The Prowler Factory Hot Rod
– SLEEK AND RETRO STYLING
– A WILD MOPAR® VEHICLE FROM 1997 TO 2002
– SRT® HELLCAT HEMI® ENGINE WILL FIT WITH TREMEC 6-SPEED
The back story of the production of the Plymouth Prowler is that it was manufactured and marketed by Chrysler and DaimlerChrysler starting with the 1997 model year, and ran through the 2002 model year. A lot of the history with this unique vehicle really started with a young designer named Chip Foose.
HEMISFEAR
While in his senior year attending the Art College of Design in Pasadena, CA, Chip Foose had a graduation project that revolved around a Chrysler Corporation student competition, and the subject matter was to design the best new concept for a niche market vehicle.
“I looked at ’Cudas and Challengers, the cars that we all know and love,” remembers Chip. “I did a proposal at home, but I went all the way back to the ’30s.” Tom Gale was the president of design at Chrysler at the time. “We can go back and grab from forms that were fantastic in the past and evolve them into something new,” Chip reasoned with Gale. “Tom Gale just fell in love with it!”
“For me to say that I designed the Prowler would be a slap in the face to all the engineers,” Foose quickly says when asked about the origins of the Prowler. However, with that said, he did do the sketches and a scale model of his “idea car”. His idea car definitely has a look and style that really comes to life when parked next to a production Prowler. One change: ”I actually had a HEMI sitting in the back. I had done several drawings, including a coupe and convertible versions as well.”
Also known as the Foose Coupe, his creation did generate a good deal of attention at the time, including a full advertising campaign by Mothers Car Care Products. The car was a huge stepping stone for Chip Foose’s career as an automotive designer.
HEMISFEAR BY CHIP FOOSE
Sold at the 2023 Indy Mecum auto auction, this 2011 Foose Hemisfear hot rod netted a top winning bid of $313,500. This Chip Foose Design Hemisfear wears custom Demon Red paint with realistic flame detailing. Sunkist Orange interior upholstery and Foose-designed wheels crafted by Mike Curtis. Originally constructed by Metalcrafters in Orange County. It was refurbished in 2011 to Chip’s initial design characteristics.
Mounted mid-ship, the 485-horsepower 392-cid GEN III HEMI engine is mated to a modified ZF Transaxle, and Hotchkis Performance handled the front and rear suspension.
The body and underpinnings are CAD-developed, constructed around a hand-built steel perimeter chassis. The inner structure is done in DOM steel tubing, full autoclave carbon fiber body.
ORIGINAL CHRYSLER CONCEPT
While not exactly the finalized version, here’s a shot of the prototype that ended up in the showrooms. Side marker lights and side door handles were added, and revised front bumpers and different grille openings were among the changes done.
CHASSIS
Full-width frame is of traditional “old school” high-boy design and with modern braking, power-assisted rack and pinion steering front and rear, inbound coil-over shock absorber suspension. It’s retro albeit with state-of-the-art components.
READY TO POUNCE
Built by hand in Detroit, these cars were considered factory hot rods, with the only lacking ingredient being an available V8 powerplant. However, in today’s modern world, a Direct Connection GEN III HEMI engine upgrade along with Tremec T56 6-speed gear box will fit, even with factory air conditioning. A real “sinister” Prowler can be created by incorporating an SRT Hellcat crate engine! And besides the massive horsepower increases with conversion from V6 to V8, it’s got that traditional V8 exhaust tone. Pure hot rod heaven!
PRODUCTION CAR DIMENSIONS
When the specs for the production Prowler were finalized, it rolled on a 113-inch wheelbase, measuring 165 inches in overall length and an overall width of 76 inches.
One challenge early on was to develop exactly the right wheel and tire size to complement the car’s pointed, triangular wedge shape.
“Choosing the right proportion was critical because the car has a very light shape in front but a massive, heavy feel to its rear,” explained Kevin Verduyn, Design Manager. “We looked at almost two dozen wheel and tire profiles and eventually settled on 17-inch rims up front and 20-inch rims in the rear. This setup, which had to be specifically supplied to us, soon became known as ‘big and bigger.'”
The finalized car was debuted at the 1996 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which at the time confirmed one of Detroit’s worst kept secrets at the time, that Chrysler was serious about producing a retro-style roadster.
The Purple-only 1997 Plymouth Prowlers had an MSRP of $38,300.00.
A factory-authorized matching Prowler trailer was marketed through the dealer network and manufactured by Heartland RV. With a 615-pound weight, is was a way to haul things and maintain a sleek nostalgia style while doing it. Original cost was $5,000.00.
FRONT SUSPENSION
The front suspension is a multi-link design, a double wishbone layout with upper and lower control arms, set up similar to INDY and Formula cars incorporating a pushrod rocker.
PLUSH INTERIOR
Inside are all the creature comforts of a modern passenger car, while the outside is retro hot rod, very unique combination!
V6 POWER
The original powerplant for Prowlers was the 24-valve, 3.5L Chrysler SOHC V6 that produced 214 horsepower. Those early cars could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds with an electronically limited top speed listed at 118 mph.
For the 1999 model year, the engine was swapped out for a “High Output” 3.5L engine. It now could deliver 0-60 mph times of 5.9 seconds, and top speeds of 126 mph. With an aluminum block, this revised Prowler engine weighed 46 pounds less than the one it replaced.
In both cases, a rear-mounted 4-speed electronically controlled transaxle with Autostick system was incorporated.
PROWLER YELLOW COLOR OFFERED
When Autoweek magazine tested the new ’99 Plymouth Prowler, here’s how they described it: “The Plymouth Prowler remains probably the most looked at, and cheered production car on the American road today!”
SPECIAL EDITIONS
For the 2000 model year run, a Woodward Edition was produced and named after the legendary Michigan stretch of road called Woodward Avenue. This Woodward Edition Prowler sported a red and black two-tone paint treatment, with Dr. Ru-applied red pinstripe. Only 151 were produced.
The 2001 model year offered a Black Tie Edition, of which 161 were produced and with Black and Silver Metallic paint with a hand-applied Dr. Ru pinstripe.
2001 model year also provided the Mulholland Edition. Named after Southern California’s Mulholland Drive, only 1,281 units were produced with Midnight Blue Metallic paint and Dr. Ru pinstripe.
BIG MEDIA SPLASH
The Prowler had a huge impact on the automotive media during its production run, although it wasn’t a powerful hot rod, it was unique in several ways and gained its share of magazine exposure. Mission accomplished!
The So-Cal Speed Shop organization got their hands on one and further personalized it to their liking, a popular modification was to delete the factory front bumpers.
PROWLER JR.
Powered by a 3.5-horsepower Briggs 4-cycle single cylinder engine, Bird offered a miniature 81-inch long, 200-pound rear-engined “Mini-Wheels” replica of the Prowler, with optional 5-horsepower engine upgrade. Fitted with a fiberglass body and top speed of 35 mph, it was fun for the whole family!
FAIRFIELD MINT OFFERING
A 1:18 scale Plymouth Prowler could be had for under $40.00.
PRESS KIT ART
Here’s the cover of the original Plymouth Prowler Press Kit, which was artsy and described the details of the hot rod Mopar vehicle. In 2001, the Plymouth Division was eliminated, forcing the company to change the vehicle name to a Chrysler Prowler.
The side and rear view was often used as a lead image in advertising and promotional material.
WORDS BY ROBERT A. LUTZ
“Chrysler Corporation is very proud of its unique history of concept thesis work and innovative concept-to-production skills, from Viper through Minivan. Each has required a risk-embracing culture and has rewarded Chrysler with process and technological improvements for the way we develop, build and sell future products.
Plymouth Prowler is a tribute to the American hot rod culture and a rolling testbed of technology. Due to its limited volume and highly-focused nature, Prowler has taken a number of ‘reach out’ experiments in technology, process, marketing and unique supplier relationships, all of which are having tremendous positive applications.
Who else but Chrysler would produce a vehicle that pays homage to the rolling art of hot rods — something so uniquely American that they’ve become a part of our cultural fabric — yet is instilled with the confidence of the ’90s technology, reliability and fun-to-drive cool?”
Robert A. Lutz
President and COO
Chrysler Corporation
Total production of the Prowler was 11,702, with 8,532 produced under the Plymouth Brand and 3,170 produced under the Chrysler Brand. The very last Prowler rolled out of Detroit’s Conner Avenue Assembly Plant (CAAP) on February 15, 2002.
Check out the historic video of the pre-production prototype!
Author: James Maxwell
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