RIP, PT: Chrysler Kills the Cruiser

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

Photo of a 2001 PT Cruiser by  Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[JC]

I still cannot figure out why they dropped the original SRT-4 for the Caliber. It looks like a mini garbage truck.
and it's bloated weight decreases the handing qualities.

[Woody Richmond]

I used to "cruise" the eastside in one of these badboys, roll to Burgermaster, get some babes, get some burgers, get some. Chrysler can't kill this car, it's my history, it's your history, it's America's history. I cry foul.

[Tom Venho]

This is sad to hear! A great little car with so much personality. Good luck with the next winner!

[john]

that's incorrect - the Chrysler 300 has gone through some radical redesign after its initial introduction in 1999 looking like the cab-forward now defunct Concord. The article implies the 300 first came out in 05. It's been around for 9 years, like the PT, but saw a major facelift in 05.

[Jack Henry]

An 8-year run for a styling gimmick and you're complaining? I'm surprised it lasted that long. Chrysler needs to put more focus on engineering.

[GM]

If they had packed a hybrid powerplant in it, it would have become another monster hit. Pity.

[caitb]

Well let's look at the reaons... 1) it's hideous. 2) the only people driving it are 60 year old women with dyed blonde and implants and 3) fat guys with hair transplants who think they're *hot*. Get over it - the car is as much of a joke as the people who drive it...

[Lisa]

Awesome - I'm so sick of that hideous car, and it seems like every time I rent a car they try to give me a "free upgrade" to that silly thing. Good riddance!

[Tannim]

Had they increased the engine size to a V6 and added an extra foot on the back, it would be a useful vehicle instead of a retro bucket.

[Cthehill]

A Chrysler product - a 1972 Dodge Demon - is the reason I haven't bought an American car in 37 years. Fool me once....

[JR1984]

That was the 300M..John you're obviously not a car guy...

[Michael E]

Woody, you truly have a way with words, I can feel your love for the PT Cruiser -- the most venerable of American institutions -- come through loud and clear. Keep up the good work, Patriot.

[ash S]

I've always referred to the thing as a P T Barnum - ever since I first saw one. Reminded me instantly of one of those circus cars with clowns in it.

[Hdtex]

I have driven the PT twice as rental cars. Both had massive power, handling, and fit issues. Both were genuine POS's.

Pull the plug already, give Bob his 128,000,000 golden parachute and be done with it.

What an abject failure as a CEO.

[Dan]

Whenever I got one for a rental I was always disappointed in the gas mileage. I could never get over 24 MPG out of one while I could easily get 29 MPG from my 1988 Dodge Aries with a larger engine. And I have managed to get 41 MPG HWY out of a Chevy CObalt.

The PTs day was years ago and it is time for it to go into the sunset. Now only if the Caliber were not so ugly.

[Michelle]

That's a little sad... I love my little PT Cruiser! Not the best in handling or gas mileage, but he's my baby and in bright blue, he definitely stands out in a crowd.

And I disagree, I've seen plenty of other kids at my university drive PTs. They're not quite the new VW Bug, but they're definitely popular.

[c-los]

Finally. Too bad there are plenty around that I still have to see them on the road. Lol caitb.

[Matthew]

I'm shocked the model lasted as long as it did. Its god-awful ugly and not practical. I had one as a rental once for a drive to Vegas... it was uncomfortable, underpowered and had some of the worst gas milage (I filled up twice each direction). The only good part is that my buddies and I still get a laugh at how bad of a car that was for the trip.

[David Theiss]

Along with Pacer, Yugo and Gremlin, the PTC consistently ranked in the top 5 of every all-time worst design polls. If I never see one of those amorphous blobs again it will be too soon.

[jad]

Bad, ugly car. I'm heartened to discover its mileage and handling were poor. It's the genius of Chrysler to package these qualities with a lack of power. I also have a car with mediocre mileage, negligible power, and bad handling. But it's twice the size; you can actually see out of the windows, and it's over 20 years old.

[RJC]

Thank God they killed this UGLY Car. The only people who drove them were Old or Fat. Wake up America! Let Chrysler die already.... Why we would want to bail out this loser company is beyond me. Every person I have known that has owned a Dodge or Chrysler car has had nothing but trouble with them.

[Jon]

I won't feign to know the specs, but it seems to me GM went and copied the PT with its HHR.

[John Burke]

What would most of you care for anyway? Californians don't drive American cars any how..just "me-too" Japanese and Korean cars.."but all American cars are junky"...Suuuuurrrrreeee, tell me another good one why you dont buy American!

[kws]

I rented one a few weeks ago and it didn't see to be that bad. The seating positions were higher than most cars and that was something that my uncle liked a lot about it. Getting in and out of vehicles can be a problem for older people if the seat height is too low.

It shared a lot of parts with the Neon line according to a cousin that works for Chrysler and since that was discontinued in 2005, it was only a matter of time that the PT Cruiser was canceled too.

I'm really surprised that they didn't kill this instead of the Neon. Those vehicles could actually get decent mileage (mine can get 35mpg w/ a manual transmission) and would have helped Chrysler when the gas prices were high. How can they have an excuse for not having a vehicle that could get more than 30mpg in the last 4 years? The only thing I would have changed would be to offer a Neon wagon.

[PTCruiserowner]

Jon:

GM did copy the Cruiser... because they lured the PT Cruiser designer away from Chrysler.

Then GM went and produced HHRs with the options Chrysler promised their buyers for years.. such as a Panel version.