The Plymouth Prowler, later the Chrysler Prowler, is a two-door, two-seat sports car built and sold by DaimlerChrysler for the 1997 through 2002 model years. It is known for its hand-crafted aluminium bodywork and its retro hot-rod styling with open, Indy racer-style front wheels.
Plymouth Prowler at a glance
| Maker | Plymouth, then Chrysler (DaimlerChrysler) |
|---|---|
| Model years | 1997–2002 |
| Body | two-door, two-seat roadster with open front wheels |
| Structure | aluminium, much of it adhesively bonded |
| Engine | 3.5 L SOHC V6, 214 hp, 253 hp from 1999 |
| Gearbox | four-speed Autostick semi-automatic at the rear |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive, rear transaxle |
| Weight distribution | 50/50 front to rear |
| Assembled | Conner Avenue Assembly, Detroit |
| Total built | 11,702 |
| Last car | 15 February 2002 |
History of the Plymouth Prowler
Chrysler’s design and international director Thomas C. Gale, who kept a hot-rodded 1932 Ford at home, approved the Prowler as the company’s follow-up show-stopper to the Dodge Viper. An early influence is credited to a Chrysler-sponsored project at the Art Center College of Design: a thesis by Douglas “Chip” Foose included drawings of a retro roadster, designed as a coupe for Chrysler initially and then modified into a roadster. The production car was based on the 1993 concept of the same name and was offered in a single generation.
The Prowler used a powertrain from Chrysler’s LH cars: a 24-valve 3.5-litre SOHC V6 making 214 hp at 5,850 rpm, uprated for 1999 to an aluminium-block version of 253 hp at 6,400 rpm. The engine drove through an open tube-type driveshaft running at engine speed to a four-speed Autostick semi-automatic transmission mounted at the rear of the car, a layout that helped achieve the desirable 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution. The Prowler was the first rear-wheel-drive Plymouth since the 1989 Gran Fury and the last Plymouth with that layout. Although criticised for having a V6, the high-output 3.5 had a power rating similar to or higher than the company’s Magnum V8s of the time, and the car’s low weight gave acceleration to 60 mph in just over seven seconds.
The car was built around aluminium, in many cases adhesively bonded, chiefly in the chassis. The body was produced in Shadyside, Ohio, and the cars were assembled by hand at the Conner Avenue plant in Detroit. Unlike the Viper, the Prowler was equipped to be used every day, with keyless entry, power windows and locks, twin airbags, leather-trimmed bucket seats, air conditioning, a high-fidelity sound system with an optional CD changer, a leather-wrapped wheel with audio controls, a colour-keyed instrument bezel and full instrumentation.
Production and legacy
The Prowler was produced for 1997 and then for the 1999 and 2000 model years. After the Plymouth brand was discontinued in 2001, the car was marketed as the Chrysler Prowler for 2001 and 2002, although DaimlerChrysler continued to sell it as a Plymouth in Canada for 2000, making it the last Plymouth sold there. The last Prowler was built on 15 February 2002, and the niche was filled later by the Chrysler Crossfire in 2004. Across the two runs the car came in twelve colours, from Prowler purple metallic, the only colour offered in 1997, to the one-off High Voltage Blue Conner Avenue Edition. In 1998 a Prowler was sealed in a mausoleum as a time capsule in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Design and features
- Hot-rod style: open Indy-style front wheels and retro bodywork inspired by 1930s rods.
- Aluminium construction: a hand-built bonded aluminium chassis and body.
- Rear transaxle: the gearbox at the back gave a 50/50 weight distribution.
- Everyday usability: air conditioning, power equipment, airbags and a sound system.
Plymouth Prowler versions
- Plymouth Prowler (1997, 1999, 2000): the original Plymouth-badged car, with the 214 hp V6 and then the 253 hp unit.
- Chrysler Prowler (2001–2002): the same car after the Plymouth brand was dropped.
- Woodward and Black Tie editions: two-tone specials in black and red or black and silver.
- Mulholland Edition: finished in Midnight blue pearl.
The Prowler was the show-stopper that inspired the Pronto concept, and it stood apart from Plymouth’s everyday cars such as the Neon. More cars are in the Plymouth collection.
Video: 2000 Plymouth Prowler Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth Tour
Video by Saabkyle04 on YouTube.
Sources
- Plymouth Prowler, English Wikipedia: design, engineering, production, colours
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