The Prowler was a two-door, two-seat sports car built by DaimlerChrysler for the 1997 to 2002 model years, sold first as a Plymouth and from 2001 as a Chrysler. With hand-built aluminium bodywork, open Indy-car-style front wheels and a rear transaxle, it was a hot rod for the showroom and one of the most distinctive American cars of its time.
Chrysler Prowler at a glance
| Production | 1997–2002 model years |
|---|---|
| Brands | Plymouth 1997–2000, Chrysler 2001–2002 |
| Body | hand-built aluminium, adhesively bonded chassis |
| Engine | 3.5 L 24-valve SOHC V6; 214 hp, 253 hp from 1999 |
| Transmission | four-speed Autostick at the rear |
| Layout | front engine, rear transaxle, rear-wheel drive |
| Weight distribution | 50:50 front to rear |
| Wheels | 17×7 in front, 20×10 in rear |
| Tyres | 225/45 HR17 front, 295/40 HR20 rear |
| Total built | 11,702 |
| 0–60 mph | 7.2 s in 1997, 5.9 s from 1999 |
| Final car | 15 February 2002 |
The Chrysler Prowler was sold as a Plymouth until 2001; this page uses the English Wikipedia article on the Plymouth Prowler, and the photographs show cars with Plymouth badges.
History of the Chrysler Prowler
From hot rods to the showroom
The Prowler was based on the 1993 concept car of the same name and was approved by Chrysler’s design and international director Thomas C. Gale, whose love of 1930s hot rods inspired it; Gale kept a hotted-up 1932 Ford in his garage and saw the Prowler as the follow-up show-stopper to the Dodge Viper. An early influence came from a Chrysler-sponsored project at the Art Center College of Design that produced a thesis by Douglas “Chip” Foose with drawings of a retro roadster, which Foose described as designed as a coupé first and then modified into a roadster.
Engineering
The Prowler used a powertrain from Chrysler’s LH cars: a 24-valve 3.5-litre SOHC V6 with 214 hp at 5,850 rpm, upgraded for 1999 to an aluminium-block version with 253 hp at 6,400 rpm. The engine drove a four-speed Autostick semi-automatic transmission mounted at the rear through an open tube-type driveshaft described as a torque tube; placing the transmission at the back helped give the car a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution. Although criticised for having a V6, the high-output 3.5 had a power rating similar to or higher than Chrysler’s Magnum V8s of the period, and the car’s light weight gave acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in just over seven seconds — 7.2 seconds in 1997 and 5.9 seconds from 1999, with top speeds of 118 and 126 mph, both electronically limited. Much of the aluminium construction was adhesively bonded, especially in the chassis; bodies were made in Shadyside, Ohio and the cars hand-assembled at Conner Avenue Assembly in Detroit.
Equipment and production
Unlike the Viper, the Prowler was equipped for daily use, with keyless entry, power windows and locks, dual airbags, leather bucket seats, air conditioning, a sound system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls on its rear and an instrument bezel painted to match the exterior — a feature later repeated on the PT Cruiser, which was also meant to be a Plymouth. It was the first rear-wheel-drive Plymouth since the 1989 Gran Fury and the last Plymouth with that layout. The Plymouth version was built for 1997 and then for 1999 and 2000, with Canada still receiving it as a Plymouth for 2000; after Plymouth was discontinued the car was sold as a Chrysler Prowler for 2001 and 2002. Twelve colours were offered across the two runs, from Prowler purple in 1997 to the single High Voltage Blue Conner Avenue Edition auctioned at Christie’s. The last Prowler was built on 15 February 2002, and its niche was later filled by the Chrysler Crossfire in 2004.
Design and features
- Aluminium body: hand-built panels over an adhesively bonded chassis.
- Open front wheels: Indy-racer style, with the front wheels outside the bodywork.
- Rear transaxle: a four-speed Autostick at the back for 50:50 weight distribution.
- High-output V6: 253 hp from 1999, comparable with Chrysler’s Magnum V8s.
- Daily usability: air conditioning, power windows, keyless entry and leather seats, unlike the Viper.
Chrysler Prowler versions
- Plymouth Prowler (1997–2000): the original version, including Canadian 2000 cars.
- Chrysler Prowler (2001–2002): the car after Plymouth was discontinued.
- Special editions: Woodward, Black Tie, Mulholland and Conner Avenue editions among twelve colours.
The Prowler shared its 3.5-litre V6 with the 300M and LHS, and its role as Chrysler’s sports car passed to the Crossfire. More cars are in the Chrysler collection.
Video: 2000 Plymouth Prowler start up, exhaust and in-depth tour
Video by Saabkyle04 on YouTube.
Sources
- Plymouth Prowler, English Wikipedia: design, powertrain, equipment, production
- Plymouth Prowler, Wikimedia Commons: photographs
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