Plymouth Prowler

The Plymouth Prowler is a "retro"-styled production car built between 1997 and 2002; however, no 1998 model was offered.

Design

One of the most striking design features of the Prowler are the open, Indy-racer-style front wheels. 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.

The Prowler featured a powertrain lifted from Chrysler's LH-cars, a 3.5 L SOHC V6 producing 214hp (160kW). For the 1999 model year the engine was replaced with a more powerful 253hp (189kW) version of the engine. Both engines were coupled to a 4-speed Autostick automatic transmission. The transmission is located at the rear of the vehicle and joined to the engine by a flexible driveshaft that rotates at engine speed; this arrangement is similar as used by the C5 Corvette and Alfa Romeo 75, and helped to facilitate a desirable 50-50 (percentage, front-rear) weight distribution. The Prowler was the first rear-wheel drive Plymouth since the 1989 Plymouth Gran Fury and was based on the 1993 concept car of the same name.

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, USA.

Prowler production

The Production figures for the 1997-2001 Plymouth Prowler and 2001-2002 Chrysler Prowler.

Colors

At one point or another, the Prowler was available in one of the following twelve colors:

• Prowler Purple Metallic
• 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 of which was produced and auctioned at Christie's)

The Prowler was first introduced as a 1997 model, and offered only in Prowler Purple Metallic during the first year. After the Plymouth marque was discontinued in 2001, the Prowler was sold as a Chrysler during its final production year of 2002. 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.