Its a “Woodie”I saw this on my way home from an appointment the other day. The foreman on the construction site across the street said that it belonged to one of his guys and told me that it was a 2009.
Automatic transmission, leather seats. Looked to be in good condition inside and out. There was too much glare to get a good picture of the interior.
I saw one this weekend too – purple no less. These were once everywhere and now are pretty rare in the boston area
I do not believe this is a 2009 PT Cruiser.
As an owner of a gen-1 2002 and COAL documented PT Cruiser, this PT-Woodie is a pre-facelifted Gen-1 model. Gen-2s started with the 2006 model year.
The only way this is a 2009 is if the complete front clip of a Gen-1 car was used on a Gen-2 body.
While I always thought my PT was better built and finished than expected inside and out, the gen 2 models were rumored to be de-contented by Daimler.
I cannot confirm this rumor as I have no experience with the updated models.
The taillights differ too, early cars like this one had the amber section, 2006 and newer cars had a partially clear lens with an orange bulb.
I don’t know the PT Cruiser that well. It’s been at least a decade since I’d seen one and I’d never seen a “Woodie” before. I drove one as a rental car back in 2005. The admin at the job I was working at the time had a purple PT Cruiser.
Always loved full-sized cars but also liked throw back to classics! Recall VW mini Rolls conversion. Always thought PT Cruiser was perfect for similar conversion with revised hood, ROLLS-ROYCE style grille, and simulated Continental applied to rear end! 😉 😜
Oh for the days when Chrysler used to stumble on one hit product after another. As others noted above, I have not run across a PT in quite awhile. I guess they are becoming genuine CC material – although I am having trouble with that concept.
” … they are becoming genuine CC material – although I am having trouble with that concept.”
You and me both.
I clearly recall, like it was just last month, when my 13 year old son William and I picked up our brand new, 5 speed, Taupe Frost Metallic PT Cruiser on a brutally hot summer day in New Jersey.
Now, as you say, PT Cruisers are curbside classics.
William got married a few weeks ago, so … tempus fugit?
They all migrated to Phoenix.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/junkyard/junkyard-outtakes-chrysler-pt-cruisers-the-pt-apparently-stands-for-phoenix-terminus/
Never was a fan of the “PT Woodie”. Still see them rolling form time to time. One, a black one, I see several times a year..
For my everyday vehicles I’ve always preferred Toyota or MoPaR cars & trucks over GM or Ford. I’ve had positive experiences with all of them, from a Camry to a Ram 2500. So when an ex-girlfriend and I took Amtrak down south about 15 years ago, we rented a car for 2 weeks from a budget car rental company [that’s budget with a lower case b, not Budget Car Rental], and I told the rental agency I preferred Chrysler products.
On arrival we were presented a PT Cruiser with about 40,000 miles showing on the odo. I did a walk-around and under hood check, finding the rear brake fluid reservoir was almost empty. So the agent came back with a can of DOT3 and filled it up.
About a day later I noticed the brakes were not as firm as before, and I noted the fluid level was low again. Looking under the rear of the car I saw the right rear tire was wet with brake fluid. So I called the agency and told them to bring me another car. The guy said I needed to bring the car back as they didn’t deliver. I let him know that it was likely [due to faulty brakes] I would have a bad wreck as I drove back to return the car, and that would be very bad for all concerned [Hint, hint!].
Took them about an hour to bring me another PT Cruiser, This one had about 50,000 miles showing. The second car drove as if it had well over 150,000 miles. Everything just seemed to be worn out. Wandering steering, the rear hatch rattled and was difficult to open & close, right rear power window didn’t work. Turn signal lever had to be held in place to work, and many more minor problems, way to numerous to mention here.
So when one of the ex-girlfriend’s parents passed away in New Hampshire a couple of years later, we were offered a 1-owner, garaged, PT Cruiser, for free. Without even seeing the car, we both said NOPE! Not worth the trip.
Back in early 2006 I was looking for a newer car. I looked at a Chrysler Sebring sedan. It had about 38k miles on it if I remember correctly. For a 3 year old car it was okay. The same dealer had a stratus sedan on another lot. In a color I liked better. But a year older with 10k more miles on it.
The difference of 10k miles on what was essentially the same car was mind blowing. I walked away so fast.
I would do the same and run from any Chrysler product. I know it’s been almost 20 years but I can’t shake the idea they haven’t gotten any better.
Ive seen one woodie PT Cruiser in blue but long ago and Ive only seen two Cruisers in recent times one on the street the other a lawn ornament, its gone now scrap prices surged and many mushroom class cars vanished.
These things were so popular when they were new, now they seem to have all disappeared. I thought that they were a cute retro design. Besides the woodies, there was a group of hard core Low Rider fans who dressed them up with vintage looking accessories like windshield visors, fender skirts, wide white wall tires, and other doodads to make them look like a miniature ’48 Chevy. I thought that was a good idea, a vintage looking car that was modern and reliable and got acceptable gas mileage. I rented one once. I thought the interior design was nice, but I was disappointed that the fuel economy was lower that I expected. It was lower than the Old Alero that I had rented earlier.
I’ve only seen a couple of the woodie versions. I think the factory version is a very nice job, a worthy successor to the classic fake wood Country Squires – which also look good in white. To me the PT was very well styled, although the googly facelift head and tail lights were a mistake (although the grille bars that started showing up were not).
I thought about getting a used one partly for the practicality a while back, but the inexplicably mediocre fuel economy put me off.
Here just north of the SF Bay Srea, where cars don’t rust unless they live close to the ocean, PT Cruisers are still a common sight. With advancing age, most are Gen 2 (2006-2010) but there are still plenty of Gen 1. Woodies were always less common and factory Flame cars even rarer. Chrysler stopped making them both in 2004.
I do occasionally still see Woodies but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Flame.
I like how these looked, I’ve ridden in the back seat of my buddy’s bought new one many times, it was nice .
He still owns it, when the tranny failed (? ‘ultramatic ‘?) it took him a few years to gather the $ to have it fixed, last thing I knew he’s still driving and loving it, has driven it to Alaska and across America several times .
I only ever saw the 1940’s dressed ones a few times, I too thought them lovely but at the time my daily driver Shop Truck was a ’49 Chevy 32100 with 6 banger….
LKQ seemed to have some sort of pull for these as 30 in one bunch wasn’t unusual for a while .
-Nate
Speaking for all the PT Cruisers, but the Woodie in particular, I liked them. Now I haven’t owned, driven or even been in one, but visually they were a nice distraction from the generic economy car. At least once the word got out and it quickly did that it was just a basic economy car with a different shape. Now I don’t know if they were good cars or not, lasted, drove well, that sort of thing, but better to look at than the standard Sentra/Corolla/Civic/??? And to my eyes much better than the competing Chevy HHR.
Actually I was initially disappointed, but once I figured out it was not supposed to be any sort of sporting or performance car, just basic transportation with an interesting shape, I liked them.