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The PT Cruiser Is Sputtering To An Unfortunate Finish

Mark Phelan indicates that the history of the beloved PT Cruiser is a good case history of why Chrysler is in the trouble it is: It has created unique, desirable new vehicles only to see them die on the vine for lack of cultivation.

PT Cruiser sold far beyond the automaker's expectations when it went on the market a decade ago during the SUV craze, becoming one of America's rare small car hits. Its quirky styling and useful interior also helped to establish Chrysler as a design leader. But instead of turning the car into an icon for the company, Phelan writes, executives "left it alone as a singular sensation that bore no relationship to any other Chrysler vehicle."

When production ends next week, Chrysler will have sold more than 1.3 million PT Cruisers but "with sales at just 5,452 this year, the PT Cruiser has finally run its race."

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