Editor’s Note – This Prowler is down to the final hours of the auction! There was some discussion in the comments about engine swaps for this car, so we thought we would link to the Hellephant crate engine that we recently featured here. What do you think? Would a 1000 horsepower Hemi fit in this Plymouth?
Why build an old school hot rod when you can buy one right off the showroom floor at your local Plymouth dealership? That was probably the thought when the Plymouth Prowler debuted in 1997. It was a gutsy move, especially coming from Chrysler Corporation that was facing an acquisition by Daimler-Benz as it struggled to stay competitive in the ever-changing North American automotive landscape. But the Prowler wasn’t exactly what one expected when you thought hot rod. So with that consideration, let’s take a look at this 1999 example. It’s located in Dade City, Florida, and is available here on eBay for a current bid of $17,100, twenty-five bids tendered so far. Thanks to Russ D. for this tip!
The Prowler replicated itself about 11,000 times between 1997 and 2002 with about 3,900 alone produced in 1999. Despite the seller’s claim, it’s really not a rare car. Prowlers manufactured in 2001 and 2002 were officially designated as Chrysler Prowlers as Plymouth took a knee in ’01.
This Prowler has 9,600 miles on its odometer and it has been garaged as it was part of a private collection. It shows beautifully though the seller states that has some dings and nicks; and there are some that you can find if you want to peruse all 162(!) included images. The “Prowler Red” finish is still deep and rich with a smart shine. The black canvas fold-up top is in like-new condition. The real attention-getting feature of the Prowler is the race car inspired front suspension design which utilized small, independent fenders – a real nod to old-school hot rod design and a styling cue that many thought they would never see on a new, production vehicle.
Where the Prowler got sideways with the critics was with the power train, specifically a 3.5 liter, 214 net HP V6 engine for ’97 and ’98, followed by a power bump to 253 net HP in 1999. Purists said what? A V6? “That can’t be a hot rod!” Some resorted to calling it the Plymouth Poseur. The transmission option was limited to a four-speed automatic unit that was rear-mounted, ala Corvette style. Performance, however, was actually brisk with 0-60 times in the 5.9-second range for the ’99 model, a statistic aided, undoubtedly, by the Prowler’s 2,800 lb. curb weight. The seller mentions that this Prowler does have a problem with hot restarts. That seems peculiar for what would still be considered a modern automobile. That issue is the bane of older carburetor equipped cars, operating in hot climates with ethanol laced fuel – something with the fuel delivery system sounds like it needs attention. There is a video here of this Prowler in operating mode and it appears to drive as one would expect. There are two other videos that should be reviewed as well.
The interior is in excellent shape with gray leather upholstery that has seen gentle use. The white-faced instrument panel gauges are a matter of taste but they definitely stand out. Note the location of the tachometer, it’s designed to look like a strapped to the steering column tachometer, something frequently seen on hot rods and older muscle cars. The seller also advises that the side windows don’t work and will not descend. Un hot-rod features like A/C and power windows (the non-working ones) are standard equipment along with power door locks and a keyless entry system.
There’s no doubt this Prowler is in excellent condition, the few issues mentioned by the seller are minor in nature. The Prowler’s MSRP in ’99 was $39,300 which was one of those debatable prices as some felt it was overboard and others thought it to be reasonable for a unique, limited production car that shared little with other Mopar models. I didn’t take the Prowler seriously back in the ’90s. Several reasons stand out, but as with many, I think it was the V6 engine that seemed to take some of the wind out of the sails. Nevertheless, the Prowler is an attention-getter and has its dedicated fans. How about you, what’s your opinion of the Prowler, a curious, neat collectible, or a poseur indeed?
Let’s talk about those front bumpers shall we?
Good point. A quick look at images on the internet show some Prowlers with the front bumpers removed. Really improves the look of the front end, in my opinion. (Don’t know why I never noticed this before.)
Are Prowlers with the front bumpers removed street-legal?
Depends on your state (& country!) regs.
I agree , I’ve always thought the front bumpers were hideous . I understand you had to have them for safety standards , but wrapping them in grey plastic ? At the very least the should have been chrome
I went back to look at the pic of the front bumper – and just started laughing.
Twenty plus years later, I guess I’ve grown a bit ambivalent on the Plymouth Prowler. Admittedly it was love at first sight in 1997, but this car could’ve and should’ve been so much more than it ended up being. Then as now The Prowler remains a “What If” vehicle in my book: If Chrysler had done it right, could the car have saved the marque? I’ve always had a soft-spot for Plymouth, and I’d like to think so.
Squeeze a Hellcat in there and call it a Dodge Prowler….
Since you brought that up, there’s a Prowler project that might interest you. You can learn more about it here:
Plymouth Prowler with a Hellcat V8
https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=24915
That’s incredibly cool, Arthur! Like the guy said in their comments you’d think it should run an easy 8 sec 1/4 mile now. Wonder what they did for suspension and what gearbox is behind it?
One very important factor in building a hot rod from the era this portrayed, seeing the engine in all it’s glory, exposed, as you drive, without all the plastic cover trash. No hood! Done. ps, no real hard horsepower either.
When these were to be promoted, got a call from Chrysler to supply them a SuperBird. I asked what color, what area and we went from there.
Because we created Winged Warriors is why I got the call.
Me, I never liked them. Never grew on me either.
I added a 1999 to my collection last year. Same color. Zero issues. It sits proudly between my 2007 F430 Spyder and a 1962 C1 Corvette. The car is a blast to drive. Being a former F3 race driver I can really appreciate the “open whelp” looks and feeling of the front suspension. The ride is a little stiffer, Similar to my open wheel racers. The power to weight ratio makes this car zippy enough for street driving. I am keeping it for a long time!!!!
Ivan, Be honest…wouldn’t your Prowler be a lot more fun with say 100 more ponies on tap??
Sure. It would be great if I wanted to try it on the track.
What I dig about the Prowler is that it combines Reynard Indycar pushrod front suspension with front-mid engine placement, a rear transaxle, and independent rear suspension with very sound geometry. It really should drive like a formula car for the street!
I have driven a lot of these and never had the same feel as a built rod. Give me the rod every time. It takes time to learn where the front is on these as the nose sticks out so far.
I would have given a lot for one of these when they were new. But they have not aged well with me. However. This is one BEAUTIFUL example for any lover.
I had one for a week-long press loan, and to me, the absence of a trunk was it’s biggest flaw. Even a Mazda-sized 6 cu. ft. box would make the car useful than just for cruising. A car like this should have enough space of a weekend trip, a run to the grocery store or at least as much for a picnic basket.
My daughter hated it. When I took her to school she had to hold her backpack and trumpet case in her lap. Lucky she didn’t play trombone.
The other oddity was driving in the rain. Going through a puddle at a certain speed you would splash your own windshield.
If not for the lack of a trunk, I’d daily drive this…but look into doing something about those bumpers.
the Prowler was a low budget experiment using all aluminum for the frame and body panels. ALCOA was the supplier. Based on its body design, the Chrysler V8 small blocks would not fit. What this car shared with the rest of the LH car stable at Chrysler was the 3.5 liter engine and the 4 speed automatic transmission. To say it shared little with the rest of the Chrysler vehicles is just not correct.
Joe:
I was referencing the platform, suspension, and body – I know the powertrain was run-of-the-mill Mopar.
JO
Understood. Thanks
I believe the rear suspension of the Prowler is closely related to the front suspension of an LH like the Intrepid or 300M.
I love the long hood! But why in the world wasn’t an arrangement made to store a few things behind the seats? The fuel tank can’t take up all that room can it?
As big as the rump is on that is, surely they could have found a Miata-sized trunk for it. Same thing with the Soldtice and the Sky. And the third generation MR2. Regardless of my particular desires, no luggage capacity makes any of them a non-starter for me.
I got this off Wikipedia, Besides that, the front bumpers are hideous !
Chrysler engineers were given free rein to design whatever they wanted in a “hot rod” or “sportster” type vehicle. Chrysler’s design and international director Thomas C. Gale said his “love for 1930s-era hot rods inspired Chrysler’s latest design triumph, the retro-styled Plymouth Prowler.”[1] Gale, who has a hotted up 1932 Ford in his garage approved the hot rod-inspired Plymouth Prowler as the company’s follow-up show-stopper to the Dodge Viper.[2] An early influence is credited to a Chrysler-sponsored project at the Art Center College of Design that resulted in a thesis by Douglas “Chip” Foose that included drawings of a retro-roadster.[3] Foose “designed it as a coupe for Chrysler to begin with but modified it to a roadster version.”[4]
I remember at the time these hit the streets that Chip Foose had a hand in the design
That’s pretty much the story. I was not aware of the Foose connection. Tom Gale was the man at that time.
Good article on Tom Gale and the Prowler in the Wall Street Journal automobile section a few weeks ago. Sorry I don’t have the link. The auto section runs on Wednesdays.It is interesting how Chrysler become the home of the real car guys over the years. Must have been a pretty cool place to work back then.
Really needed a 340…
I had my first used car lot going when these came out. I walked into a Chrysler dealership to buy a part for one of my car lot cars and saw an orange Prowler. I fell in love! I had no clue what was under the hood, it didn’t matter!
I almost bought it, but thankfully I was still with my crackhead (now) exwife. She stopped me from buying it by spending all of my extra money with her dealer.
These now don’t impress me as much as they used to. Neither does she lol.
You were saying they were built from 1997-1999 yet on Ebay right now there is a 2000 AND a 2001?!?!
I always considered these to be the gray haired old man hot rod (and cooinsidently there’s one in my small town with such) I saw them as a cool idea but the V6 was laughable…
They actually werent that bad with the V6, but yeah, certainly not supercar like performance.
They were produced from ’97 to 2002
Manufacturer Chrysler Corporation (1997)
DaimlerChrysler (1999–2002)
Also called Chrysler Prowler (2001-2002)
Production 1997–2002
I got that from Wikipedia, but knew it anyway because back then I could afford one but bought a Silverado instead, go figure ?
Your Silverado had more storage in the center console than the Prowler had, well, anywhere.