2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser Faux-Woodie

The Chrysler PT Cruiser will go down in history as one of the worst cool cars ever. The model was introduced in 2001 and my aunt ordered one of the first ones ever built. The car was an obsession she had PT Cruiser t-shirts, key chains and even got me a remote-controlled PT Cruiser for Christmas that year. The car was an instant success, dealers could not keep them in stock. The aftermarket for them exploded and custom car shops had brand-new cruisers rolling in everyday to receive a unique look that their owners desired. Chrysler however did very little to maintain the car and as the years went on used cheaper and cheaper parts and materials for them. The cars handled very poorly in stock trim and did not age well. It did not take long for my aunt's 01' to be devoured by Michigan road cancer. I have always thought that aside from the issues that they would still be a really fun car to have. A friend of mine owns a pristine example of one in powder blue. She offered to let me take it for a drive one day. I did and I hated everything about it.Everything inside is made of brittle plastic. The cockpit is cramped beyond all belief and the blind spots are enormous for such a small car. The gauges sit at an angle to the driver's seat that makes them almost unreadable. But on to the car posted. The Woodie package was available in 2002 and 2003 only and added as you can see imitation wood grain paneling down the sides of the car. The standard engine was a 2.4L four-banger with a four-speed automatic transmission. (A 5-speed manual was optional) The car was a cruiser and nothing else. Built for the enjoyment of the people watching it drive by not the person actually doing the driving.