ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608290046
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DETROIT
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Car enthusiasts eager to cruise down Main Street in Detroit's first production hot rod, the 1997 Plymouth Prowler, had best prepare to save their money and put their desire in neutral for a while.
Chrysler Corp. said Wednesday it will offer only 2,500 of the purple roadsters for sale in the United States and 250 in Canada next year. Fewer than 40 percent of U.S. Chrysler-Plymouth dealerships will get one.
With so few of the unusual cars available and initial demand expected to be high, dealers can be expected to add hefty markups to the Prowler's anticipated sticker price of around $35,000.
No dealer will get more than five of the cars. And most dealers probably will buy one themselves to keep on display to lure customers into the showroom, spokesman Jan Zverina said.
That is one of the primary reasons Chrysler decided to produce the outrageously retro-styled, two-seat convertible that harkens back to the days of drive-ins and sock hops. It is expected to draw attention and add some luster to Plymouth's stodgy image.
``It's clearly intended to help the renaissance of the whole Plymouth brand,'' Chrysler Chairman Robert Eaton said in a recent interview. ``We want it to do for Plymouth what the Viper did for Dodge.''
The Viper is a high-speed, limited production roadster that Dodge began selling in 1992 amid a lot of publicity and interest among car enthusiasts. It began offering a coupe version this year.
Chrysler plans to produce 3,000 Prowlers next year, but about 250 will be retained for promotional purposes, including shopping mall displays and car shows. The car will begin arriving in about 1,100 U.S. showrooms next spring.
U.S. dealers will be allocated Prowlers based on their 1996 sales, investment in meeting the company's training and service-improvement goals, and customer satisfaction ratings. Dealers in urban areas, where the car can be exposed to more potential customers, are more likely to get the cars than small-town franchises. A separate allocation plan is being developed for Canada.
``The key is to get the Prowler to good dealers in key markets,'' Zverina said. ``The car's really being used as a calling card.''
The company already has begun using the Prowler as a ``tease'' in television ads promoting the entire Plymouth lineup.
In one, the viewer hears a radio being tuned to different stations, with a different Plymouth appearing on the screen to match each station's music. The last station plays a '50s rock 'n' roll tune as the Prowler flashes across the screen.
Chrysler plans to produce 4,700 to 5,000 Prowlers a year after 1997. By comparison, Dodge sold 1,227 Vipers and 264,937 Caravan minivans last year.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP The 1997 Prowler is expected to do for Plymouth whatby CNBthe Viper did for Dodge. color