Vehicle Description
1997 Plymouth Prowler Convertible
"Some things are so uniquely American they become part of our
culture fabric; blue jeans, cowboy boots, our love affair with the
automobile. Perhaps few cars embody this love affair better than
the Hot Rod. Built in garages and basements across the nation, they
prowled the strips in search of that special challenge, to unleash
their quickness and display their owner's creativity. Plymouth
Prowler captures those days, but takes it a step further by
including technology unheard of in those days. Plymouth Prowler,
the essence of a future American classic." From the concept
brochure, printed December 1992.
For consignment, a 1997 Plymouth Prowler with a title verified
28,835 actual miles and some customizations that make this one
unique. We've had the pleasure of representing many Prowlers here
at Classic Auto Mall, but this is our first first year model and
one of just 457 built. In that first year, you could have any color
you wanted, as long as it was purple.
Exterior
The press color pervades this 1997 and was named appropriately
Prowler Purple Metallic. The narrow eyed Prowler has open front
wheels, part of its exotic offering, with body keyed fenders that
turn with the wheels and this one features custom front nerf bars.
Up front, the bumpers have been removed and side vents have been
added to the front quarters. The steeply raked windshield creates a
low roof and a chopped hot rod vibe while the staggered size chrome
5 spoke wheels present a raked stance on a low riding skate with
low profile tires and Prowler caliper covers in bright red bleed
through the openings. The wheels are a full 3-inches in difference
with 20's out back and 17's in front, and the tires are of
different width which becomes obvious when you follow this car and
its super wide back end, underlined by a smoothed back end, bumpers
removed, replaced with a custom rear panel and chromed frame and
light components. The canvas top, wheels, and paint are excellent
on the car and the only imperfections we found were a couple of
paint chips and an area of orange peel.
Interior
The bad boy exterior gives way to a clean and practical interior
with some custom touches starting with an image of the car we're
sitting in painted on the door panel inserts, fronting a tropical
moonscape. Padded and stitched leather bucket seats reveal a bit
more style with bar style tops and the Prowler, a big cat of some
kind, embossed on the seat back and on the accessory headrests, and
this time they're purple. That cat shows up again on the steering
wheel which is accented with purple rim pieces and shares the
column with an AutoMeter tachometer. The factory gauge cluster is
housed in a custom painted skateboard shaped plastic housing in the
center of the dash, old school hot rod style with purple flames and
skulls ablaze. Molded plastic makes up the remaining dash and has
an AM/FM/Cassette radio with EQ and simple climate controls. A
little bit of flash is found on the base plate of the pistol grip
shifter in the center console which is mirror like chrome, while a
built-in cupholder nearby lets you know you're not in the 50's
anymore. Low pile charcoal carpet nicely covers the floor while
Prowler branded mats protect the base carpet. Under the rear hatch,
gray flannel material protects what might be stored and a clear
windscreen, also Prowler branded, keeps your hat from falling
off.
Drivetrain
Under the hood we find a clean 3.5 liter V6 rated at 214 horsepower
and tied to an 4-speed automatic transmission with Autostick and
true to hot rod greatness, keeps power at the rear axle with 3.89
gears. Yes that's right, the transmission is in the back for a
balance ratio of 50/50. Power disc brakes also bring us into the
21stcentury and are found on all four wheels.
Undercarriage
Very clean underneath as we take note of the polished tubular
aluminum chassis along with a trailer hitch and dual exhaust which
travels the length of the car and after some original equipment
chambered mufflers, heads out back via oval and wide chrome tips.
There's no surface rust nor oil leaks anywhere, and barely signs of
usage with no damage whatsoever. Coil over suspension is found
front and rear. Our consignor also notes neon lights are present
underneath
Drive-Ability
Regardless of reputation, these have respectable acceleration, a
comfortable cabin, and a very good ride. We took this car through
the paces where many Prowlers before it had passed, and it
performed as well as we expected. As a pampered modern car,
everything functional on the car operated as intended. While
Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at
the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions
will be working at the time of your purchase.
Prowlers made Hagerty's 2024 bull list which identified cars that
were poised to increase in desirability, collectability, and
possibly even value. These were the ultimate retro ride in a market
that included PT Cruisers, Chevy HHR's, and SSR's. None came close
to being as exotic as the Prowler and appreciation for these
factory hot rods is growing. Here's a first year model that will
wow them all as the shows or in your one man, or woman, parade down
Main Street!
1P3EW65F4VV302065
1-USA
P-Plymouth
3-Passenger Car
E-Manual Belts, Front Airbags
W-Prowler
6-Performance/Image
5-Convertible
F-3.5L SOHC V6
4-Check Digit
V-1999
V-Conner Ave Plant, Detroit MI
302065-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
