PT Cruiser to remain in production

The Chrysler PT Cruiser, one of the most successful vehicles the automaker has introduced, will remain in production. Gualberto Ranieri, chief spokesman for Chrysler Group, confirmed the decision to keep the Chrysler plant in Toluca, Mexico cranking out PT Cruisers. One analyst thinks the PT Cruiser will remain in production until new Fiat-based models come on line in 2011.

The PT Cruiser, still looking much the same as it did when it went on sale nearly nine years ago, was slated for termination this summer. Sales were declining and former Chrysler owner Cerberus Capital Management had neither the money nor the vision to tackle the difficult task of updating Bryan Nesbitt’s decade-old design. However, a lack of new Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models and the fact the PT Cruiser’s development costs have all been amortized led new Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne to keep the car in production.