“For a while, it was the best-selling Chrysler-brand vehicle,” said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics, a Birmingham consultancy. In fact, the numbers show this as fact. Chrysler will have sold more than 1.3 million PT Cruisers when production ends on July 9. That means that there is a huge following for the design – maybe enough that Chrysler should do a next-generation version.

The Chrysler PT Cruiser went on sale in the year 2000 – at the height of America’s SUV craze. The vehicle, though much smaller than any SUV, became popular for a nostalgic look, cargo space and for being easy to drive. It broke the mold for that time in automotive industry.

If Chrysler executives had followed up on the PT’s initial success, they could have turned the car into an icon for the company. Instead, they left it alone as a singular sensation that bore no relationship to any other Chrysler vehicle. That alone made it a cult favorite.

PT Cruiser also became successful as a rental car. Companies like Hertz and Enterprise have ordered thousands of Cruisers over the years to rent to customers. For now, you can check out the final PT Cruisers at dealerships near you, after that – Hertz.com.

According to the official Chrysler Press Release: “The heritage-styled Chrysler PT Cruiser continues to be a global success story,” said Peter Fong — President and Chief Executive Officer – Chrysler Brand and Lead Executive for the Sales Organization, Chrysler Group LLC. “With more than 1.3 million PT Cruisers sold in more than 60 countries since 2000, we’re excited to announce we’re re-energizing the iconic and award-winning PT Cruiser.” The Chrysler Group changed the landscape of the automotive market when it introduced the segment-busting Chrysler PT Cruiser nearly 10 years ago. Its one-of-a-kind exterior styling and Swiss Army knife-like interior flexibility, offered at a compact car price, redefined the small-car segment and became an instant hit with consumers.

Yes, there have been many variations of the PT Cruiser – but they’ve been sadly unoriginal in design. So, why now? First of all, it’s the perfect time for a company like CHrysler to produce a small, fuel efficient and cheaply made vehicle. With Cash for Clunkers and Chrysler dealers matching the customer’s Government Vouchers, you can get almost $10k off of a new vehicle – so why not pump out as many as possible, because I predict we’ll be seeing a lot of Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep vehicles on the road after this year. Good luck PT – I’m sure I’ll be renting one of you from Enterprise or Hertz in the near future.