Article

2010-07-09 Economy

Death of PT Cruiser seen as a symbol of industry's problems

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Posted by Fred 2010-07-09 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 AFAIK it still is a popular vehicle, albeit I do believe its market suffers from too many copycat variants whom are also cheaper.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2010-07-09 00:55|| 2010-07-09 00:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Yeah, get one of these. They're much better!

Posted by gorb 2010-07-09 02:07|| 2010-07-09 02:07|| Front Page Top

#3 I'll stick with my '97 Saab 900s - the quirky but excellent pre-GM version. Black and in excellent shape; it still turns heads!

Posted by borgboy 2010-07-09 03:38|| 2010-07-09 03:38|| Front Page Top

#4 I have only a word for angry new slaves of FIAT Empire

Abarth, you will learn to be happy with it.

Posted by Black Bart Shick7973 2010-07-09 06:18|| 2010-07-09 06:18|| Front Page Top

#5 The last PT Cruiser will roll off the production line Friday in Toluca, Mexico.

Yep, buy American. I did. A Honda built in Ohio.

Posted by Procopius2k 2010-07-09 08:22|| 2010-07-09 08:22|| Front Page Top

#6 Can anybody here play this game?

$hit, this nation INVENTED the mass market automotive industry. Why are we killing it? What's happening to this country?

Posted by lex 2010-07-09 13:51|| 2010-07-09 13:51|| Front Page Top

#7 Ugly car. Or whatever it was.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2010-07-09 14:04|| 2010-07-09 14:04|| Front Page Top

#8 Yep had to cheapen the materials to offset labor costs for bennies resulting in a shoddy product by design.

Posted by regular joe 2010-07-09 14:57|| 2010-07-09 14:57|| Front Page Top

#9 Yep had to cheapen the materials to offset labor costs for bennies resulting in a shoddy product by design

Bingo. Have little choice but to go w plastic when you've got a built-in, $1,500+ cost disadvantage due to legacy health care costs.

Posted by lex 2010-07-09 16:12|| 2010-07-09 16:12|| Front Page Top

#10 Gorb, That car has to be uglier than a Pacer. It belongs on some movie set and not on the streets.

I almost bought a PT when they came out. It had an $8,000 dealer "availability add on". I promised the dealer I would never buy one. I liked the car, but not extortion. I walked.
But for some reason, and I dont think its just greed, companies seem to go down this road. They seem to think the consumer will continue to but no matter what. Then they are stunned when the consumer walks. Its not just the Auto industry, I've seen it in the aviation industry from aircraft sales to avionics. And I've watched them go under. Our corperate leaders need to learn that what is important to the consumer is ultimately important to business survival. Sort of a "Know your enemy" thought process. Until our business figure this out, wil will get to whitness more of these failings.

Posted by 49 Pan 2010-07-09 16:40|| 2010-07-09 16:40|| Front Page Top

#11 Ah yes, Gorb - the fabulous "cracker box on a skateboard"...

Posted by mojo 2010-07-09 17:36|| 2010-07-09 17:36|| Front Page Top

#12 I'm guessing the popularity numbers were boosted by sales to rental car fleets.

Posted by eLarson 2010-07-09 18:08|| 2010-07-09 18:08|| Front Page Top

#13 ...when I was shopping around for a good recycled car, I saw an ad for a PT Cruiser at a local dealership. Listed rather new and low mileage. Ran the car fax on it. They listed the previous location as Metairie, LA. It was a Katrina child from some rental agency.

Posted by Procopius2k 2010-07-09 18:47|| 2010-07-09 18:47|| Front Page Top

#14 Have a ..... phishy smell as well P2k?

Posted by Besoeker 2010-07-09 18:51|| 2010-07-09 18:51|| Front Page Top

#15 I got a Chevy HHR (their version of the PT) business trip rental one time - POS. Got caught in a downpour in Rocklin, CA and thought I was gonna die

Posted by Frank G 2010-07-09 18:56|| 2010-07-09 18:56|| Front Page Top

#16 I rented a PT a few years ago, so I don't know about the initial production run, but the 2006 model was an exemplar of cheapness. It was a rolling exhibit of how to cut costs in every facet of an automobile.

At least Ford still makes trucks I can drive, but we'll see how bad the current administration can "regulate" those.

Posted by Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2010-07-09 23:11|| 2010-07-09 23:11|| Front Page Top

23:38 Frank G
23:11 Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division
22:57 gorb
22:51 gorb
22:50 gorb
22:36 trailing wife
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22:31 TZSenator
22:30 Ford Maude Elle
22:26 Jack Fleng9978
22:22 JosephMendiola
22:17 bigjim-CA
22:11 JosephMendiola
22:00 Atomic Conspiracy
21:59 JosephMendiola
21:54 JosephMendiola
21:51 trailing wife
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21:37 gorb
21:35 Mike N.
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