PT Cruiser production confimed through 2009; uncertain going forward
08/16/2007, 3:56 PM
By Drew Johnson
Chrysler confirmed that it will continue production of its PT Cruiser through 2009 but made no promises that the car would continue on after that. Since its introduction in 2000, the PT Cruiser has been a sales success but, because of its recent performance slump, Chrysler might be looking ditch the name-plate.
An increase in competition from a number of wagon-like crossover, and even cars like the Chevrolet HHR, have hurt the PT Cruiser’s sales numbers. However, Chrysler feels as though the numbers are strong enough to keep the model around for at least the next couple of years. Chrysler has sold more than 1 million PT Cruisers in the U.S.
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08/16, 3:58 PM
posted by:
TomF
Dammit, by 2009 that’ll be 10 model years with no significant changes. If they can’t put a new generation PT on the street after that, of course they should kill it. It started looking old about four years ago.
08/16, 4:03 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
True:
They just mnade far too many of them, and it’s no longer refresing to see one.
I say scrap it and bring back the Prowler
08/16, 4:03 PM
posted by:
MY Si
i wonder though. How in the hell do you re-design something as weird lookin as that and make it sell?
08/16, 4:55 PM
posted by:
Mclaren19p
Isn’t this thing dead yet? It should be. It was novel when it was new but this is waaaay to long for a model like this to be in production
08/16, 5:17 PM
posted by:
acura_el2000
its funny they say the recently poor sale are due to the compitition… meanwhile, its chryslers lack design change.. how old is the friggen model? 7 years? with barely any change. they let something fresh stagnate.
08/16, 6:13 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
I can not see how Chrysler would not at least try to replace the PT Cruiser with something new. But this company has a wild habit of killing every compact they make. The killed the NEON just as it was becoming seriously popular, The Horizon/Omni, crap they were but a good start back int the 1980s. The Colt, a Mitsubishi, but a great car, mini-minivan and what not.
The Caliber will likely see the same fate. Chrysler really has not strong interest in compact cars. Make it to prop up the CAFE and then do nothing with it. This might change under the new ownership, but I believe it when it happens. They have until the 2009 auto show season to do something.
08/16, 6:43 PM
posted by:
nitinsharma1000
what a bunch of waterheads.
08/16, 6:46 PM
posted by:
autonutt
They will probably just transfer the name to the Chrysler-branded version of Dodge’s new tall wagon, the Crew.. which will ruin the legacy of this model. Too bad they spent all the development money for a Caliber-based PT on the Jeep Compass instead.. YECCCH!!
08/16, 7:43 PM
posted by:
jamaicandude
Put it out of it’s misery already.
08/16, 8:54 PM
posted by:
67_L-88
I never really understood why these were ever popular. I always thought of them as a poser car. Everybody i knew who drove one thought they drove sports cars, though they lacked power, or good handling. And before someone says what about the turbo version, no one i knew had the turbo version
08/16, 8:59 PM
posted by:
0GSharK6
The turbo versions are decent, and the interiors are touched up quite a bit, but they still have some of the bargain-basement materials in them that are in any generic PT.
08/16, 9:26 PM
posted by:
Rompn4x
How long was the Bug in production and looked the same? Wasn’t it like 35 years?
08/16, 10:25 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
The bug died as a SuperBeetle, which was pretty cool BTW. The PT could have continued if the idiot germans running the company had invested in improvements.
Yes, fanboys, you can’t peg this failure on the gringos. PT’s stagnation happened on the germans’ watch. Damn Daimler POS buttstain-sniffing bastards.
08/16, 10:59 PM
posted by:
musclemustang94
Yeah no joke, the new beetle still hasn’t be redesigned either. Its been 10 years since they came out with that one hasn’t it?
08/17, 8:26 AM
posted by:
Deanster
The Beetle is getting stale too.
These little retro heritage models are all outdated and xxxxing buck-nasty in this day and age, except the Mini. Do away with them all.
08/17, 9:22 AM
posted by:
A4
uh oh, taking a page out of the ford playbook… not good
08/17, 11:52 AM
posted by:
jonnycat
Turbo PT’s are out there, with the SRT4 powerplant. Style ios extremely dated though.
The HHR was designed by the guy who designed the PT. If he would have stayed, I’d bet the newer PT would have been the HHR.
08/17, 11:53 AM
posted by:
Mitch Bangowitz
I say bring back the 1970 Dodge Monaco / Polara convertible
08/17, 11:58 AM
posted by:
A4
uhmmm no the HHR would not have been the PT cruiser – it was designed using the original Suburban as a template. The HHR’s look would not work for chrysler unless severely tweaked.
08/17, 11:25 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
One thing the big 3 have painfully learned from the japanese … bring out new models every 4 years, not every 6
toyota fans can rejoice in that that hideos camry will be gone in 3 years
08/19, 4:29 PM
posted by:
BLISS
SEEMS AS IF THEY ARE PLANNING TO TERMINATE PT CRUISER AND CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE IN COMING YEARS.
12/10, 8:19 PM
posted by:
teahead
Even though these cars had cheap interiors, they are SOLID and reliable. And have a lot of room inside of them.
Trouble is, they haven’t changed enough, they are slow (unless you get the GT turbo w/a 5-speed), autos are still 4-speeds, and they do not get that great a gas mileage.
WIsh they had developed the two-door hardtop California Cruiser concept. That thing looks better than the Mini!