The PT Cruiser was so popular at first it was hard to find one. But sagging sales led Chrysler to cancel the retro-styled car.
(David Zalubowski/ Associated Press/ File 2007)
Chrysler produces its last PT Cruiser
The PT Cruiser was so popular at first it was hard to find one. But sagging sales led Chrysler to cancel the retro-styled car.
(David Zalubowski/ Associated Press/ File 2007)
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — If the retro-styled Chrysler PT Cruiser is one of those cars you always wanted to buy but never got around to it, you’d better hurry. Time is running out, at least if you want to buy a new one.
The last of the PT Cruisers rolled off the assembly line at the Chrysler plant in Toluca, Mexico, last week.
The PT Cruiser arrived in 2000 as a 2001 model, with so much hype (and hope for Chrysler’s future) that it was hard to find one for a few months. As of last year, Chrysler had sold more than 1.3 million of them. The PT won awards over the years, beginning with North American Car of the Year for 2001.
The PT’s design was based on the panel trucks and Chevrolet Suburban models of the late 1940s, packed into a small wagon that could hold five people and carry lots of cargo.
It’s hard for some to believe that Chrysler could not have kept the PT Cruiser going by restyling and upgrading it to keep it fresh. Critics say the problem was that Chrysler did not continue to invest in the car, and made it cheaper so its price could be lowered to compete better in the entry-level compact market.
For 2010, the PT Cruiser was cut down to just one model and trim level — the Classic wagon, with a base price of $18,275.
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