The Chrysler PT Cruiser is one of those cars with an unfortunately bad rap. People still have spicy takes about the PT even though its been over 14 years since the last one rolled off of the line. I found a Chrysler PT that even the haters will love. In 2002, Chrysler teased a possible future of the PT by rolling out the California Cruiser concept, a shooting brake with a retractable glass roof and 215 HP on deck – and oh yeah, you could even sleep in it.
You don’t have to look too hard to find an enthusiast with a strong opinion about the neo-retro era of a few decades ago. Automakers were happy to pump out cars that looked like classic hot rods but sometimes forgot about the “hot” part. The Chrysler PT Cruiser and the Plymouth Prowler appear to be two of the biggest punching bags from the era, never mind that nothing as cool-looking as the Prowler has ever been made again and the PT Cruiser was a pretty versatile car once you got past the styling.
There are about a million theories as to why people turned on the PT Cruiser back then and still dunk on it today. Regular Car Reviews spent a whole 17 minutes conjuring up an explanation involving the vehicle’s often Boomer original owners, Postmodernism, and poor second or third owners. Doug DeMuro famously crushed a PT Cruiser with a Hummer! I’m not going to dissect why people hate the Cruiser so much, but you should know that, despite the hate, Chrysler managed to sell over 1.3 million of these things over a decade. It’s no surprise that other automakers, namely General Motors, also tried cashing in on the neo-retro boom.
Appealing To Your Lizard Brain
That kind of popularity is hard to ignore, and the PT Cruiser flew off of lots early on. In 2001, buyers went home with nearly 145,000 of the cars. Chrysler never let off of the throttle and did its best to keep Cruiser fever going. For a deeper look at the PT’s rise, I highly recommend reading Matt Hardigree’s retrospective by clicking here.
The short version is that Chrysler sought the help of French medical anthropologist and psychiatrist Dr. Clotaire Rapaille to design a vehicle that would appeal to our so-called lizard brains.
As Matt mentioned, Chrysler was adrift again when Bob Lutz came on board and the brand needed a home run, something more special than just a better car or truck. Enter Dr. Rapaille and his whole schtick about that lizard-brain thing, and PT Cruiser sprang into being as a bunch of parts shared with the Dodge Neon in a package designed to evoke some sort of response out of you.
Chrysler let Bryan Nesbitt have fun designing the PT Cruiser. The automakers punched out concepts like the custom Pronto Cruizer Concept, the Euro-style Plymouth Pronto, and the weird mid-engine Pronto Spyder. Finally, the PT Cruiser Concept previewed what the production car was going to look like.
But here’s the thing: Chrysler never stopped making concepts. In 2000, the Chrysler GT Cruiser concept previewed a hopped-up PT Cruiser while the Panel Cruiser concept showed what a work van version of the PT Cruiser would look like. In 2001, Chrysler followed it up with the PT Cruiser Convertible Styling Study.
Chrysler followed through on some of these concepts. The turbocharged PT Cruiser GT hit the market in 2003 while a convertible launched in 2005. Sadly, we didn’t get an official panel van, but the later Chevrolet HHR got a panel variant and fab shops have made custom PT Cruiser panel vans.
The Shooting Brake
Another variant Chrysler proposed was the California Cruiser. This concept hit the show circuit in 2002 beginning with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance before it got shipped off to the Paris Motor Show. At the time, it was reported that this design likely hinted at the next variation of the PT Cruiser.
Jim Schroer, Executive Vice President of Chrysler Group Global Sales and Marketing, said: “With PT Cruiser, we created a whole new segment and virtually redefined the blend of design and versatility in the small vehicle market. That vehicle anticipated new consumer demands and expectations around the world. Now, we bring you a concept of what might be next, the Chrysler California Cruiser.”
At the front, the California Cruiser represented Chrysler applying its new corporate face to the PT Cruiser. That meant giving the California Cruiser the same kind of scalloped headlights found on vehicles like the Ram and the Crossfire. Then came a bolder chrome grille and a more integrated bumper cover.
But the real awesomeness happens beyond the face. Chrysler ditched the vintage hot rod and panel van roofline of the PT and instead went for a flat chopped-style roof. Yes, this turned the lowly PT into a two-door wagon, but it goes even further than that. The roof is made out of giant glass panels that, at the flick of a switch, move out of the way, creating an open-top wagon.
Look at these happy surfers!
The concept further lays down sweet touches like bucket seats for all four occupants, a stereo mounted in the rear of the vehicle for tailgate parties, and hatch glass that rolls away like some of our favorite Toyota 4x4s.
Part of the marketing for the California Cruiser was that it was perfect for surfers, so the seats folded flat so you could store surfboards in the vehicle. Chrysler also saw you folding the seats flat and sleeping in the car on the beach with someone else. It’s unclear where Chrysler expected the vehicle’s other two occupants to sleep, but look, concept cars aren’t always logical.
All of this was wrapped up in a package powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine making 215 HP. So, not only did you get your PT Cruiser as a sweet two-door wagon, but it was properly quick to match. Add the 19-inch billet wheels and Woodie-look silver side panels and this is easily the coolest PT Cruiser ever built. Schroer continued:
“An expert surfer will tell you they are after the NEXT wave, not the one in front of them. The same holds true for the Chrysler Group, as we look to new consumer demands and expectations around the world. Chrysler California Cruiser is a concept that might be that Next Wave – with us, you just never know.”
Tell me that doesn’t look hot!
Unfortunately, the California Cruiser never became a reality. Elements of the concept went to other PT Cruisers. As I noted earlier, PT Cruiser buyers did get a turbo model and there was also a two-door convertible. The 2006 facelift PT also got a new bumper, headlights, and a revised grille. But we never got a two-door PT Cruiser wagon and that’s sad.
There isn’t an explanation for what happened to this concept, but it is known that PT Cruiser sales slowed as production continued. Perhaps Chrysler lost the motivation to try to keep PT Cruiser fever going. Either way, the California Cruiser is cool. The California Cruiser is so cool that I’d dare to say that it’s the PT Cruiser that would even shut up the haters. It’s a shame we never got anything even close to it.
(Images: Chrysler)
I never understood the hate for the PT Cruiser. Sure, it was probably not very fun to drive, but many cars weren’t either. At least it looked different, and to me that’s cool enough.