The PT Cruiser was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2001 and won the North American Car of the Year award that year.

Officially, the "PT" stands for "Personal Transportation," but the initials also designate the car's platform. It has also claimed the Neon was based on the Chrysler PL platform, or "Platform Low," while the Cruiser was based on the Chrysler PT platform, for "Platform Tall." "PT" was also the production code for the PT Cruiser. Unofficially, the name may stand for "Plymouth Truck", as it harks back to the 1930s line of Plymouth Trucks (known by the "PT" moniker). The original concept car was a Plymouth; the Chrysler brand adopted the production car when the Plymouth brand was discontinued. The PT also stood for "panel truck".

In a November 2007 strategy move to help return the automaker to profitability, Chrysler first announced plans to discontinue the convertible version of the now slow selling vehicle. This announcement was followed later in the month by an official announcement that the company would cease production of the remaining versions of the vehicle after the 2009 model year.

Overview

The PT Cruiser is manufactured at Toluca Car Assembly in Toluca, Mexico. On March 8, 2006, DaimlerChrysler announced that it had built 1,000,000 PT Cruisers at the Toluca plant since February 14, 2000 The PT Cruiser was also assembled in Graz, Austria, for global markets (outside North America) in 2002, using the production code PG. European PT Cruisers built in 2001 or from 2003 onwards are built in Mexico under the PT production code. The American version features a 2.4 L four-cylinder gasoline engine. In addition to this standard model, a 2.2 L four-cylinder diesel engine built by Mercedes Benz is also available in Europe, Asia, and South Africa. A 2 liter engine (D4RE) was available outside the U.S. It produces SAE at 6500 rpm with of torque at 4800 rpm.

When initially introduced, demand for the car was, in many cases, higher than dealer supply, seeing customers put on waiting lists. Anticipation of the car was high, making for a debut that was among most successful in company history.

Updates

While the body style remains remarkably consistent from year to year, there are actually multiple models of the PT Cruiser, designated by unique badges in the lower left hand corner of the rear lift-gate. Models include the Classic Edition, Limited Edition, Touring Edition, "Dream Cruiser", "Street Cruiser", "Pacific Coast Highway Edition" and PT Cruiser GT. Turbo edition models are identified by a "2.4L Turbo" badge on the lower right hand corner of the rear lift-gate. The GT model has a badge on the right hand corner of the lift-gate says "2.4L Turbo High Output" (indicating it is the 220/230 hp engine version).

A four-seat convertible model was added for 2005. It is a two-door car with an integrated "sport bar" for added rigidity and rollover protection. It was discovered that the sport bar also caused air to flow over the rear passengers, resulting in a less drafty ride for those in the rear seats.

The PT Cruiser was updated for 2006. Notable exterior features include scalloped headlights, a new 'chrome' grille, new lower front fascia, round fog lamps (on equipped models) and redesigned taillights. Inside, an updated dashboard and more upscale materials are used, including the addition of an analog clock to the center stack (a design marking the "face" of Chrysler). The audio system now features a line-in jack for MP3 players and is integrated into the dashboard, making it more difficult to replace with an aftermarket unit. The turbocharged 2.4 L engine is now available in 180 hp (134 kW) or "High-Output" 230 hp (172 kW) versions. A "Mopar" cruise control unit became available as an after market unit on 2007 models. Also in 2007, Chrysler dealers were permitted to order vehicles with separate options (un-bundled options from option packages) such as anti-lock brakes and Side Impact Airbags. Sirius Satellite Radio radio also became an option which could be installed as a Dealer option with a factory appearance (i.e. roof mount satellite antenna).

The Chrysler PT Cruiser also featured in the Gran Turismo series, the Xbox game Forza Motorsport and Xbox 360 game Forza Motorsport 2.

Design

The PT Cruiser also bears a resemblance in size and shape to the 1997 Chrysler CCV prototype. The styling of the latter elicited a better response from the auto show circuit, and would evolve into the styling of the PT Cruiser.

Trim levels

4-door wagon/hatchback

• Base
• Limited
• Touring
• Touring Signature Series
• Street Cruiser
• GT
• Walter P. Edition 2006 Only
• Limited Edition Platinum Series 2004 Only
• Dream Cruiser Series 2002-2004 Only

As of August 12, 2008, there have been 14 customized versions of the PT Cruiser.

1. Flames
2. Woodie
3. PT Dream Cruiser Series 1
4. PT Dream Cruiser Series 2
5. PT Dream Cruiser Series 3
6. PT Dream Cruiser Series 4
7. PT Turbo
8. Chrome Accents
9. PT Cruiser Convertible
10. refreshed 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser (2006)
11. PT Street Cruiser Route 66 (2006)
12. Street Cruiser Pacific Coast Highway Edition (2007)
13. Street Cruiser Sunset Boulevard Edition (2008) - 500 vehicles
14. PT Dream Cruiser Series 5 (2009) - 1750 vehicles

Street Cruiser Route 66 Edition (2006)

Street Cruiser Pacific Coast Highway Edition (2007)

Street Cruiser Sunset Boulevard Edition (2008)

Dream Cruiser Series 5 (2009)

2-door Convertible

• base
• GT
• Touring
• Dream Cruiser Series 4

The PT Cruiser Convertible was later discontinued on December 21, 2007 as part of Chrysler's owner, Cerberus Capital Management' plan to cut costs by discontinuing several Dodge and Chrysler models.

References