The PT Cruiser was the hottest entry in the automotive chart of the early 2000s. Its retro-meets present look, without being a kitsch, stole the hearts of the American consumer almost instantly.
Inspired by the Plymouth Prowler and originally meant to be a Plymouth, the car received the Chrysler branding after Plymouth brand was sent to the shredder in 2001. The momentum it gained at its launch kept sales numbers high for a decent amount of time, with the vehicle selling some 1.3 million units to date.
Yet, somehow, somewhere, Chrysler deemed it unworthy. Either that, or "ze Germans" got to it. Most place the blame for the PT fall on the Daimler reign over the American manufacturer. Others say it was the bad management which sent the PT right into the history books.
Whatever the reason was, sometime in its production cycle transformed a vehicle which was considered one of the most high-quality cars available in the Chrysler lineup into a cheap one, with a below-average interior that ruined the consumers' mood.
Unfortunately for the PT Cruiser, those history books will not mention it as a fan pleaser, but rather as a bad investment. Despite Chrysler giving up its intention to kill it last year, calling it "too cool to categorize,” the Chrysler accountants cried “disaster” louder than the others could cry “cool.” The car sold 5,452 units in 2010.
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