May 17: Dare to be different?

Dare to be different? Take a chance? Why not, after all it will only cost your company a few hundred million bucks. Go for it! Easy to say, hard to do, but some companies actually took the leap. Take for example that PT Cruiser concept in bright metallic orange, it hit the auto show circuit and got great interest. This unlikely late 1930's gangster type car knockoff, evolved into the PT Cruiser. Love it or hate it, Chrysler sold a ton of them over the several years that it was produced. Took a chance and it worked.

Chevrolet was really late to the nostalgia party with their HHR (heritage high roof  -  go figure).......

This was an almost exact knock off of an early '50's Chevy Suburban done in 2/3 size. Using a nothing special Cobalt chassis and drive train, it was quite forgetable in everything but its looks. I loved it, short comings and all. My wife has had two of them and it has been become our "golf cart", since my last two cars have been short of space for two sets of clubs and two carts.

Dare to be different? What happens when a company really steps out on a limb and pulls a very unlikely car out of their corporate hat? Could you ever imagine anyone ever producing this wild ride........

The Plymouth Prowler. Who would have thought a ride like this would emerge from the home of the Grand Caravan and the K car? But they did make it and they made it almost exactly like the auto show concept. A very ballsy move. Looked great like a real hot rod and drove like it had no suspension, but who cared. One big problem however  -  it had a V6 motor. If you are going to do it, do it right, put in the Hemi. That 6 cylinder motor kind of doomed it from the start. But hey, it was still an awfully bold move.

Chevy once again was late to this wave of nostalgia, but they "almost" did it up right.......

Dare to be different! What a great looking ride complete with a retractable hardtop. Apparently the detail work on the SSR was incredible. What could possibly be wrong with this beauty? How about a price tag of $70k  -  now that's breath taking. Same price as a Corvette with way less power, but that price. Only 300 HP and no manual trans on a hot rod! Well that sealed the SSR's fate. Granted Chevy did drop the price by $20k over the following couple of years (good way to make your original buyers feel good), while adding a stick and giving it a 395 HP engine. Making things right a couple of years later seldom makes a success story, so this wild ride quietly went the way of the Prowler. Both are now guaranteed collectors' pieces.

Unlikely cars from conservative companies. Millions and millions spent and in a couple of cases money was made. You can guess which ones. Missed opportunities to be sure, but still give them a round of applause for at least trying.

Dared to be different!

Until next time......