A Prowler In Every Garage Isn’t Likely Anytime Soon Limited Production Ensures Plymouth’s New Hot Rod Will Be Scarce, Costly

Car enthusiasts eager to cruise down Main Street in Detroit’s first production hot rod, the 1997 Plymouth Prowler, had best prepare to save their money and put their desire in neutral for a while.

Chrysler Corp. said Wednesday it will offer only 2,500 of the purple roadsters for sale in the United States and 250 in Canada next year. Fewer than 40 percent of U.S. Chrysler-Plymouth dealerships will get one.

With so few of the unusual cars available and initial demand expected to be high, dealers can be expected to add hefty markups to the Prowler’s anticipated sticker price of around $35,000.

No dealer will get more than five of the cars. And most dealers will probably buy one themselves to keep on display to lure customers into the showroom, spokesman Jan Zverina said.

That is one of the primary reasons Chrysler decided to produce the outrageously retro-styled, two-seat convertible that harkens back to the days of drive-ins and sock hops. It is expected to draw attention and add some luster to Plymouth’s stodgy image.

“We want it to do for Plymouth what the Viper did for Dodge,” Chrysler Chairman Robert Eaton said in a recent interview.

The Viper is Dodge’s flashy roadster that made a big splash when it hit the market in 1992.

Chrysler plans to produce 3,000 Prowlers next year, but about 250 will be retained for promotional purposes. The car will begin arriving in about 1,100 U.S. showrooms next spring.

U.S. dealers will be allocated Prowlers based on their 1996 sales, investment in meeting the company’s training and service-improvement goals, and customer satisfaction ratings. Dealers in urban areas, where the car can be exposed to more potential customers, are more likely to get the cars than small-town franchises.