What Vehicle was the PT Cruiser's Styling Based Upon?
06-28-2010, 08:16 PM
#1
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What Vehicle was the PT Cruiser's Styling Based Upon?
After reviewing a thread in the General HHR section that referred to "Antique HHRs" (49' Suburban), I got to thinking about where the PT Cruiser's styling DNA came from. The HHR clearly has its roots.
What about the PT? Would anyone know what historic vehicle that its styling was derived (if any)?
What about the PT? Would anyone know what historic vehicle that its styling was derived (if any)?
06-28-2010, 09:06 PM
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Maybe this....... but it's a stretch of the imagination.....
There's been some conversation about what PT stands for and "Plymouth Truck" has been mentioned. (Yes there was such a vehicle) The PT was originally going to be a Plymouth until they killed the moniker and Chrysler got the car instead. Advertising from Chrysler says "airflow" but they really didn't look anything like the PT.... neither did the Plymouth Trucks. I think just being retro was closer to reality.
There's been some conversation about what PT stands for and "Plymouth Truck" has been mentioned. (Yes there was such a vehicle) The PT was originally going to be a Plymouth until they killed the moniker and Chrysler got the car instead. Advertising from Chrysler says "airflow" but they really didn't look anything like the PT.... neither did the Plymouth Trucks. I think just being retro was closer to reality.
06-28-2010, 09:21 PM
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The PT Cruiser was designed after the Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow, which was produced from 1934 to 1937. It was an Art Deco streamlined design that was far, far ahead of its time. Take a look at the Hindenberg and other aircraft and you will see the similarity. It was so far out of the mainstream that it never really took off. It was an early attempt at a compact car. You will even see a resemblence to a Volkswagen. Today they are considered extremely collectable.
Here's a link to some nice pictures: http://www.hotautoweb.com/classics/1...-airflow-sedan
Here's a link to some nice pictures: http://www.hotautoweb.com/classics/1...-airflow-sedan
06-28-2010, 09:27 PM
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Originally designed in 1996-7 the Plymouth Pronto Cruizer (both coupe and convertible) and it looked like the Black coupe above and later evolved into and became what we know as the the Chrysler PT.
06-28-2010, 10:13 PM
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The PT was originally a south American car that fit the bill of both family transport and utility(to market) vehicle..the design was basically stolen and copied here,,,as the story goes..somebody was visiting down there and saw the potential....
06-29-2010, 07:19 AM
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I suspect, (only a guess) that it had its roots in the history of Chrysler/Plymouth with the Airflow design:
"Walter P. Chrysler had high hopes for the Airflow, and so did Carl Breer, its chief architect. Both men felt this advanced design virtually reinvented the automobile, and they, therefore, expected an enthusiastic public response to the initial Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow models.
As we know, their hopes were quickly dashed by poor sales in the wake of several unforeseen problems. Had things been different, though, we might have seen a Plymouth Airflow.
The Airflow project reached fruition in 1933, largely under the auspices of the DeSoto Division. That same year, Plymouth introduced its first-ever six-cylinder car, the PC. Curiously, it was fractionally smaller in basic dimensions than its four-cylinder PB predecessor, but unfortunate styling made it look like a lot less car and it did not sell well.
Nevertheless, Walter Chrysler wasn't at all averse to "compacts," and he loved the Airflow. In fact, he saw Breer's bold new concept as the basis for an all-Airflow corporate lineup by 1935 or 1936."*
* "Consumer's Guide: How Stuff Works"
"Walter P. Chrysler had high hopes for the Airflow, and so did Carl Breer, its chief architect. Both men felt this advanced design virtually reinvented the automobile, and they, therefore, expected an enthusiastic public response to the initial Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow models.
As we know, their hopes were quickly dashed by poor sales in the wake of several unforeseen problems. Had things been different, though, we might have seen a Plymouth Airflow.
The Airflow project reached fruition in 1933, largely under the auspices of the DeSoto Division. That same year, Plymouth introduced its first-ever six-cylinder car, the PC. Curiously, it was fractionally smaller in basic dimensions than its four-cylinder PB predecessor, but unfortunate styling made it look like a lot less car and it did not sell well.
Nevertheless, Walter Chrysler wasn't at all averse to "compacts," and he loved the Airflow. In fact, he saw Breer's bold new concept as the basis for an all-Airflow corporate lineup by 1935 or 1936."*
* "Consumer's Guide: How Stuff Works"