PT Cruiser Recaro

Photo: DaimlerChrysler

Auburn Hills, Mich. - There's a new description for the unique, segment-busting 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser -- Motor Trend Magazine's Car of theYear.

"We always said the Chrysler PT Cruiser was 'too cool to categorize,'" said Richard Schaum, Executive Vice President - Product Development & Quality and General Manager - Passenger Car Operations. "But apparently Motor Trend disagrees, because they've decided to call it the best new car for 2001. The award-winning, segment-busting tradition we started with the minivan lives on in the PT Cruiser and there's more to come."

Motor Trend tested 21 vehicles in this year's competition ranging from entry-level models to sports cars and upscale minivans. The editors noted the Chrysler PT Cruiser was a stand-out in factors such as design, daily livability, value, special features and, of course, the "fun" quotient.

"In my 20 years as an automotive editor, I've learned that rarely does a car with so much pre-release publicity actually live up to the hype," said Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief C. Van Tune. "Well, guess what? This one exceeds it. The Chrysler PT Cruiser not only looks great, it is great. And at a phenomenal price, to boot. It was the hands-down winner of our 2001 Car of the Year award."

"The widespread emotional response to the Chrysler PT Cruiser has been a lightning rod to the Chrysler brand," said Tom Marinelli, Vice President - Chrysler/Jeep® Global Brand Center. "Our research over the past decade shows that consumers are increasingly viewing Chrysler as an upscale, cutting-edge brand. The PT Cruiser is significantly reinforcing that image for the brand and creating unprecedented product demand."

To support the unprecedented demand for the PT Cruiser, a second production site goes on-line next summer. Progress is well underway in Graz, Austria to start building an additional 50,000 vehicles which will bring annual capacity to approximately 230,000.

Industry-leading design, plus an ability to invent and reinvent product segments, placed several other Chrysler Group products in contention for the Motor Trend award, including: Chrysler Sebring LXi sedan, Chrysler Sebring Convertible, Chrysler Voyager and Chrysler Town & Country minivans and Dodge Stratus R/T coupe. Recent Chrysler Group vehicles preceding the PT Cruiser in winning the Motor Trend honor are the 1999 Chrysler 300M, 1996 Dodge Caravan and 1995 Chrysler Cirrus.

(November 22, 2000)