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.

[Responsibility2nd]

While some may claim Chrysler failed in that they made no changes to the PT Cruiser in its 10 year run, I say ...

What about the Ford Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis? It's been well over 10 years since those dinosaurs were updated. Yet they sell fine.

[Feline_AIDS]

Every time a PT Cruiser is behind me I feel like I’m being tailgated...

[keepitreal]

Ha. Perhaps Chrysler’s decline has to do with its inability to produce a quality car. I was told by a Chrysler service shop that my minivan with 40,000 miles was “well within parameters” after having to replace the brakes twice and having to put a quart of oil in it every 750 miles.

[Cold Heat]

What about the Ford Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis?

Police cruisers......

[2banana]

That's a pattern Chrysler may be following with the 500. To create an exclusive aura around the car, Chrysler is requiring dealers who want to sell it to have separate Fiat showrooms and staffs. BMW did the same thing with Mini.

For a FIAT???

[trumandogz]

The only American car produced that is uglier than the Pontiac Aztec.

[Cold Heat]

I owned a Fiat back in 69. It was a piece of junk, but will sell well today in a world of clown cars.

I understand they are better today in some ways, and the same in others but they fit well with a Dodge.

[FrankR]

I first laid eyes on the PT CRuiser in a newspaper ad years ago...as a child of the 40's and 50's I was very impressed...until I saw one.

The ad offered no reference to it's size, and I thought it was at least as large as say, a Chevy S10 Blazer...but it was, alas, just a Dodge Neon with different skin.

I went to a dealership and even test drove one...one of the early ones...and one of my old Dad's sayings about underpowered cars came to mind, i.e."That thing wouldn't pull a greased string out of a cat's butt.".

I still think they are very neat looking, very 40's retro, but I don't like compact cars much...now certain seqments of our society were drawn to them, but I'm rather partial to at least mid-size and larger. I think it would have been even a bigger hit, had it been a bit larger.

[Frantzie]

The Chrysler drivetrains and engines were just pretty junky with poor gas mileage. Ford was one of the few US automakers to build a really new and world class engine. The fairly new 3.5 litre V6 from Ford is top notch.

[MarkeyD]

Different demographic too. You have to be 70+ to buy a Crown Vic.

[MarkeyD]

Plus, the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis have been discontinued.

[avg_freeper]

A PT Cruiser is the unique combination of a sluggish drive-train and terrible mileage.

But the one I own has been "mostly" reliable. The biggest problem has been a weird electrical short coming from one of the steering wheel mounted switches.

I had to pull the fuse on the fog-lamps to keep the car running. A new switch just cost too much.

[moovova]

And have blue hair...

[norraad]

Meanwhile my 24 year old Toyota purrs along fine and dandy!

[abigkahuna]

You know, the only vehicle worth having is one with a toilet, shower and a bed....A fridge and microwave helps too.

[US Navy Vet]

“On Friday morning, the last Cruiser rolled off the assembly line in Mexico” Mexico...POS no quality country, THAT is why the PT died.

[Dr. Sivana]

Different demographic too. You have to be 70+ to buy a Crown Vic.

I am nowhere near 70, but that would be my preferred car. Rear wheel drive, V-8 engine, room for six. It doesn't help that it is practically illegal to put a small child in the front seat anymore. It is a nice classic apraoch to a car suitable for work or family transport. Unlike SUVs, it actually has a TRUNK! Looks like it's the Lincoln Town Car or nothing.

[keepitreal]

I have a 20+ year old Chevy that is still going too. But now I have a car full of kids and car seats, so I bought a minivan. Chrysler does have a fantastic interior. Too bad they can’t get that engine thing right.

[llevrok]

And have blue hair...

Seems like most PT Cruisers are driven by old folks who smoke those cigarettes that have brown paper