Chrysler puts a bullet in the PT Cruiser

[rohan]

RIP, PT: Chrysler Kills the Cruiser

04:10 PM PT, Jan 14 2009

Chrysler, as is well documented, has long made its name on home-run product. When things are darkest, the company invariably comes out with a winner, one that sets the automotive world's hair on fire and brings in huge sales. The Chrysler 300, the Dodge Viper and the K Car are just a few that come to mind.

Another is was, the PT Cruiser.  With a totally new design that in many ways ushered in the retro-styling craze in automotive design this decade, it took the country by storm, helping a nation forget the departure of Plymouth. Sales were brisk, dealers couldn't get enough of them, and the funky little car/truck won the 2001 North American Car of the Year award. Across the nation, people scratched their heads: What does PT stand for? (Answer: Personal Transportation. Yeah, kinda lame.)

Today, Chrysler went and put a bullet in the PT's head.

According to news reports , Chrysler will cease production this summer...

and hopes to sell the tooling used to create the vehicle, if possible. The news comes just over a year after Chrysler produced the last convertible version of the PT Cruiser.

Consistent with Chrysler's current product cadence, the PT Cruiser never got a redesign, despite a lifetime stretching nine model years. That's almost double the life of most designs on the market today. Similarly, Chrysler's 300, itself a monster hit when rolled out for the 2005 model year, is already on year five, with no signs of a reworking yet.

The news wasn't entirely unexpected -- Chrysler is in crisis, and even after receiving $4 billion in government loans, shows every sign of needing more cash. PT Cruiser sales, meanwhile, declined by 49% last year, to just 50,910 units, and that was off 2007 numbers that were themselves down 28% from the previous year. In 2001, the PT's best year, 144,717 of the vehicles sold.

Without that redesign, a big chunk of PT sales were going to fleets of late, and the plant in Toluca, Mexico, that builds them is likely to be the production site of a new small vehicle that Chrysler hopes to make.

That said, it's a sad day for a quirky vehicle, which looks mostly like a car but is classified by the federal government as a light truck (which has helped Chrysler comply with fuel economy regulations). Its dedicated followers have created legions of regional, national and international fan clubs who tuned them, chromed them and babied them to death. Heck, Tom Hanks even owed a PT Cruiser at one time, inspiring Robin Williams and Cher to follow suit.

Alas, poor PT. We knew thee well.

--Ken Bensinger

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/uptospeed/2009/01/chrysler-cruise.html

I didn't see this in my search- hope it wasn't already posted.

[Secret Chimp]

I remember when this thing first came out, waiting lists and all. It's amazing to think how it's existed this long with essentially no changes. (Okay, one facelift and a turbo model, but that's still next to nothing)

[Soup DeVille]

I remember when this thing first came out, waiting lists and all. It's amazing to think how it's existed this long with essentially no changes. (Okay, one facelift and a turbo model, but that's still next to nothing)

There were also many special editions, and I'd count the 'vert as a new model too, but yeah...

[hotrodalex]

While it's sad to see it go, I'm not a big fan of them anymore. They were super cool when they came out, but the cool factor faded. Especially when the HHR came out. It looks just as cool, if not cooler (SS Panel Wagon ) and drives better.

[Vinsanity]

When I was reading about this on autoblog, someone posted an interesting proposition:

Why didn't the PT get a redesign using the Caliber's platform when it came out? I know the Caliber is a sorry excuse for a $18,000 car made in 2009, but its shortcomings would be considerably more forgivable wrapped in clever retro styling. Say, inspired by the Chrysler Airflow.

[Soup DeVille]

I think the main reason it was never updated was that nobody knew how.

How do you update a design that was intended to look old in the first place? Make it look older?

[2o6]

I think the main reason it was never updated was that nobody knew how.

How do you update a design that was intended to look old in the first place? Make it look older?

Introduce a spectacularly different niche model that is along the same lines.

[Soup DeVille]

Introduce a spectacularly different niche model that is along the same lines.

"Spectacular" isn't as easy to do as you make it sound.

[2o6]

"Spectacular" isn't as easy to do as you make it sound.

Chrysler had a few out-of-the-box concepts that they've never utilized. Besides, the Caliber isn't a bad platform. Just the Chrysler variants (Caliber, Compass, Avenger, Sebring and others except for the Patriot) suck.

[Soup DeVille]

Chrysler had a few out-of-the-box concepts that they've never utilized. Besides, the Caliber isn't a bad platform. Just the Chrysler variants (Caliber, Compass, Avenger, Sebring and others except for the Patriot) suck.

The Patriot sucks too.

[2o6]

The Patriot sucks too.

Well, less than the others. I think of it as a "proper" Jeep Cute-ute. It's decent off-road and looks like a Jeep. The Compass is a Joke.

[AutobahnSHO]

I'm probably the only one never impressed by the PT cruiser.
I dig the looks but they had one w/ the doors open in front of the PX (2002??) and I peeked in and thought that it had NO SPACE inside for the size of the vehicle, and never thought nicely of them again.

(not to mention the whole underpowered thing yada yada...)

This news surprises me though, because aren't they still selling halfway ok??   Just based on LOOKS?

[2o6]

I'm probably the only one never impressed by the PT cruiser.
I dig the looks but they had one w/ the doors open in front of the PX (2002??) and I peeked in and thought that it had NO SPACE inside for the size of the vehicle, and never thought nicely of them again.

(not to mention the whole underpowered thing yada yada...)

This news surprises me though, because aren't they still selling halfway ok??   Just based on LOOKS?

For the size? It was neon based, and for it's size the PT was quite roomy. Have you ridden in/driven one or just "peeked in"? Besides, it wasn't underpowered, but heavy.

[ifcar]

I'm probably the only one never impressed by the PT cruiser.
I dig the looks but they had one w/ the doors open in front of the PX (2002??) and I peeked in and thought that it had NO SPACE inside for the size of the vehicle, and never thought nicely of them again.

(not to mention the whole underpowered thing yada yada...)

This news surprises me though, because aren't they still selling halfway ok??   Just based on LOOKS?

Based on fleet sales.

[The Pirate]

I rather liked the PT Cruiser.  I almost bought a 2003 (loaded Touring, 5-speed with the groovy cue ball shifter) from a co-worker.  It pretty roomy inside, and very versatile (seats folded down easily and created a nice load floor.

They are cool little cars, and sharp looking when optioned out.  The one I thought about was wine red, with grey leather interior and polished 5-spoke alloys. 

[MrH]

Chrysler had a few out-of-the-box concepts that they've never utilized. Besides, the Caliber isn't a bad platform. Just the Chrysler variants (Caliber, Compass, Avenger, Sebring and others except for the Patriot) suck.

You just lost what little credibility you had around here.

[dazzleman]

I rather liked the PT Cruiser.  I almost bought a 2003 (loaded Touring, 5-speed with the groovy cue ball shifter) from a co-worker.  It pretty roomy inside, and very versatile (seats folded down easily and created a nice load floor.

They are cool little cars, and sharp looking when optioned out.  The one I thought about was wine red, with grey leather interior and polished 5-spoke alloys. 

My aunt has one pretty much like that.  They're an interesting looking car, but they're chick cars and don't drive that well.  They're pretty good for the money, though.

[2o6]

You just lost what little credibility you had around here.

FYI, the Caliber's platform is also used on the Lancer and Outlander.

[280Z Turbo]

I'm not sure this is a good move. If Chrysler got rid of all of their bad cars, they'd only sell 3 models.

[2o6]

I'm not sure this is a good move. If Chrysler got rid of all of their bad cars, they'd only sell 3 models.

Huh? The PT Cruiser was one of their better models.

[Soup DeVille]

It makes no sense to kill the PT and keep making the Caliber.

[280Z Turbo]

I'm not sure that the PT is really a good car anymore.

The way I see it, Chrysler only has 3 decent products:

1.) Minivans
2.) The Ram
3.) The Viper

[Soup DeVille]

I'm not sure that the PT is really a good car anymore.

The way I see it, Chrysler only has 3 decent products:

1.) Minivans
2.) The Ram
3.) The Viper

Only two of those really make good business sense.

[the Teuton]

They sold the old Cloud Car platform to the Russians to make new Volgas.  I suppose they want to do the same with this car?

[Laconian]

I saw a comedian on late night TV who made a joke (not a verbatim quote):
"I think that the politicians should do a bailout, I'm not opposed to it, but they need to attach some strings to it. Like 'no more PT Cruisers.'" Everybody in the audience got it and laughed. We all know it's a joke now.

I rented one for two months after I crashed my Camry in '04. (Actually, the company I was interning for subsidized most of it.) I thought it was all right to drive, but the fuel economy was really crappy considering it was neither fast nor big. I hated the thing after I got a thumbs up from a 50something woman driving her own champagne colored Cruiser.

[Laconian]

They sold the old Cloud Car platform to the Russians to make new Volgas.  I suppose they want to do the same with this car?

I bet the Chinese are making cars at least as good as mid 90's Neons by now.

[dazzleman]

I saw a comedian on late night TV who made a joke (not a verbatim quote):
"I think that the politicians should do a bailout, I'm not opposed to it, but they need to attach some strings to it. Like 'no more PT Cruisers.'" Everybody in the audience got it and laughed. We all know it's a joke now.

I rented one for two months after I crashed my Camry in '04. (Actually, the company I was interning for subsidized most of it.) I thought it was all right to drive, but the fuel economy was really crappy considering it was neither fast nor big. I hated the thing after I got a thumbs up from a 50something woman driving her own champagne colored Cruiser.

....did she have a rainbow flag on her car? 

[280Z Turbo]

Only two of those really make good business sense.

Only one of them is good to drive.

[Laconian]

....did she have a rainbow flag on her car? 

She was probably trying to go all cougar on me.

[dazzleman]

She was probably trying to go all cougar on me.

You should have taken her up on it, man......