When looking at the three American automotive giants, it is fair to say that they have come up with some truly amazing vehicles. From the vast numbers of concept cars to the all-time bestsellers, these cars have all the features needed to rival the most revered European sports cars.

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Chrysler, now Stellantis, never failed to produce vehicles that would attract the vast majority of gearheads. Whether it is under Dodge or Plymouth, Chrysler went above and beyond to attract as many potential buyers as possible. There are several cool Plymouth cars gearheads would buy used, including the Prowler.

10 Creator

The Plymouth Prowler is the sort of car that gets people's attention, gearheads and normies alike. The car sure was not designed by the same team that came up with the Pontiac Aztek. In fact, one of the most popular and controversial American cars was made by one of the best designers out there.

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There are several things people had just learned about Plymouth and its cars. One of the most important facts gearheads should know is that the Prowler and Viper were designed by the same individual. Thomas C. Gale is known for having worked on some truly impressive concept cars, including the Chrysler Phaeton.

9 Bringing Sexy Back

Back in the late 1930s, gearheads started replacing the engines of older cars with much more powerful units. The purpose of the original engine swaps? To race down a straight line and earn some money in the process. The American hot rod was all the rage for a couple of decades, before being dethroned by modified muscle cars.

The 1930 Ford Model A is the sort of classic that makes the sickest hotrods. Old-school Ford cars are known for being the best base for a hot rod build. Hot rods are a true American tradition. They have mesmerized generations of gearheads. Despite falling out of favor, they remain as appetizing as a bag of Cracker Jacks. The Prowler heavily inspired itself from the hot rods of the '30s.

8 First Year

Back in 1997, the domestic auto industry was in a dire state. The Mustang received a facelift, yet it was still as powerful and fast as a sloth. At General Motors, things were so bad that the Camaro would be discontinued five years later. Chrysler was far from different from the other two companies. In a bid to revamp its lineup, the company launched the Prowler.

The Prowler received mixed reviews upon its release. Though the Plymouth-badged modern rod hit the market like a thunderbolt, it failed to shock the vast majority of car aficionados. Chrysler offered the sick-looking Prowler with a 3.5-liter Chrysler V6 that develops a tear-jerking 214 hp at 5,850 rpm. With an original MSRP of a little over $38,000, most drivers would expect at least 350 hp.

7 RWD

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It is well-known that the 1980s were quite awful. Not a single carmaker was capable of producing a sports car that would eventually be part of the automotive hall of fame. With that being said, Buick did come up with the GNX. However, the GNX is the exception rather than the rule. Several features made American cars of that decade unattractive.

Believe it or not, prior to the Prowler, the last RWD car produced by Plymouth was the Gran Fury back in the late '80s. Most gearheads know for a fact that following the mid-70s, Plymouth was simply incapable of releasing a decent car. Before the company went belly-up, it came up with the Prowler.

6 Special Edition

Millions of American cars have been produced over the last century. When automakers introduced a very racy and fast vehicle to the market, they also made sure to release limited editions for more fortunate drivers. Plymouth, the low-end subsidiary of Chrysler, did not fail to make some exclusive editions of its Prowler.

Most car fans would think that a car such as the Prowler would not need a special edition. In fact, Plymouth released several limited editions, including the 2001 Plymouth Prowler Black Tie Edition. The car is essentially a regular Prowler, but it has characteristics such as a distinctive two-tone paint job.

5 Lacking

When looking at the '76 Mustang II Mach 1, it is fair to say it is a highly disappointing vehicle. The car is slow by all means and looks utterly bland. However, given the technology available today, it is possible to turn this disaster into something quite attractive. The Prowler is, in some ways, not so different from the Mustang II Mach 1.

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The Prowler was shunned by critics mainly because of its lousy aluminum 3.5-liter Chrysler V6. 253 hp is not bad per se, but a car like the Prowler needs an engine that produces at least 450 hp. If the Prowler had been released at the same time as the Hellcat, it may have inherited the beastly engine crate.

4 Concept Car

Sometimes, carmakers seem to understand a bit late that listening to customers' wants and needs will eventually play in their favor. The Prowler was infamous for its sub-par V6 engine. Die-hard fans disregarded the fact that the car makes less than 300 hp. Others simply could not accept the fact that the Prowler did not come with a V8 engine.

The Howler was basically an updated Prowler. It is the car that should have rolled off Plymouth assembly lines. The disappointing 3.5-liter V6 was gone. Instead, a 4.7-liter V8 that had the capability of producing far more horsepower was installed. It has been said that the Howler was slightly more powerful than the Prowler, but packed a lot more torque.

3 Last Year

The Prowler was never meant to become a legacy car like the 300. As most people at Chrysler already knew, Plymouth was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. When looking at the company's sales over a 10-year period, it is quite obvious that things were going south.

In 2001, the Prowler was discontinued along with the brand. Well, it was not exactly discontinued. It was now produced under the Chrysler brand. The Prowler was also produced at the Viper's assembly line. It would have been nice if Chrysler had installed the mighty Viper V10 in the Prowler.

2 Copycat

Though critics were not clement to the Prowler, several other car companies came out with their own throwback cars. During the early 2000s, American carmakers were doing whatever they could to provide cars that are as satisfying as some of the mid-range sports cars coming from Japan and Germany.

The Chevy SSR was a crazy $50,000 retro, convertible, pickup truck that followed the Prowler's footsteps. It was not the only car of its kind. Ford released its god-awful modernized version of the Thunderbird around the same time. Chrysler banked on the mitigated success of the Prowler to hit a home run with the PT cruiser. The Prowler was a trendsetter.

1 Valuable

From the late '90s/early 2000s until today, very few American sports cars were instant classics. Though it is true that a large number of outstanding muscle cars have rolled off assembly lines, very few came close to becoming legends. For example, the 1999 Mustang Cobra is very unlikely to become a high-value classic.

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Despite its controversial reputation, the Prowler is not a cool Chrysler car gearheads can now buy for cheap. The Prowler's original MSRP was a little bit over $38,000. Today, Prowlers in concours condition cost around the same price. If building a Prowler has always been your dream, it is time to invest.

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