The idea of this 1999 Plymouth Prowler started back in May of 1990
with the words "hot rod-style retro car" written on a note card.
That led to a one-fifth-scale model and a sketch of a concept,
which caught the eye of the Chrysler president Bob Lutz. Lutz
ordered the building of a fully functional prototype, which was the
car that got shown in Detroit. The reaction from the public was
overwhelming! By September 1994, the green light was given to
building the Prowler in limited numbers, with the goal of reviving
the Plymouth brand as the Viper had done for Dodge. Corporate parts
bins were raided for some of the Prowler's components, including
the 3.5L SOHC V6 and 4-speed "AutoStick" automatic transaxle from
the Chrysler LHS and 300M. But utilizing the drivetrain from a
front-wheel-drive vehicle in the rear-drive Prowler required great
innovation, with the transaxle being modified and mounted in the
rear, as with the C5 and C6 Corvettes.The Prowler foundation is an
aluminum frame fabricated from the latest alloys. The body is also
made of aluminum and sheet-formed plastic, joined together with a
new compression fastening process. Suspension components are also
aluminum, using a new forging process, and the front suspension was
based on a Formula 1-like pushrod design that hid the coil-over
shocks inside the body. All off the efforts put into new materials
and manufacturing truly keep the weight down making this car very
fun to try. The 214-hp V6 propels the 2,800-pound Prowler very
nicely. (Motor Trend saw 0-60 in 7.1 seconds on a pre-production
car). As Chrysler Chairman Bob Eaton said in telling the world that
Chrysler would build the Prowler, "It's for real, and either you
get it or you don't." This Prowler with a black exterior is 1 of
only 779 that were produced in 1999. Along with claiming the title
of the world's only factory-built hot rod, the Prowler may be the
only production automobile offered with a matching trailer.
Prowlers have only the smallest of trunk space, especially with the
top removed, and the $5,000 option offered much-needed room for
longer trips � again following hot-rod tradition. When you combine
the trailer with the optional factory hard top it makes this even
more of a rare find from our friends at Plymouth. You can view this
1999 Plymouth Prowler in greater detail including HD pictures and
an HD video of it running and driving at Gatewayclassiccars.com. If
you are interested in purchasing this vehicle or have more
questions regarding it please call us at (303) 872-4722 or email us
at
[email protected].
http://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/DEN/350/1999-Plymouth-Prowler