The only thing holding back the classic Plymouth Prowler from being the perfect long-distance touring car is its decided lack of storage space. That’s something today’s Nice Price or No Dice ’99 addresses with the addition of a trailer. Let’s see if the price makes it a leading contender.
Last year, Porsche sold more than 56,000 vehicles in the U.S., with the Taycan electric making up nearly 10 percent of the total. That’s more Taycans sold than the Panamera or the significantly cheaper 718 Boxster and Cayman combo. The Taycan’s success after falling into a first new-owner’s hands is debatable, however, as, like many expensive electrics, the model has shown sizable depreciation over its short model run.
That was the case with the 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S we looked at on Friday. Its $64,000 asking price is about half what a new car would cost, and its extremely low mileage implied that it wouldn’t be far off that new car in performance and range. Those factors were not lost on most of you, resulting in a 58 percent Nice Price win for the Taycan.
The Taycan is only the second four-door saloon Porsche has offered, following the Panamera. It’s interesting to see automakers flex into new categories since they often shun traditional guardrails, resulting in unexpected and delightful products.
Today’s 1999 Plymouth Prowler is a model that, it could be argued, was a totally off-the-wall product for bargain-brand Plymouth and one that cemented its place in the pantheon of cool cars and trucks. Oh, and this one comes with a matching trailer to haul around any other cool stuff one might have.
A car’s coolness is always enhanced by a model-branded hue, and this car’s Prowler Red paint proves that point. The fact that the rest of the colors offered this year were also denoted as “Prowler” colors — Prowler Black, Prowler Yellow, and Prowler Silver Metallic — does not diminish this fact.
On top of that still-shiny paint is a subtle Von Dutch-style pinstripe, culminating in a tramp stamp on both the car and the trailer. Each also rolls on matching factory alloys that have been chrome-plated and show no wear or damage. Up front, the silly-looking but Federally required front bumpers have been removed, and their mounts covered over with body-colored caps. The car is all the better for that change. The top, which, when retracted, sits in a well partnered with a boot the size of a manila folder, appears to be intact and without issue.
One of the big complaints leveled at the Prowler when it was new and harped on ever since is for its drivetrain. Many felt that the 3.5-liter SOHC V6 wasn’t powerful enough and lacked a pushrod V8’s sound and torque. Space limitations and the fact that the Prowler was a technological test bed demanded the more modern and efficient V6.
That’s not to say that Chrysler didn’t heed such concerns during the Prowler’s model run, as the engine was updated for the ’99 model year with an all-aluminum edition. That bumped the horsepower from 217 to 253, giving the Prowler a bit more shove. Transmission duties during the car’s entire run were handled by a 42LE four-speed automatic mounted at the rear, and driving the independently sprung rear wheels through a transaxle. That could be manually shifted, a provision intended for people who also think golf is a sport.
According to the seller, this Prowler has done 32,750 miles over the course of its life. It also has had three owners during that time, but there’s some convolution to that number, as is explained in the ad:
This is a 2 owner car with clean car fax with no accidents, car fax shows 5 owners but first owner registered it 3 times in different locations the last owner registered it in 2 states,thus 2 owners.
Yeah, that makes my head hurt a little bit too. In fact, the whole ad is a little funky as it’s written with little to no punctuation and as though the car is being presented by a private seller despite being offered by what’s obviously a dealer or consignment shop.
Regardless, what can be gleaned from the description is that the car has no major issues and comes with the trailer, bras for both car and trailer (ha, ha, a trailering bra), and an aftermarket engine dress-up kit. The dealer seems pretty flexible, offering to sell the car without the trailer and with the pinstriping deleted. I like both features, so we’ll have to decide on the car’s value with those included and at the seller’s as-equipped $35,000 price.
What’s your take on this Prowler at that price? Do the extras seal the deal? Or is that trailer just too much extra baggage?
You decide!
Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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