The Chrysler Corporation was once a juggernaut of the auto industry for decades. The company was responsible for bringing forth revolutions like the minivan, the Hemi V8, and even the iconic Plymouth Superbird. However, Chrysler has also had its fair share of disappointments and close calls with financial ruin. Out of the big three automakers, Chrysler is the smallest company, but that doesn’t mean it is any less significant.
Without Chrysler’s influence on the automotive industry, a lot of innovation would have never happened at all. Chrysler invested over a billion dollars to design and build the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 passenger cars. This failed investment in these two passenger cars is merely the most recent in a long line of failure by the company. We looked back at 25 times Chrysler made big mistakes that impacted the auto industry right here.
25: Plymouth Prowler
Here we have one of the most confusing Chrysler models of all time, the Prowler. The Prowler was among one of the most controversial production cars released in 1997. Before the Prowler, this extreme design had not been used on a brand that was not deemed exotic. This meant the average Plymouth buyer wasn’t sure what to make of the futuristic new hot rod (via Motor Trend).
Few cars have gone directly from concept cars to full-blown production models but the Prowler did. The design of the Prowler was about as forward-thinking as possible, but the implementation was lackluster. A lack of a V8 engine erased any thought of this car being a legit hot rod. That lack of performance coupled with the high price tag meant most consumers avoided the Prowler.