Are You Prepared to See a Chrysler PT Cruiser That Actually Looks Good?
Chrysler PT Cruisers aren’t cool. In fact, they are so uncool that a headline promising to show you one you could actually like is so unbelievable that you clicked into this article. However, this isn’t clickbait. A coachbuilder out of Spain, called Hurtan built a Chrysler PT Cruiser that is actually kind of cool. Check it out.
Hurtan: Coachbuilders
I spent most of my childhood calling the PT Cruiser that our high school wrestling coach drove the “PT Loser.” It’s a lame car. I’m sorry to be harsh. It’s better to hear from me than someone at the grocery store or something. However, there is hope for the PT, and we welcome that hope.
As The Drive reports, the Spanish coachbuilders started up shop in 1992 in Granada, Spain. Currently, the firm makes three different models; the Jeep-based Vintage, Mazda MX-5-based Grand Albaycin, and PT Cruiser-based Author. While all of them are pretty bonkers, the wildest and most dramatic of all is the Author. I want to remind you; you are looking at a car that began its life – a life destined for ridicule – as a PT Cruiser.
A cool PT Cruiser?
According to The Drive, you can get the PT-based Author in either a sedan or convertible layout. This car works because, while still terrible in most ways, the PT Cruiser has a bit of a general vintage silhouette, particularly along the roofline. The Author takes full advantage of the few advantages of working with the unfortunate Chrylser.
The roofline remains, but the rest of the bodywork is trashed and replaced with a pre-war/Cruella DeVille sort of look. The details are what make the conversion work. The windows, bumpers, blinkers, and other hardware look pretty good. This sort of design lends itself to cheese, and the builders, while rubbing up against cheese in a couple of areas, manage to keep the car pretty classy. The front of the car loses a bit of the class seen from the rear and sides. Even still, there is a bit of Studebaker upfront, which isn’t so bad to see.
What about the interior?
Interiors can make or break an otherwise cool car. We all agree that Porsche 911s are pretty cool, right? Well, with the wrong interior, it ain’t so cool. The same goes here. While the interior is still largely covered in PT Cruiser DNA, the leather work seems high-quality without being too gaudy. Still, there is a sense that this interior is a Men’s Warehouse suit reworked by a good tailor.
How much does this PT Cruiser cost?
This is the toughest part to discuss. The Hurtan Author starts at an extremely reasonable $40,000. This is a screaming deal for a proper coachbuilt car in 2023. It isn’t uncommon for coachbuilt cars to trade for well into the six figures and possibly more. You can look around until the mountains turn into the sea and you’ll not find another proper coachbuilt car for so cheap. However, there is no escaping from the fact that to buy one; you have to give another human person $40,000 for a PT Cruiser. That’s tough.
