PT Cruiser, retro hit, symbolized Chrysler's fall

Assoc. Press ^ | 07/09/2010 | By DEE-ANN DURBIN

[Responsibility2nd]

DETROIT — A decade ago, the PT Cruiser roared onto the road with trendsetting looks and Al Capone swagger. In a sea of bland Honda Civics and Toyota Camrys, it was a retro hit. Chrysler could barely keep up with demand.

On Friday morning, the last Cruiser rolled off the assembly line in Mexico, finally killed off after years of declining popularity. Chrysler sold just 18,000 last year, compared with nearly 145,000 in 2001.

[RobRoy]

>>I’ve rented Chrysler cars on a couple of occasions and I have been shocked at the cheap materials, the shoddy workmanship, and the poor performance.<

In my post you were responding to I mentioned my friend’s take on the 300C vs the Cadillac. Your comments about the cheap materials is what he said about the Cadillac.

That said, I noticed that although our 300M has real wood, including on the steering wheel, they did away with that on the C and other models. It’s all a semi-transparent plastic. But other than that, they both have leather interiors. I don’t know what people mean by “cheap” materials. My scion has cloth seats and plastic all around, but I don’t think if it as “cheap”. Likewise, my daughter’s Volkswagen.

I just drove a fusion for the second time as a rental. We liked it a lot. However, we did not think of it as less cheap than the Chryslers we have rented. I actually liked the interior of the Chrysler convertible we rented in Hawaii. My main problem with that car was it handled like a 59 chevy but with a lot less room inside.

[Forty-Niner]

“.S. industry didn’t listen to him. Their loss.”

I believe that Ford did, the only one of the “Big Three”......probably accounts for Ford’s staying out of Obama’s hands.....LOLOLOLOLOL