Goodbye to the PT Cruiser

Back in 2006 we bought a new car (actually used, but new to us), a 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser.  My wife fell in love with it the moment she saw it on the car lot.  I think she's a surfer chick at heart.

Both my kids passed their driver's license tests in that car:

We still have it and still enjoy it, but if you want a new PT Cruiser you better hurry because the last one came off the assembly line yesterday:

Chrysler's long-lived PT Cruiser will finally roll off into the sunset next month after a decade in production. According to the Detroit Free Press, when the 2010 model year winds down at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant on July 9, the final Cruisers will be produced. The retro-styled five door hatchback was a sensation when it debuted and inspired customers to pay a premium over the sticker price to get one. Over the years, the styling was tweaked only slightly its competitiveness declined significantly as DaimlerChrysler steadfastly refused to invest in it.

The Cruiser was originally earmarked for discontinuation a year ago, but when Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, it needed product, so the automaker kept it alive for another 12 months. The Toluca factory will now be re-tooled for production of another retro-design small car, the Fiat 500 which joins the Chrysler lineup later this year.

I'm surprised Chrysler didn't support this car better than they did. It's surprisingly roomy inside (I can get all four of my taller-than-average family members in it with ease) and it's been pretty reliable. I was very hesitant to buy an American car, but the styling won us over.

As baby boomers continue to age retro cars will become even more popular and the company that takes advantage of that market will do well.