Plymouth Prowler

The Plymouth Prowler, later the Chrysler Prowler, is a "retro" styled production car built in 1997 and 1999-2002. The Prowler was based on the 1993 concept car of the same name.

Design

The design of the Prowler was said to have been inspired after Chrysler engineers were given free rein to create whatever they wanted in a "hot rod" or "sportster" type vehicle. One of the most striking design features of the Prowler are the open, Indy racer style front wheels.

The Prowler featured a powertrain lifted from Chrysler's LH-cars, a 3.5 L Chrysler SOHC V6 engine 24v producing 214 hp (160 kW; 217 PS) at 5850 rpm. For the 1999 model year the engine was replaced with a more powerful 253 hp (189 kW; 257 PS) at 6400 rpm version of the engine. Both engines were coupled to a 4-speed Autostick automatic transmission. The transmission was located at the rear of the vehicle and joined to the engine by a flexible driveshaft that rotated at engine speed, an arrangement similar to that used by the C5 Corvette, Porsche 944 and Alfa Romeo 75, and helped to facilitate a desirable 50-50 front-rear weight distribution. The Prowler was the first rear-wheel drive Plymouth since the 1989 Plymouth Gran Fury. While criticized for featuring a V6 only, Chrysler's High Output 3.5 had a horsepower rating similar to (or higher than) the company's magnum V8s of that era. While not making nearly as much torque as a V8, Prowler's light weight translated into very impressive performance figures, including off-the-line acceleration.

The car prominently featured aluminum in its construction, chiefly in the chassis. In many cases, the components were adhesively bonded. The body was produced in Shadyside, Ohio, and the car was assembled by hand at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant (CAAP) in Detroit, Michigan.

Performance

• 1997 model
• 0-62 mph (0–100 km/h): 7.2 seconds
• Top speed: 118 mph (180 km/h) electronically limited

• 1999 - 2002 model
• 0-62 mph (0–100 km/h): 5.9 seconds
• Top speed: 126 mph (190 km/h) electronically limited

Production

The Plymouth Prowler was produced for the 1997 and 1999-2001 model years. After the Plymouth marque was discontinued in 2001 the Prowler was sold as a Chrysler Prowler for the 2001 and 2002 model years. However, DaimlerChrysler marketed the Prowler as a Plymouth in Canada for the 2000 model year, although the Prowler was the last Plymouth sold in Canada.

The last Prowler rolled off the assembly line on February 15, 2002, and the model niche was later filled by the Chrysler Crossfire in 2004.

Colors

Across the two production runs, the Prowler was available twelve colors:

• Prowler Purple Metallic (only color available in 1997)
• Prowler Yellow Clear Coat
• Prowler Black Clear Coat
• Prowler Red Clear Coat
• Prowler Bright Silver Metallic
• Woodward Edition (Two-tone Black/Red)
• Black Tie Edition (Two-tone Black/Silver)
• Prowler Orange Pearl Coat
• Midnight Blue Pearl Coat - Mulholland Edition
• Inca Gold Pearl Coat
• Deep Candy Red Pearl Coat
• High Voltage Blue Pearl Coat - Conner Avenue Edition (only one produced, auctioned at Christie's)

Other features

• Wheels Front: 7"x17"
• Wheels Rear: 10"x20"
• Tires Front: 225/45 HR17
• Tires Rear: 295/40 HR20
• Brakes F/R: composite 11" vented disc / 13" vented disc

Pricing

The original manufacturer's suggested retail price (in US$) for each model year for the Prowler:

• 1997 - $38,300
• 1999 - $39,300
• 2000 - $43,000
• 2001 - $44,225
• 2002 - $44,625

Due to extremely limited trunk space, a $5,000 Prowler trailer option was available from Chrysler dealers. These trailers resembled the back end of a Prowler but had smaller versions of the five spoke wheels found on the car. They could be ordered to match a car's factory color.

Legacy

Other retro-styled vehicles followed the Prowler, including the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Chevrolet's SSR, HHR, and the 2010 Camaro, Ford's 2002 Thunderbird and 2005 Mustang, as well as the 2008 Dodge Challenger.

• In 1998 a Plymouth Prowler was sealed in a mausoleum as a time capsule in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While similar in concept to the Buried 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that formerly resided near the courthouse, the buried Prowler was sealed in Centennial Park in an above ground vault and sealed within a plastic box instead of plastic sheets that covered the Belvedere. Experts believe the Prowler has a better chance of looking how it did when it was sealed when the time capsule is opened in 2048, when it will be returned to Chrysler.^[1]

• In 1999 at the Specialty Equipment Market Association's annual car show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chrysler unveiled the Plymouth Howler concept. Inspired by hot rod trucks, and based on the Prowler, the Howler featured a small, truck like bed with a tailgate and hard tonneau cover. Under the hood an adapted version of Jeep's all new 4.7 L PowerTech V8 engine replaced the production model's 3.5 L V6. A Borg-Warner 5-speed manual replaced the production 4-speed automatic.

Tenth Anniversary Celebration

• Chrysler Corporation hosted, for the Prowler Owners Association, a 10th Anniversary Celebration on August 16, 2007 at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, MI to commemorate the production of the Plymouth Prowler in 1997. The attendance for this Prowler event was 185 Prowlers and over 350 owners.
• In conjunction with the 2007 Michigan Woodward Dream Cruise a limited edition poster dedicated to the 10th Anniversary was released by the ProwlTalk group. Entitled 'Commemorating a Decade of Prowlers 1997-2007' the poster featured the two-tone Woodward Edition Prowler.
• A limited edition photobook dedicated to the 10th anniversary was released, also entitled 'Commemorating a Decade of Prowlers 1997-2007'. The photobook was available in custom colors and cover materials.
• A limited set of Prowler Commemorative Stamps, featuring six different designs, of black, silver, orange, red, purple, and yellow was released. An acrylic floating display showcased the six United States Postal Service stamps with each set individually numbered.

References

External links