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  Has the Prowler reached the point of market saturation? (Page 1)

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Author Topic:   Has the Prowler reached the point of market saturation?
Leon Pearson
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posted 06-08-2001 11:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Leon Pearson     send a private message to Leon Pearson   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by Leon Pearson
Has the auto market place reached the point of saturation with the Prowler? I know DC plants wants to continue the Prowler until 2003, but perhaps now is the time to kill the cat. The seemingly low prices, large volume of used cats and disinterest (by some) with the new color selections may be leading indicators. Will more cars in more colors really add anything to the Prowler mystique?
cwatsonjr
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posted 06-09-2001 12:32 AM           send a private message to Leon Pearson   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by cwatsonjr
NO - I don't believe it has reached saturation. All it would take is for DC to make a commercial and run it for a week and all those cats in the dealerships would be gone.

ESPECIALLY if the public found out that the majority of the dealerships are not gouging anymore. That would really generate more interest in the car.

JMO

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Cliff Watson

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posted 06-09-2001 12:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for tangled up in BLUE     send a private message to tangled up in BLUE   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by tangled up in BLUE
Personally, I feel the day of the Kat is over....many potential buyers were somewhat disappointed over the huge dealer markups in the beginning(and still)....many still think they are a $75K car and there is no way they could ever afford one...I also feel lack of color selection and really hot colors has also greatly hurt the image of the car...a recent poll on the board revealed most owners are in their late 40's to early 50's....all of us are children of the 60's...we wanted BRIGHT COLORS...not reruns of silvers and oranges...even the gold(pretty or not) is not what most people think of when the talk about colors they want, I have yet to ever hear a person beg for a gold car.....was at a dealer today looking at a new JEEP and the salesman told me they "were instructed by the people from Chrysler" to move their Kat ASAP....AT INVOICE, because the market is getting very cold very quick...there are quite a few Kats on showroom floors around central indiana, and NO BUYERS...I don't think the novelty has worn off, many people just are not aware the cars can really be purchased easily these days...I drove my orange Kat 250 miles today thru small towns, 2 lane hi-ways and interstates...hardly a car or person I encountered all day didn't stare, yell etc...I really don't think the new T-Bird is stealing the business...I have heard of no one locally talking about getting one...seems to be very little excitement about any new toy at this point in time...I am sure the stock market has also had an effect on the Prowler market to some extent...I know I enjoy spending the day driving mine as well as any car I have ever owned...

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X-Black 99
X-Silver Bullet
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X-Y2K YELO X 4

ALLEY CAT





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posted 06-09-2001 01:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ALLEY CAT     send a private message to ALLEY CAT   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by ALLEY CAT
I'm not so sure of the above info.

Tonight at a local show, I had two different people ask about availibilty and prices. I said there were plenty of new ones out there to buy at mid 40's. They showed real interest, and surprised about price. Told them to research midwest and eastern dealers. Yes Lance, mentioned your name. I think DC has researched the saturation point detail well, and know what they are doing. JMO

ed monahan





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posted 06-09-2001 04:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ed monahan     send a private message to ed monahan   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by ed monahan
This has been mentioned numerous times in the past year. Everyone thinks they are really expensive and there is a waiting list.
Yesterday in the gas station the guy at the next pump gave the usual comment, "That is the first one I have ever seen in person, how long did you have to wait to get it?"
Most people think they are $70,000 and up with a 2 or 3 year wait. I disagree about the colors. I haven't seen an ugly Prowler yet (lots of ugly drivers, though, excluding Steve Marcus). I think the Mulhollands are right up there with the best (Red) and they are not selling really well, supposedly.
Go look at the Facts and Stats and compare monthly sales. It doesn't seem that the market has died. The bigger sales months for convertibles is just peaking and the weather locally has been horrible.

This message has been edited by ed monahan on 06-09-2001 at 08:16 AM

Dave Mills





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posted 06-09-2001 06:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Dave Mills     send a private message to Dave Mills   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by Dave Mills
The poor color selection has got to be a major factor. No marketing and the price markups also has to hurt sales. This car was meant for a limited market, but it has been helped down the road to extinction by the poor tactics used by D/C to promote the car. If the car isn't selling, There is no one to blame but D/C

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Dave

Steve Marcus
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posted 06-09-2001 07:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Steve Marcus     send a private message to Steve Marcus   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by Steve Marcus
What do you mean ugly drivers? I get very good looking when I drive my cat.

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ed monahan





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posted 06-09-2001 08:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ed monahan     send a private message to ed monahan   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by ed monahan
Steve, you should read my posts more carefully, in the future. lol
Lance.d
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posted 06-09-2001 09:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lance.d     send a private message to Lance.d   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by Lance.d
thanks Larry. BTW I will share in the wealth with you.

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Lance Delk
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800 722 7686

PROWLER-KEITH

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posted 06-09-2001 11:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for PROWLER-KEITH     send a private message to PROWLER-KEITH   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by PROWLER-KEITH
I couldn't agree with you more on the poor marketing of these cars and the dealers jacking the prices up. Steve hit the nail on the head we all get even better looking behind the wheel ahaha, I had a contract for msrp price on my car and the dealer still jacked the price up 10k and said take me to court if you want if you want it here's the price, neadless to say i paid it but told DC about that dealer
Todd Cameron
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posted 06-09-2001 11:57 AM           send a private message to PROWLER-KEITH   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by Todd Cameron
Ouch Keith! My sales experience tells me color is everything. Most of the Prowler's colors are totally lacking in "buy me now". Poor choices of color's will leave vehicles on the floor. Trust me on this. I cannot begin to tell you how many dozens of a hot color Harley type I have sold while and undesirable color sits there for months or years without a looker at all, over and over and over again.

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2000 Black, 2001 Black Tie, 2001 Orange

STARFLAME
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posted 06-09-2001 12:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for STARFLAME     send a private message to STARFLAME   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by STARFLAME
I want to acknowledge to DC THANK YOU for building the
PROWLER,but after she was built the communication broke
down between Supplier&Consumer. Why did DC not LISTEN
to The PROWLER Owner??? On a FEW issues they did hear
US,then there were a LOT MORE SUGGESTIONS that NEVER
did MAKE it to DC. Then there were the DEALERS to
CONTEND with,INSTEAD of thinking about CUSTOMERS,They
LOST them by BEING GREEDY. They could have SOLD so MANY
MORE,if they had been THINKING more about the CUSTOMER.I
FEEL the VISION was LOST,THE PROWLER could be a WHOLE
LOT MORE if WE could have WORKED together as a TEAM
and JUST LISTENED to EACH other.
STARFLAME
BKG
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posted 06-09-2001 04:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BKG     send a private message to BKG   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by BKG
I agree about the people that choose which color to put out next. I don't understand why some people rave about eh Blue that they used for the Mulholland , it is so dull, looks like any other dark blue color out there. Even the Red is too orangey!. I think that what attracts people to a car like this has to be the unusual color that it may come in. Not Gold or Silver or Black , but something like the original Purple and the the Yellow. Something like the Candy Apple Red people are asking for or a real bright Mettalic Blue that theyshould have used on the Mulholland!
GPS John

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posted 06-09-2001 07:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for GPS John     send a private message to GPS John   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by GPS John
BKG:
Not Gold or Silver or Black

Say it ain't sooo ...
BLACK is the BEST!!!

I'll reserve opinion on the Gold until I see it in person. It looks impressive, but as for long term, I don't think I would be able to look at it for too long or own one longterm. JMO

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cwatsonjr
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posted 06-10-2001 12:25 AM           send a private message to GPS John   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by cwatsonjr
Check your egos at the door and I apologize ahead of time if I offend anyone. Here goes - if you are easy to offend stop now. This will be long too!

STOP YOUR WHINING.

You know, when I first saw this car in 1993 I told myself that I would have one, "one day." Thank goodness that day came before they ended production. I did not test drive it first. I sat in one only once - in 1997 when nobody was looking on a dealership sales floor.

People think I am crazy for buying a car I have never driven. People think I am crazy for buying a car without seeing it first (I got it from Idaho and I live in California and bought it sight unseen). These same people are envious that I have one sitting in the parking lot at work (when I take it). These same people look at the pictures on my wall behind my desk and repeatedly say "what a beautiful car." These same people rely on other people to do their thinking for them instead of doing their own research and answering their own questions.

This car is not for everyone. This car is not a "grocery getter." THANK GOODNESS this car is not for "rich people with multi-car garages." This car is not a Saab, Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac or even a VW - so QUIT comparing it to them. This is a one of a kind car that has been built with its heritage from the old days when a car was put together by hand and had shape. QUIT COMPARING IT TO THESE EGG SHAPED CARS OF TODAY. - OH and yes - this is not a family car or SUV that rides on air. THIS CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE ABS BRAKES IN IT (and neither should the Viper).

This car IS for having fun. It can be a daily driver. It can be used for anything you want to use it for - if you are willing to adapt it as such (heck I am sure someone will make a dune buggy out of one someday). If you want to be noticed then this is the car to have. If you want to have a smile on your face that you cannot wipe off - THIS IS THE CAR TO HAVE!

I DON'T AND NEVER HAVE OR WILL PUT STOCK IN CAR MAGAZINE REVIEWS. These are the same reviewers that told me that in '98 the Durango was the worst SUV ever built. I am sorry - but I test drove every single one out there and it had the best leg room, best power, and best look. It did not have the best gas mileage but it was very comparable to every other SUV with 8 cylinders. THESE SAME REVIEWERS WERE COMPARING IT TO 4 CYLINDER CARS THAT RIDE LIKE CADILLACS - not trucks or other SUVs that are meant to be taken off-road. THESE REVIEWERS DO NOT GIVE HONEST OPINIONS ABOUT CARS - nobody does. A car is like a computer - everyone likes a certain brand for their own reasons and hates everything else. They will ignore the good about other products and only focus on what they like. I HAVE ALMOST 70k MILES ON OUR '98 DURANGO and I have only had 2-3 minor problems with it. Most recently had to have the lower ball joints in the front replaced because of the HARD off-roading we have done in it. It has only been towed once and only because I REFUSED to buy a Costco battery to replace the stock battery when it died while I was shopping there. THESE REVIEWERS WERE WRONG THEN AND THEY ARE WRONG NOW! Good thing I didn't go with their reviews and buy an Explorer and have the tires shred on me.

COLOR????? - What in the world is a "hot rod color"???? You look at cars of the '50s and '60s and see some pretty awful colors as well as some sharp ones. Thank goodness there are people with imagination enough to try new things! Who would have driven a purple hot rod in the '50s? (and no I don't like the new gold but there are those that will and do). For those complaining about the blue being dull - have you seen the Mulholland in sunlight? The reflection is not exactly a dark dull blue. It hints of a purplish hue.

Price Paid For Prowlers - Do you think people would have paid more than sticker if they had a choice? I personally have been hung up on by salesmen when trying to talk them down on prowlers. YES - the prices are coming down now BUT HOW MANY CARS DO YOU KNOW OF THAT CAN SELL THIS WELL WITHOUT ANY AND I MEAN NONE WHATSOEVER MARKETING?. Sure the sales are slowing down - so is the economy. People don't know the car is EVEN AVAILABLE! The last time someone saw it on a dealership floor they were asking 20-30K or more over sticker - most people can't afford or won't pay that kind of markup. (I am one of those that can't afford it). For some the price doesn't matter! GOOD FOR THEM - DON'T DERIDE THEM BECAUSE OF THAT.

I have been sitting here for the last couple of days watching these posts hit the board and have tried to check my replies but you know what? IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CAR THEN LEAVE THE DAMN THING ALONE! Opinions are good but when you drag the dead horse down the roadway - it gets OLD. This car is and will always be for only a certain group of people - EITHER YOU GET IT OR YOU DON'T! They didn't mean it in a physical sense - it is a mental sense.

The most important thing is to enjoy life, enjoy your family, enjoy your friends and let them enjoy your friendship, and enjoy your car if you are lucky enough to have one you do enjoy. PROWL ON!

Sorry for my rant - I am off my soapbox now. AND YES - THIS JUST MY OPINION!

(This has been edited to BLUE because JohnS likes it SO much!)

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Cliff Watson

This message has been edited by cwatsonjr on 06-12-2001 at 01:04 AM

CJ





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posted 06-10-2001 09:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for CJ     send a private message to CJ   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by CJ
Gee, Cliff.........you didn't leave anything left for me to say.............so..........

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CJ - 1999 Black
Matching Prowler Trailer
Stock / Classic / Beautiful

ed monahan





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posted 06-10-2001 09:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ed monahan     send a private message to ed monahan   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by ed monahan
Cliff, I bought mine out of state also, sight unseen. I did not even know they were making red until I saw a picture on the internet. I drove it home 3 days after seeing the picture, not of my car, but another red. I agree with you also about Blue being a great color. Everyone is different with different tastes. I haven't seen an ugly Prowler yet and I am really happy to own one, although it is impractical for a lot of things. I didn't buy it for practicallity. One guy said "you could have gotten a Cadillac for $45,000". I just looked at him, dumbfounded. I could have bought a street rod if I wanted to work on the car all the time and try to guess what type of car that particular part came off of. I will never sell my Prowler. I might buy another one but I will never sell this one. It's a free country, if you don't like the car, sell it, don't buy it, ignore it. I could care less about EVERYONE else's opinion. I like the car, I like the color and I got my money's worth out of it already.
deelmakur
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posted 06-10-2001 10:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for deelmakur     send a private message to deelmakur   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by deelmakur
I never get over the fact that 3 years later, jaws still drop when these babies drive by. By its very nature, this is a car that will only be bought by a limited number of people. It really needs to be an extra set of wheels. The civilians still want things like a trunk. I travel all over the country, and what strikes me is the number of Kats in dealer showrooms. They are starting to stack up, and that should be a message for DC. Forgetting those many Moron dealers who never missed an opportunity to try and gouge (and hurt the brand), as people trim their overheads of discretionary purchases, the Prowler becomes a prime candidate. My favorite dealer marketing concept is the guy in Seattle who can't sell his Mulholland for $70k, so he's hawking a $31k "prepaid lease". They ought to study this whole exercise at Harvard.
ALLEY CAT





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posted 06-10-2001 11:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ALLEY CAT     send a private message to ALLEY CAT   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by ALLEY CAT
Cliff, Ed, and Deelmakur - I can't add to your comments, you guys said it all! Good job.............
Alex11
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posted 06-11-2001 03:10 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Alex11     send a private message to Alex11   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by Alex11
Cliff, tell us how you REALLY feel!
ed monahan





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posted 06-11-2001 03:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ed monahan     send a private message to ed monahan   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by ed monahan
What is going on???????? Sasquatch and CJ are both speechless!! I'm going outside to see if there is a full moon. Mike K, is it possible someone is hacking this site and using their names because there is no way in h*** those two are speechless. I guess I could shut up and it would be a hat trick. No Way.
GPS John

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posted 06-11-2001 06:12 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for GPS John     send a private message to GPS John   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by GPS John
Cliff, you gotta start hanging around Dan some more. Might help you express yourself if you do...

(I agree with you 100%, very well said, and well written, too! AND, it's good to see you didn't sign off with that silly blue coloured lettering you usually use. Guess you finally realize BLACK is Best... )

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HiHoSilver

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posted 06-11-2001 08:00 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for HiHoSilver     send a private message to HiHoSilver   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by HiHoSilver
Most of us are fortunate to have one (or more) of these cars as fun weekend cars.

Most typical families (husband/wife/2.5 kids/dog) can't afford a 3rd play car.

It also makes no sense as an everyday car (to most). No trunk. 2 seater. chopped top, etc.

my too sense

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Trey
Post 2001 Black-Tie #005
(your welcome Larry)False alarm, it's gone now.

Mods: 2001 Speed Yellow Porsche Cabriolet

bobkat

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posted 06-11-2001 10:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for bobkat     send a private message to bobkat   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by bobkat
I own three prowlers and three prowler trailers, I love them all, wouldnt sell or trade for anything reasonable. The DC dealers have ruined the buying experience for these cars. Firstly, if you walk into a dealership in cut offs and an old Ozzy Osborne T shirt they take you straight to the Neon even though you are circling the prowler, some fake bake shlocky sales man in a $50 suit with a big toothy grin reminds you that "this is a VEERYY expensive Caaar!! You then tell him your buying your third and he about gives you his first born child and a kidney to have your business. You then are given the wide array of boring colors to choose from, you find one that in your opinion out does the rest and you learn to love it just because its a Prowler and you just have to have one!! They then show you there award winning service area that boasts its certified prowler/viper technicians, you know the ones that ripped my dash out to fix a hood squeak and lost a hood strut for 2 weeks and drug numerous air hoses over the sides of my vehicle and returned it to me with the check engine light on and filthier than when I brought it in, Yeah. Then they finally admit they just cant fix the problem and its a design flaw. Not to mention they then call you with every prowler they obtain to pitch it to you at $15,000 over MSRP. I hope I didnt miss anything. My 2 cents.
PROWLER-KEITH

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posted 06-11-2001 10:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for PROWLER-KEITH     send a private message to PROWLER-KEITH   Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote   Search for more posts by PROWLER-KEITH
Cliff you hit the nail on the head BIG TIME I don't think any one of us could put it together better than that.
At first it got to me the way some people where then I woke up and smelt the coffee. Sure some of the colours are boring, but to each one of us that owns one our colour is the most awhsome, unless we can have one of every colour we like,I wish I could.

The trunk well it works if you need it I took mine on a trip by myself mind you, took my suit bags and another garment bag fit fine in my trunk, you work with what you have thats it. I would like a triler but 7500.00 for one out here still bugs me a lot, I know that if I come to one of the runs which I hopefully will get to I will be convinced then I need one.

As for making money on these cars sure I thought it would be nice to make a big profit if I wanted to sell it but after the first minute of driving it I knew this wasn't going to be sold unless something beyond my control happened, so if it is worth more then so be it.

Last but not least to all the critics and jealous know it all's. I admit everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we shouldn't let these kind get to us BUT and this is just from me only you can all K-SS MY U KNOW WHAT.


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