Al and Tina’s 1999 Plymouth “Prowler”
The Prowler you say? Whazzat? Well, you’ve probably seen ‘em. And if you cruised to the SaddleBrooke Memorial Day car show, you likely saw Al and Tina Kohl’s 1999 “Prowler Yellow” Plymouth Prowler. You know, the retro-hot rod style two seater with the open, Indy racer-style front wheels. A “production” hot rod – 5 years from Plymouth and (when Chrysler killed the Plymouth brand) 2 years from Chrysler.
The Prowler was based on a 1993 concept car. Chrysler (later DaimlerChrysler) took it into production and offered it from 1997 to 2002 and 11,702 were ultimately produced. It was inspired by designer, Thomas Gale’s love for 1930s-era hot rods and was to be a follow-up “show-stopper” to the Dodge (same company, different line) Viper.
It wasn’t intended to be a “super-rod,” churning out 350+ horsepower (or 600+ like its cousin, the raw performance, minimal comfort supercar, Dodge Viper). It was a “retro-rod” and readymade-you didn’t have to build your rod from the ground up like that “Little Deuce Coupe (a ’32 Ford),” or Mercury’s “Lead-Sleds” from the early 1950s. It featured a hand-crafted aluminum body (weight) with a 3.5 liter V6 engine. The light weight helped it to achieve 0 to 60 mph in just over 7 seconds. Al and Tina’s 1999 had an aluminum block and was rated at 253 hp. Nothing “super” about that! But it was “appointed” with an aim to modern comfort and performance. It was a 2-seater, the seats and interior were leather. It had keyless entry, power windows and door locks, dual airbags, A/C, cruise, and premium sound. So this ride could actually be a daily driver and not just a weekend (to the car show) warrior!!!!
But the last Plymouth Prowler was built in 2000 as the Plymouth brand was discontinued in 2001. Did I miss that? Probably. I was driving a Ford pickup by then. The last Prowler was built on February 15, 2002 (by Chrysler, not Plymouth) and the model “niche” was later filled by the Chrysler Crossfire in 2004.
So Plymouth died. Yep, almost exactly 25 YEARS AGO now. On June 28, 2001 a Neon LX (remember the Neon? Base price around $15K) rolled off the assembly line, got “parked” somewhere, and then resurfaced (a “barn” find of sorts) in 2021 and was sold at auction for $19,950!!!!! For a 20 year old Neon! Two-point-oh liter 4 cylinder engine cranking 132 hp. My 1965 VW van had that!!!! Well, not really.
Yeah, gone to history the Belvedere, the Savoy (mine, a 1959 six cylinder, 3-on-the-tree), the Fury (remember Stephen King’s “Christine?” “Supposedly” a 1958 Fury!!! Nuh-uh. ’58 Furys were too valuable to destroy in the film’s stunt scenes and were 2-door to boot! No, a mix of Belvederes and Savoys were “dressed up” to look exactly like the Fury. Hollywood!), the Valiant (16 years!), then the “muscle” years. The Barracuda (or ‘Cuda), Satellite, Road Runner (they paid Warner Bros. $50K to use the name. meep!meep!), Duster, and Superbird. All gone now, although just showing up at an auction with any of these, but especially the Superbird can bring $100K, if not $200-300K!!
Al & Tina’s Story
Oh yeah! Where were we? Tina and Al’s journey to “Prowler-ville.” Well, down at the softball field, flapping gums with Al while Tina was tearing it up out on the diamond, Al sez, “I’ve always been into cars. I worked in service stations and just have always been into cars, speed, dragging. My first, when I was 16, was a ’56 Vette (Generation 1). It had the 283 in it, so not a super muscle car (the Gen 1’s weren’t). But it was fiberglass, so very light. Then along came a ’62 Chev Super Sport with a 409 in it. It got “damaged,” so I bought it back from the insurance company and dropped the 409 in the next “victim,” a 1957 Chevy 210.” “So,” I say, “When was this?” “Oh,” said Al,” about 1970-71.” “Were you married then,” I ask. “No.” Well, ‘nuff said there. Well, apparently the 409 had two 4 barrel carburetors (remember carburetors, distributors, points?) on it, but Al swapped them to a buddy for “three deuces(3 two barrel carbs).” “You could drive around town on one of them,” said Al, “and then step on it and the other two would kick in!” “Yeah,” he says,“ I took it drag racing out at Sears Point (now Sonoma Raceway) in Sonoma (Californy). I’d blow out rear ends regularly and be back to the bank for more money. Someone finally told me to get another car.”
Nowadays it’s the “Prowler Yellow” 1999 Prowler with just 15,000 miles on it. One of 100 made in 1999 with the custom chrome grille. Al sez he went to the Barratt-Jackson auction in Scottsdale looking for a Prowler, bid on this one, and got it. Story was that it was in the seller’s LIVING ROOM! YEAH! But that guy’s “new girlfriend” said, “it’s gotta go.” So it did-go figure. Oh well, that guy’s loss - Al and Tina’s gain. Nowadays, Al and Tina tool it around the ‘hood and to car shows.
Next Up?
I don’t know. Maybe Bobby C’s seven “lifetime” Corvettes? Rob’s ‘65 Mustang Fastback? Vern’s Chevelle? Probably gonna depend on who buys the first pitcher. Meantime, keep cruisin’.
Trivia “Car Corner”
- OK, what 1967 movie set in fictional Sparta, Mississippi starred Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger?
- 2,3,4,5,6,& 7. What were the “featured” cars? HINT!!! This is a Plymouth/Mopar kinda story.
Questions
- Okay—I’m giving you that one. If you didn’t get In the Heat of the Night, you might as well go back to watching Gunsmoke.
- Officer Sam Wood’s police cruiser?
- The other police cruisers seen?
- Chief Gillespie’s (Steiger) cruiser?
- Colbert’s (the murder victim) ride?
- Virgil Tibbs’ (Poitier) (in the car loaned to him by Jess) and in which he was chased by Purdy & the boys?
- The car in which Purdy and his posse chased Tibbs?
