posted 06-21-2001 03:42 PM                  

I know car brokers I have dealt with for a long time on other cars, including classics and exotics, and now they won't touch a Prowler unless they can pay dirt for it, and I mean dirt. I just sold my Black Tie, (can't say how much) but for an amount I am not very happy with. Any Vettes, Porsches, or even the Viper I have had at one time, never came close to the resale return of the Prowler.

The reason: It is as plain as this, everyone is dumping the car. Don't ask me why. If you look at Autotrade.com there are close to 400 new and used ones for sale now. Usually you would see about maybe 40.

Yes, the economy is not what it use to be. But the cost range of what the car is, it should not effect the ones that can afford to buy it. What I was told what it boils down to is the market now is putting the value of the car where it should be, not an inflated DC price.

The recent reviews have not helped the car as was stated by one person that buy and sell these car everyday. He said that a lot of customers state the car is the sharpest on the road but the quality for the price is not good.

OH well, just some food for thought.

posted 06-21-2001 04:57 PM                  

Muz

Still looking for a great deal on a Viper! I'm not getting screwed this time (I Hope)

posted 06-21-2001 05:28 PM                  

My too sense....

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

posted 06-21-2001 06:10 PM                  

I would think the since DC has an overflow of stock now, they should slow production now. Hope they read this.

posted 06-21-2001 06:39 PM                  

My wife is not fond of them. She put up with them because I loved them but she was ecstatic (to say the least) when I sold the last one.

I also noticed that any old car without fenders looked like a prowler to her. Others made that same comment. I guess the car kinda evokes some sort of tunnel vision when it comes to styling.

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

posted 06-21-2001 08:04 PM                  

Gas dropped to 1.51 today in Phx.

posted 06-21-2001 09:03 PM                  

The original die hard hot rodders that had significant interest in the car, and the initial "cult" followers, have already purchased one by now if they wanted too. In that sense, the market is indeed saturated.

The potential buyer that found the car interesting and intriguing as a "fun car" to own is discouraged by the callous attitude of many of the dealers towards trying to price gouge anyone interested in wanted to purchase a Prowler. In that sense the market is untouched but tainted. It is often said, that greed kills and in this case it has helped to kill a car.

Chrysler would have to support the car through agressive marketing to once again create interest. I sincerely believe that the volume level of potential sales is too low to do that.

An attractive lease package, or a low percentage financing arrangement, in concert with a strong emphasis on the dealers to sell the car for no more than MSRP would have done wonders to reduce the growing inventory. Throw a trailer in on the deal at MSRP and everyone might be surprised by the results generated.

Lastly, Chrysler should court the present owners to encourage them to bring another potential owner into the fold. Instead, in many instances they have in fact shunned the current owners by doing myoptic things that reflect their complete lack of concern for the owner.

Marketing is a true science and without it a product never reaches its true potential. This is the case with our Prowlers. To own one is to love one, but you can't generate interest when you don't know about the car.

Scot

posted 06-21-2001 11:36 PM                  

Ed - I also will not lose a dime on mine! I think many expected too much of the cat when buying it. Probably bought on impulse, instead of researched facts, and would now never admit that human weakness. I researched the cat against a 2000 Corvette before buying. The Corvette is faster, more features, more car, and probably better built, but I had already owned one Corvette and there are hundreds of thousands of them out on the streets. It all came down to the word "Zen" - the Prowler won out!

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Larry Salzman
Call 911 - there is a Prowler in my garage....

posted 06-22-2001 12:46 AM                    

Even better - if the dealers that had one in stock were to put an ad in the weekend edition of their local paper AND STATE THAT IT IS MSRP - the would sell right then and there.

posted 06-22-2001 08:06 AM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by cwatsonjr:
I said it A LONG TIME AGO and I will say it again - all it would take is a week-long television campaign (find the prowler in your area - or something) to produce interest in the car AND not letting the dealers gouge. IF you could get the two to work together - they would not be able to keep them on the floors.

Even better - if the dealers that had one in stock were to put an ad in the weekend edition of their local paper AND STATE THAT IT IS MSRP - the would sell right then and there.

---

I've said it before and I'll say it again, while I love the prowler, it's a TOY car. It seats two, there is no trunk, alot of them leak, and while some may, it really isn't an everyday car.

That by itself severly limits the audience that would even entertain the idea of buying one regardless of price. The fact is, most of us are fortunate enough to be able to afford multiple cars and can keep this one in the garage for sunny Sunday's. Most people can only afford transportation and this vehicle severely fails in that category.

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

posted 06-22-2001 11:40 AM                  

As a dealer, I disagree with this thread. We sell our prowlers and have not had a problem with it. I don't price myself out of the market, its that simple, and never have. So will you get 48000 for you car probably not, I know you have done some stuff to your car, but that it not a huge attraction when someone can buy a new one from a dealer for the same price maybe alittle lower. Just keep your head up is all I can say.

posted 06-24-2001 09:15 AM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by Lance.d:
I don't think the pt hurt at all, totally different market although some here have pts, i'm sure

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I've found a number of dealers willing to take $1000 + off the sticker of PT's. Quite a change from the over sticker attitude several months ago.

No car is immune from this slump right now.

What any dealer asks and what they get are two different things.

I'd also be real surprised if any Houston Dealer is getting sticker for any car, much less a prowler. Back when prices were high (1.5 years ago) I bought a 2000 Silver prowler in Houston that had a sticker on the windshield of $60K. I offered $44K and they took it with no arguments

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