In the first post of our new ongoing series, Daydreams gives us the opportunity to examine cars that struck a cord with us as children, only to discover as adults that they were not all that we imagined. West Brother kicks us off with one of the more imaginative cars from his childhood and shares his thoughts on it now. If you are interested in contributing to the series as a guest, please contact us.
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Image courtesy of Wikipedia |
When I was a kid, I did not know much about cars. I always thought they just looked cool. At the time, the Plymouth Prowler was the pinnacle of cool to me, with its outrageous shape and unique styling that drew on the classic American hot rods. The first time I encountered one of these machines, I thought to myself, "man, when I get my driver's license, this is the car I want to drive! I bet I would look so cool in this thing!" As I grew up, and my knowledge of cars began to expand, my interests moved on to other vehicles. It was not until I entered high school and began understanding the inner workings of automobiles, power-to-weight ratios, and other important automotive measurements that I realized the Prowler, despite its cool looks, was a real dog.
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Image courtesy of Barrett-Jackson Auctions |
reign to design a hot rod or roadster type vehicle. During its first two model years, the Prowler was powered by a 3.5 liter SOHC V6, making a surprisingly wimpy 214 horsepower. The car was revised in 1999 and included a more powerful, aluminum block V6 that made a more respectable 253 horsepower. The only available transmission was a four-speed automatic that was mounted at the rear of the car, and sent power to the rear wheels. Despite the large V6's surprisingly low horsepower rating, it actually made roughly the same horsepower as the Chrysler group's V8s of the same era. The Prowler's mostly aluminum construction meant the car was surprisingly light weight and translated to somewhat respectable performance numbers.
The Prowler was Plymouth's last rear-wheel drive vehicle. After the Plymouth brand was eliminated, the vehicle continued to sell as the Chrysler Prowler until the car's demise in 2002. Less than 12,000 units were sold during its five year production, making it a rare sight on the road today. Though the car worked well as a "halo" car for Plymouth, it was often criticized for its lack of V8 power, as most hot rods are expected to have, and its rough riding suspension. Along with the lack of cargo and passenger space, the Prowler could never amount to anything more than a weekend toy.
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Image courtesy of orangeprowler.com |
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