WHEN Chrysler pushed the retro button in 2000 it created a product that made the market gasp.
The PT Cruiser (PT stands for Personal Transportation) hit the marketplace running as the 40s styled concept car that could be bought. Its classic grille, separate mudguards and hunched rear said classic American and the theme was continued inside with features like a white plastic knob on the gearstick and old-style dials.
The aim was to generate emotion and excitement in a 'too cool to categorise' environment.
At one end of the spectrum the PT Cruiser is a family car with four doors and comfy seats, but at the other end it is an automotive lollipop with the tangy taste of many things we miss from the golden days of driving.
What we dont recall easily from those lazy, hazy far off days are asthmatic engines, iffy starting, hair-raising handling, wimpy brakes and horrific rust traps. And it is here that Chrysler weaves the spell and provides a car with all the good bits and none of the bad.
PT Cruiser gives a generous taste of the sugary aspects of 40s driving with a tremendous injection of modern technology. The Chrysler philosophy has worked and the PT Cruiser is in a market area which encompasses the new Beetle from VW and the new Mini.
But in terms of carisma, the PT cruiser with its hunky two litre engine - there is also a diesel version - is different because it is not celebrating one car but a whole breed.
To drive it is very different. The driving position gives a hint of the old high-riding, high steering wheel stance and the rather well laid out interior has a dig at the days of bakelite dashboard decoration.
PT Cruiser proves a point - retro does work. And it does so without mirroring a particular classic. There is a bit of everything in there. In many ways it reminded me of the Ford Pilot of the 1950s.
And it's no sluggard because its smooth revving engine produces 140 bhp, giving acceleration from 0-60 mph in 9.6 seconds.
FAST FACTS
Chrysler PT Cruiser 2.0 Limited
Price: £16,000
Mechanical: 119bhp, 2148cc, 4 cyl turbo diesel engine driving front wheels via 5-spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 113 mph
0-62 mph: 12.1 secs
Combined mpg: 40.9
Insurance group: 12
CO2 emissions: 185g/km
BiK rating: 22%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited miles; 6yrs anti-rust