that its foundations were Neon.

The following year’s winner of the North American Car of the Year by the NACTOY jury, the PT Cruiser would quickly create a shock wave in the small segment. A car that can make models like the Ford Focus family, which is more traditional, bites the dust and also attracts customers who would not consider this model of car.

His invention was so successful that the demand quickly outgrew the supply to the merchants. In fact, I knew a guy who, in 2000, received one of the first copies released by his dealer. His reflex was to store his PT Cruiser Limited in the garage indefinitely, believing at the time that its value would appreciate. Which of course never happened…

Although today, we make fun of this car that has not stood the test of time, we must admit that in the past, its design was clever. The work of Bryan Nesbitt, who would later be hired by GM to create the Chevrolet HHR, PT Cruiser arrived at a time when the retro style was at its peak. Just remember Volkswagen New Beetles,, Ford Thunderbird or Mini Coopers to realize how rich this era was in the revival of mythical examples.

The idea of ​​launching a model that cleverly evokes the era of station wagons from the 1940s was therefore absolutely brilliant. However, Mr. Nesbitt also designed a concept inspired by vans (the Panel Cruiser) which unfortunately never made it to market. It was Chevrolet that, six years later, had this courage, by launching the HHR Panel.

Over the years, Chrysler has been committed to developing the PT Cruiser. And several special editions, including Woody’s design. Also, with the introduction of a turbo engine with a power of 215 horsepower. The convertible version launched in 2004 also helped to expand its career, which arrived shortly after the introduction of the New Beetle Cabriolet. Unfortunately, sales were already declining significantly at the time, with the SUV market taking over more and more space. And then, the car was already showing big wrinkles after only four or five years.

Peaking in the US between 122,000 and 144,000 sales in the first five years of sales, sales began to decline sharply in 2007, falling to less than 18,000 units in 2009. The end of production was announced for 2010, without renewal, the result of success of Jeep Compass and Patriot.

Note that the Dodge Caliber launched in 2007 will also go under the knife after the 2010 model year, Chrysler (then under Cerberus’ financial administration and post-bankruptcy) having opted out of the car market.

Interestingly, the development of the PT Cruiser (PT stands for Personal Transport) was carried out with the aim of promoting it under the Plymouth badge. In some ways similar to the Prowler model launched in 1997, the PT Cruiser could allow for a (temporary) revival of this division.

Unfortunately, Chrysler had already announced its demise in the late 90s, deeming it unnecessary to maintain a brand that only sold Dodge models. A wise decision, especially since then, the Jeep brand was taking more and more space.

Let’s finish by mentioning that among the bold concepts based on the PT Cruiser, we see the California Concept Cruiser. The car was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2002, which would set the tone for the upcoming convertible version.

See also: Antoine Joubert presents the 1984 Chrysler Laser