Plymouth Prowler with designer Chip Foose - Jay Leno's Garage

This week Jay is joined by legendary automotive designer, Chip Foose. He and Jay go over the finer details of one of the cars he helped to develop.
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A new video every Monday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.

[@patdry]

Chip Foose is such a cool and humble guy, my favorite car designer since I was young. Truly inspiring.

[@user-oe1mb9hu9i]

Anybody can design cars if they are GIVEN money to do so. Especially a heap of dung like this. What a waste of space. Gas guzzling, polluting, unnecessary shitbox. ANYTHING with a lot of power will sell. This didn't even have that. There is a reason it failed.

[@JaredMorris-ep1qf]

Seems like the nicest guy in car building and design

[@user-oe1mb9hu9i]

@@JaredMorris-ep1qf Most people are nice. Just saying that if people pay you insane amounts of cash, then you generally are "nice". Personally I drive a van because I need the space. No hard feelings, but I really don't understand the whole "car" scene ... No idea why I ended up here. But certainly no loose cash to spend on four wheeled motorbikes for old men.

[@danielknepper6884]

Chip foose is a has been

[@m.charron]

@@danielknepper6884 did he piss in your corn flakes??

[@tomasjones3755]

The Prowler set the 'Retro Design' trend in motion. After it came out, we got the PT Cruiser, Chevy HHR and such. Great job, Chip!

[@rodneypratt4324]

Yeah but that HHR was ugly in my opinion. They didn't sell very many of those turn boxes

[@tomasjones3755]

@@rodneypratt4324 LOL... I never said they were all good looking. The PT Cruiser was a hit and not too bad on looks. The rest were questionable

[@alexrekzu4079]

thunderbird

[@xmo552]

Add to the list: Beetle Mustang Camaro FJ TJ Challenger Charger Viper Hummer Gt40

[@tomasjones3755]

@@xmo552 Yep. It appears we owe Chip Foose a great deal....

[@PhillipTieuChainz]

This was my father's first sports car he bought brand new in 2001 after surviving khmer rouge, escaping from Vietnam, without any adolescent education and graduating from Baylor college of dentistry. He sadly passed away 3 years after purchasing one of his dream cars but luckily the Orange prowler is still in the family and will always be a special car to us. Because of this, after building numerous cars, including one that was showcased in SEMA 2022 inside the Toyo Tires Treadpass exhibit, I must give this vehicle justice one day and swap the motor with something proper. For now the plans will be to try and stuff a viper gen 4 motor! Thanks Jay for sharing this incredible interview and shedding some new light on a forgotten vehicle.

[@hi_tech_reptiles]

Good luck! Honestly the trans is more the issue to me - given the stock engine size it'd be cool to do a turbo V6 like a VR GTR swap lol. But then doing a manual would be an issue, tho some other turbo 3.5L V6 could work or a Z trans I guess.

[@kennethrhodes7143]

The drawings remind my of a good friend in grade school (Chris Bowen) who drew incredible Hot Rods!

[@davidholmes1771]

Agreed. Joining you, for your journey.

[@kenwaltson7113]

Keep your father's car the way it was when he bought it you will regret altering it buy another one and tear it up instead sounds like you have the money to do that

[@PhillipTieuChainz]

@@hi_tech_reptiles someone a while back did a 2jz swap with a v160. They had to completely cut out the trans tunnel area. I think it's a sick build.

[@thomasredden4263]

My grandad designed the suspension blue prints for this car. I have a photo in my wallet that my dad used to carry before he pressed away of him holding the blueprints up for a photo. He’s even got his name on several of the patents for suspension components. I have always had such a soft spot for this car, and this color specifically. It’s just such a cool machine!

[@sircoolbox]

Create a channel just to do a video/ photo slide show of the blue prints while you talk about the history of ur grandpa while talking about how he got involved in the project... Even if it's ur only video. Folks deserve to know the knowledge and history of ur grandpa. God bless and bless us with that information

[@castorchua]

@@sircoolbox Why are you being a cockhead?

[@jayyoutube8790]

Oh wow…. Put a video together. Their’s a lot of fans of these that would appreciate that content…

[@jeffcal007]

Yes! make a video about your grandfather's involvment.

[@deltaunder1872]

100% Do a video. It's your Grandpa's legacy so give the man some digital respect. Us car guys get a kick outta these kinds of things.

[@mopardave6167]

I bought my Prowler in July, 1998. It is a yellow 99. I still enjoy the car and get it out during the Summer.

[@gzuzsavz]

Right on! Yeah..this must be an excellent summer fun/sports car. I have the poor mans option: a '93 LeBaron convertible with a 3.0L Mitsu..I'd love the 3.5L at 100 more hp and the same mpg, aha. 170k mi and going strong & no rust..in Wisc yet! Paid $2,500 7 yrs ago. ..yeah, I'd rather a Prowler, but..next time, aha.

[@CalvinHikes]

It's a good looking car. And it will always be good looking

[@robedmunds7163]

Yellow would match my yellow Harley Sportster just right.

[@demetri1651]

I got the lime green one.

[@efremlee6990]

I always liked them

[@zacpatterson522]

“Go look at and buy a neon” lol that’s exactly what happened. My dad’s truck broke down and I begged him to get a prowler. I was so excited when I saw it in the showroom. Man I was the most hateful little 7 year old when we left in that neon later that day. Still love the prowler.

[@googleuser2170]

Chip is so insanely talented. His design influence has had a bigger impact than most people realize.

[@castorchua]

Jay doesn't like him though.

[@Yamaha350w]

He’s overrated all his designs are the same wack 😂

[@mentally.retired]

I got to sit with Chip one time for several hours and talk cars one on one. He was appearing at Oakley for his line of shoes and the whole team was invited to do a Q&A with him. I was the only car guy there so we ended up just talking the whole time. Pretty insane. I got all kinds of things signed.

[@ianmangham4570]

Unreal skills ,and he can draw ,have ya tried drawing anything 😅 omg it's so hard to be good without tracing paper 📃 🤠🤘

[@hansvanderlinden9658]

You have to like his style but he s the only designer who also do bodywork + mechanical work compare to a kindig or Richard rawlings who never touch the cars they building

[@johnwelch6490]

I helped build this car. It started out in the Norwalk, Ohio Mayflower Plant that made truck cabs for Mack and Freightliner. Old biker guys hand jigged them up. My company Henkel supplied the structural foam that made it crash test worthy. Terracore.

[@mikestaceywilkinson8453]

Chip is a legend. So is Jay in his own right.

[@jmowiscoproud]

Absolutely

[@DK-455]

And in fooses own mind.

[@bobsmmrs8712]

Chip holds his own in wittiness, too. Funny guy!

[@swizlstik]

2 legends

[@299charles]

Chip is a legend, Jay is a notional treasure……..😮😮

[@jonmopar7917]

So awesome to see Chip finally get some recognition for this car. Years passed without many knowing he was the spiritual designer. And this car, despite not having a V8, was a test bed for Chrysler, including building with aluminum (the v6 was aluminum and later on made 255hp, as much as their 5.9 v8) 😎

[@mypronouniswtf5559]

V6 had 100 less torque than the V8 and the 5.9 makes loads of down low torque.. They would have hopped up the 5.9 if it was going in the prowler..The 5.9 was seriously de tuned..

[@jonmopar7917]

@mypronouniswtf5559 know how much more a 360 weighs? Not to mention all the work they’d have to do to the front end to get it to comfortably support that weight and not nose dive in a corner…yeah it wasn’t worth it. This was an experiment in aluminum and weight savings. And btw if you threw every single bolt on and computer trick available at the time for the Magnum 5.9, it still only made about 300hp and wouldn’t meet emissions in all areas. So they weren’t seriously detuned. I’m a Mopar guy…trust me, I know 😉

[@privateprivate1865]

​​@@jonmopar7917 Those old Chrysler powertrains were junk compared to GM of the time. My dad was a mopar guy from the 50s, and I was a mopar kid " until I got an old Gm and noticed how much better they were. But I still love many classic mopar body styles ❤.. But the only mopar engine I would trust is the slant 6. But man old mopars ran rich. If you bumped the timing where it ran as lean as a chevy, you'd get pingning under acceleration. And ya gotta love the free play in the steering. Plus many other annoying things.. But I still say the 68/9 charger is the coolest looking muscle car body style ever. I love the shorty windowless 71/77 tradesman vans.. the A100 trucks and vans., the 61-68 d100 pickups, before the changed to the flat hoods.. Many 55-58 model cars.. I have a soft spot for the 64 sports fury.. I love the 60s and 70s boxy cab over semis, and old 40s mopar COEs

[@yankees29]

@@privateprivate1865I’m not the biggest car guy at all but I always loved that Charger body. I really love the 442 body style from back in the day.

[@OldsmobileCutlass1969Va]

I must be in some rare air... Because I always knew Foose designed the car. But today this car could be reborn as a manual with paddle shifters and a turbo V6 or I-4.

[@MeettheCreatives]

As a kid who grew up in the 90s - I LOVED this car. They used to have little diecasts of them everywhere.

[@MovieTime022]

I just posted a comment but us adults were kids in elementary and middle school all had a wall poster from the Scholastic Book Fair in the library. Always loved this car

[@MeettheCreatives]

@@MovieTime022 omfg yes!!! The poster!!! I had that!!

[@ROT4RYfc3s]

I officially feel old. Thanks Jay and Chip. I was 11 when these came out and I remember the first time seeing one.

[@OutBoardTink62]

I would think Chip Foose has to be in the top ten of the nicest people in the world today for sure & not to mention his artistic talent...

[@Packer1290]

Absolutely. I met him around 2007 or so. He was at Mall of America signing autographs at this store that sold these small remote control cars. He was the nicest guy. He talked to me and my wife for a long time. He took pics with us. My wife got him to blush when she said he was so cute and had the nicest hair. 😄

[@wewd]

I've met Chip several times and can confirm he's exactly that.

[@OutBoardTink62]

Thats funny he blushed from your wifes comments@@Packer1290

[@ALCRAN2010]

He looks like he's eternally high. But he's actually always under the influence of his craft. Special kinda guy.

[@cwsam1256]

Chip is so beyond the gimmicky show Overhaulin.....so nice to see and hear him speak on this episode. He has so much car knowledge to share.

[@kozak65]

Too bad Jay had to humiliate him the way he kept criticizing the car. Bad taste, Jay.

[@drmodestoesq]

Chip was criticizing the actual production car as much or more than Jay. @@kozak65

[@drmodestoesq]

Jay actually said the bumpers worked aesthetically. That's pretty flattering. That car in it's non-street legal form would look so much better with cleaner lines. @@kozak65 e

[@ccubsfan94]

​@@kozak65Idk, it seems all the criticisms he gave were pointed at the bean counters, and Chip knew that.

[@eN1X]

Still a beautiful car to this day. Classic design.

[@User0000000000000004]

The most beautiful minivan I've ever seen

[@kellylynn9295]

​@@User0000000000000004a rwd town and country would be wild lol

[@jeffhall3242]

Jay and Chip... two heroes that might not let down the regular kid

[@aoclive6710]

These videos are golden . My daughter is going to be watching all of them . She ain’t gonna be a new age no nothing type of person

[@film79]

To this day I have an awful memory of seeing one of these in public for the first time. I was with my dad, I brought him over to show that it had an automatic and looked like a minivan on the inside. I was pointing at it and said something like "it's for people who don't know anything about hot rods but like the look" and when I turned around the owner was standing right there with her groceries, the meanest look on her face too. I felt terrible.

[@mraudio]

Where did she put the groceries?

[@user-neo71665]

The truth hurts, not your fault.

[@AmbroseBrandt]

Hahaha 😂

[@stevenr1354]

😂😂😂​@@mraudio

[@Js16108]

@@mraudiowhy do you think there’s a trailer hitch lol

[@user-th7xw9tz3p]

I was an engineer for Alcoa when the Prowler was being developed. I formed all of initial frame structure at the Alcoa Research lab outside of Pittsburgh then moved production to Toledo. Fun project to work on@ I did not know that Chip was the inspiration behind the design. Cool to know. I never got to drive one myself so it was nice to watch your video of it

[@foxlake6750]

I drove the Prowler when it was shipped to the mill to show it to employees.

[@larrysalzman7165]

What about the frame cracks that required Daimler to re-purchase several of the cars sold? Some,,,not too happy customers.

[@gzuzsavz]

nice job and thank you! great car!

[@gzuzsavz]

@@larrysalzman7165 "several" out of how many? and..how many were from ppl jumping curbs at high speeds? lol. this was beyond the horizon tech in this cars chassis and ..totes par for the course if there was a few that had cracks. im sure the issues were remedied.

[@larrysalzman7165]

@@gzuzsavz - " issues were remedied" Yes by Daimler re-purchasing the cars and providing a new replacement car. It was a Alcoa major welding error. A friend took his car in for an oil change, once up in air the tech seen the frame weld crack and Alcoa sent out a engineer to examine. Due to liability, Alcoa refused to weld. "Driving over curbs at high speeds"? Plz,,,nice try at fault deflection.... The problem was in model years '97 -'99 models. Glad further model years had no issues, as I owned three of these cars.

[@ongomagic]

Saw Chip Foose on the 55 freeway in Orange County CA years ago, gave him a thumbs up he smiled and waived. He was in a Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition.

[@WestCoasHaze]

Drive through LA enough and you'll see every celebrity 😂. David Beckham, Will Smith, ice Cube, Richard Simmons from what I can remember

[@57Banjoman]

We bought a LHS with the 3.5 engine, and it was a very good car-good performance, and good mileage-and that was in a heavy car-these Prowlers were cool-congrats on your design, Chip, and thank you Jay for bringing these videos to us!

[@Adrian-mq5ld]

I've got a 300M with the 3.5 in Europe ,man its a 4 door car but looks exotic in Europe. Its the same engine as in the prowler ,they are known to spin rod bearings if you skip oil changes but they still have good support.

[@haulinclasstv]

So happy to finally catch an episode live. Love Chip Foose, we haul a lot of his stuff. Nice to see him on the show!

[@Grandpuba1069]

This was uploaded yesterday, idk why they reuploaded it again now

[@plap.]

​@@Grandpuba1069Technically, officially, Jays stuff is scheduled release for all new episodes on mondays.

[@louamorin4246]

Amazing design and brave to actually be produced by a regular car company. Before Chrysler was destroyed by Daimler and their cars were turned into second rate cars with the worst/cheapest interiors in the industry.

[@asiftalpur3758]

do you guys also haul DN?

[@bowlica1]

We inherited one with 260,000 miles on it!!! That black beauty was awesome! Attention everywhere.

[@twillison8824]

Crazy to see one with that many miles, most I've seen for sale have around 10k on the ticker.

[@mountainjeff]

@@twillison8824 Clearly it was loved and driven. 🙂

[@kellylynn9295]

​@mountainjeff someone babied that 3.5 😂 those engines are fragile. Have u seen a prowler without the front bumpers?

[@kellylynn9295]

​@twillison8824 my friend was gifted 1 by his father and his has around 180k. Still runs great. Original engine and trans.

[@NuzzywtheWuzzy]

It cracks me up that Chip laughs like the old heads he's been around his whole life. I met him at a Show and Go in Riverside -- super nice guy.

[@omgcool7206]

I'd heard somewhere that one of Chrysler's V8s (4.6L I'm guessing) was considered, but actually had less horsepower than their new V6. Of course the V8 had considerably more torque, but as the old adage goes, "torque wins races, but horsepower sells cars." The Prowler might be one of just a few cars in which that consideration was ill-advised, since everyone agreed a V8 was more in the spirit of the car. The 3.5L SOHC was actually a great engine, though. I had a 300M with the same powertrain and it was an excellent balance of good low end/midrange torque, but still kept pulling strong all the way to a fairly high redline (back then you usually had to pick one or the other). Sounded pretty good (again, for a V6), ran smooth, and was very reliable. I'd forgive the use of the (good) V6 in the Prowler if you could have at least had a manual. The auto used in these was also reliable and smooth, but they sapped tons of power, as most automatics did back in the day. Of course, the desirable V8 sound would still be absent, but the car would otherwise have been a pretty strong performer with the lower power loss and an extra ratio or two. At any rate, gotta at least give Chrysler credit for having the balls to produce vehicles like this. Can you think of a vehicle produced by a mainstream brand in the last 20 years that's even half as bold? I can't.

[@THEFERMANATOR]

Chrysler only had the Magnum V8 engines that came in pickup trucks at the time of the prowler which was the iron block/heads 318 & 360 in lower HP outputs at much higher weights than the 3.5l V6. They came out with the 4.7l in Jeeps for 99, but that engine was largely designed by Mercedes during the years Chrysler was partnered with Daimler. It was many years later before Chrysler came out with there own V8 again which was the Hemi. The 3.5l is a great engine, but they should have supercharged it for the prowler.

[@farangatang]

​@@THEFERMANATOR the Hemi was also a Daimler (Mercedes designed engine) while Dsimler still owned Chrysler.

[@garyszewc3339]

None of the engines were designed by Daimler. Daimler owned them, but all the engineering was done in Auburn Hills. They did use some of Daimler designs as a base for different models, but not engines.

[@THEFERMANATOR]

@@garyszewc3339 thats funny, when I went to a Chrysler training course when I worked at a Chrysler dealer, the instructor outright said the 4.7l was a Merc design.

[@CarsonsChannel]

Even the sound of a V8 would have elevated this car. Even if it wasn't putting out corvette numbers, i think it would have given it a lot more credibility.

[@goleafsgo8496]

I've always thought how cool it is the way Chip speaks so professionally about Boyd. The same Boyd who had nothing good to say about Chip until the day he died.

[@life_of_riley88]

Boyd was a has been. He had some cars during the "billet" days that got some attention, but his designs never evolved with the times. He was also very arrogant.

[@goleafsgo8496]

@@life_of_riley88 Watching him on his show I recall he was always so paranoid that someone was always out to get him? Not sure where that all came from but he seemed to be a bitter ole man in a lot of ways? And boy he had a serious hate for Chip? Sad to have lived his last days this way BUT life is what you choose to make it!

[@life_of_riley88]

@@goleafsgo8496 Yeah, you're 100% correct, unfortunately. He disliked Chip., and treated his employees with contempt, which I could never understand.

[@vanPoll]

The biography of Chip Foose is a very special one. I did not know about his ties to the Prowler, but I did know, he learned from Boyd Coddington way back in the day...

[@gregabell4799]

Or did Boyd learn from him? Boyd WAS around, and then Chip joined them. Maybe the employee (Chip) influenced his employer..

[@vanPoll]

@@gregabell4799 Quite possible! I can't tell for sure, sorry. I've watched some interviews with Boyd Coddington way back in the day when he was still alive and "American Hot Rod". Boyd mentioned Chip in anger sometimes as his former employee who learned quite a lot at his shop and then left. However - Chip's work and designs are magnificent.

[@rootvalley2]

I remember the car tv shows on history channel that was a great run of wonderful shows

[@vanPoll]

@@rootvalley2 True!

[@garyszewc3339]

​@@vanPollhe didn't like Chip, because he had better ideas and more talent. He showed him up.

[@jasoncasale3708]

Chip is the coolest most humble great person. His car drawings are unbleivable. The guy is a living legend I have always admired him.

[@chucknoris406]

If there was anybody throughout time I could sit down and have a few hours to talk with, it would be Jay Leno. So much history and passion for cars

[@mikematthews2k181]

I think the Prowler has aged so well !! It looks better today than it did in the 90's . A true collectors car that will only go up in price 😊

[@joelab9222]

It absolutely looks better today. Totally agree.

[@rayRay-pw6gz]

What many miss and they did in this video, was that even though it was an automatic. It was a four speed that you can shift into manual mode. I am very surprised when Jay shifted into D . I have an 8 speed transmission and it is a game changer when using manual mode. JMO ✌️🫶

[@HumbleHonkingEnthusiast]

​@rayRay-pw6gz your modern 8 speed is way different than a 4 speed slushbox from the 90s

[@ossanyberg]

Those bumpers...without its a beautiful car.

[@OndraMike]

@@ossanyberg it has them only because US regulations. If would build this car an european car maker, it would be from factory without those bumpers....the best european examples would be cars like the classic Lotus Super 7, and the numerous variations inspired by Lotus, like the modern Donkervoorts...

[@kemicbi]

This car was a model car kit that I remember building as a kid, it will be forever stuck in my head

[@daviddennett2645]

Me too

[@GreenJeep1998]

I have a couple of the concept car based snap kits kicking around and just bought another of the full detail glue kits yesterday!

[@markush7001]

I had a poster on my wall!

[@andrewpardue3324]

Ever see the “Howler” concept car ? It looked even way cooler in black with a more squared and larger rear end !

[@knlacrosse]

Chip is one of the inspirations for me going to school for Industrial Design. He is way beyond just a figure in the automotive world, he has always had an amazing sense of vision, and a wonderful sense of blending greatness from the past with modern possibilities. Thank you Chip!

[@mattrohr1266]

Both these guys are so talented, but they could not be more down to earth.

[@Ingwine]

The design of this car will be unique at all times. Wonderful car!!!

[@robertshelton3796]

Exactly, a modern retro throwback partsbin special that can never come again. Very cool.

[@conservativeokie]

Two of my absolute favorite car guru’s and enthusiasts! The King of Art & Design Chip and the King of Art & Design Appreciation Jay!

[@JF1J]

It aged like wine. The only thing I would change is the gearbox, for a manual one with clutch and everything. A V6, retro-styled car an manual can be a hell of a fun. Loved it at first sight as a kid in the 90s, loving more now as an adult. And that purple color... jeeez. Wonderful. Thanks Chip and Jay!

[@jefflevoir6127]

Having Chip make a car for you would definitely be a Bucket List item. Absolute legend.

[@petemcl99]

I agree with Jay & Chip 100%. The car really is a pleasure to drive and is surprisingly nimble. I was a Senior Manager at JTE (Jeep and Truck Engineering) at that time and it was the old AMC/Jeep Engineering team working for Francois Castaing plus Tom Gale and his design team. Everyone had their own project car or Jeep or race car at home in their garage. So working on cars like the Viper and Prowler was a labor of love. Everyone wanted to put a Hemi in the car but the financials didn’t work out creating a whole new power train for the car. So we used the power train out of the Chrysler 300 which meant we could piggyback on that cars expensive EPA government certification.

[@BobKenge]

Wow amazing experience must have been. Thanks for sharing

[@ThomasBryant]

Growing up in the 80's and 90's THIS car was my dream everyday driver. even if it was majorly underpowered, I think it appealed to many younger (90's) modern wanna be modern hot rodders like myself.

[@Greg-io1ip]

Most men not worried about impressing the fellers don't want gas hog loud cars with reliability issues. The Prowler being understated and quiet with accessible reliable parts is what you want when going on weekend dates with your partner. She's wanting to enjoy the scenery, not have everyone looking. She gets enough of that. Hot rod muscle car boys usually aren't experienced with women or prefer guys but don't suspect that everyone knows. Most of us have had guy friends usually married or divorced, who think about muscle cars and boyfriends. A lot.

[@gzuzsavz]

0-60 in 6.9 sec quick enough? Ahaha. It is deffo not an underpowered car. no one said the 300M was slow..quite the contrary. The Prowler is 2,800lbs & the 300M was idk, 3,500lbs or so.

[@privateprivate1865]

I love chip.. his line quality is top notch, and he's got a mind for proportion like no one else

[@derrickforeal]

I saw a prowler at a show lowered with a supercharged v8, the thing was a beast and the lowered stance and they widen the wells it looked awesome. I always liked the looked of these. Alot of potential

[@vontegethoff]

I was working at LaBrea Chrysler Plymouth Jeep when they released the Prowler. They sent in about 20 cars for the press to drive and us to keep going while they did. Petersen publishing was right down the street and the dealership was filled daily with U.S. and foreign journalists driving and writing about it. It was a defining period of my life.

[@gzuzsavz]

awesome vignette!

[@bruceh92]

A gutsy move by Chrysler but full credit to them for making this Prowler happen. V6/Auto. aside, it's still a fun car and looks great. Watching Jay and Chip chewing the fat I can do all day. Thanks Jay, great job giving this car a little love today.

[@LOSTinS.C]

Thanks to Jay and Chip for all theyve done for the car community.

[@adamtrombino106]

I recall reading some articles when this came out and everyone praised the retro design, the suspension innovation, the extensive use of chassis strengthening parts, aluminum sub frames, 1 off wheels, even all the std features like an HO stereo and a/c. And then.. ( I can't recall which magazine said it) "They stuck the drivetrain from an LHS in it and made it a turd". Well, the early models with 215hp were really slow. The Later 1s with the 255HP version of the 3.5 and a more aggressively tuned transmission made them pretty fun to drive. The Mopar small blocks were longer than the 3.5, and weighed more, plus they drank fuel. They made way more torque, but not much more HP. Also the RWD automatic transmissions of that time were huge. CAFE was still heavily looked at at the time In other words, they used the best of what they had that they knew would be 50 state legal, reliable, give decent mileage and still go 'ok' without the massive cost of development of a new powertrain for a serious low production car. As for Foose, I cannot imagine how cool it must have been to work with all those new 'car guys' at Chrysler and have his sketch chosen for a production vehicle!

[@gerryhamner9850]

Always loved the Plum-Crazy Purple!!!

[@stryfe2000turbo]

Too bad that's not a color that was available on the Prowler

[@garyszewc3339]

​@@stryfe2000turbothey were basically Plum Crazy. Same paint, with a different name. The Plum Crazy name was only used on Dodges, and Plymouth called it In Violet. All of the high impact colors used different names for Dodge and Plymouth.

[@stryfe2000turbo]

@@garyszewc3339 Look up some pictures of Plum Crazy Dodges, this is pretty clearly not the same paint

[@UncleManuel]

2 legends, 1 car. 😁 But it's so cool to learn that Chip actually had a hand in the design of the Prowler. And that it started his career. 😎🤟

[@ernielaw]

3 legends counting the car!

[@SilverXTikal]

A neighbor I had when I was like 7-9 had one of these. It never gets old seeing it even 20 years later. It was the same purple

[@marioluzzi6683]

Chip and Jay, you guys are legends. As a proud 1997 purple plymouth prowler owner with 16k miles, this is an absolutely gem of a cruiser and collector car that I have in my collection. The history behind this car with Chip Foose and Tom Gale and how it was built is fascinating. I appreciate you guys doing a great episode. Keep them coming!

[@muskyman1018]

Back in the day I was returning from a weekend at Winternationals. My mother in law mentioned Boyd’s was a few blocks from her house so I stopped and checked it out. He had just opened a showroom, lots of cool cars, the Hertz GT Mustang is one I really remember. Anyhow, the t-shirt I wanted was not in my size, guy tells me they have more around the corner at the actual shop. I go there, secretary sells me the shirt, asks me if I want to go back and look around, of course! I remember the checkerboard floor, the biggest Snap-on box I’d ever seen, cnc machine cutting on its own, I get out to the back and there’s a guy working on what would become the Roadstar. He was working through lunch and the only one there. He proceeded to tell me what he was doing and show me Michael Anthony’s Blazer project, and several other cool cars. I wonder now if that was Chip? It was an awesome experience, if that was you Chip, Thanks!

[@forsakensoul2u]

Thank you Jay, for this amazing episode, as the proud owner of a yellow 2000 Plymouth Prowler , i must admit it took me actually driving one to realize how much fun and understated the car is. It is def no daily commute vehicle reference the almost non existent trunk space but as a weekend driver its an amazing piece of machinery. thank you all who were involved and made this car happen, we are forever in your debt.

[@dalenihiser7766]

Jay, as I recall when I worked at our local Chrysler-Plymouth dealership, we were allocated just one 1997 Plymouth Prowler for the whole model year. Chrysler made each dealer make a significant investment in the service bay namely specialized tools and a lift if we wanted a Prowler. When the car arrived, it was serviced and driven onto the showroom floor then cordoned off where it couldn't be touched or even sat in by employees or customers. MSRP was about $37k or so, and after 90 days on the showroom, we wholesaled it to another dealer for $10K over MSRP. The Prowlers were sought after in the larger markets but not in our small market. I think we received one more in the 98 model year. By then the bloom had come off the rose.

[@jonblair5470]

I’ve always loved the look of the Prowler

[@seinsmeld13]

The great Chip Foose. Thanks for everything you've done over the years.🥶

[@danbgt]

My dad was a Plymouth guy. When I was a little kid his pride and joy was a 1959 Plymouth Savoy. It had really, really big fins in the back!

[@curbozerboomer1773]

Those fins were awesome!...I owned a 59 Savoy...sadly, that car was the basic model, and had, believe it or not, the last flathead six that Chrysler ever used!...very smooth, but not the right engine for such a heavy car.

[@danbgt]

@@curbozerboomer1773 I have no idea what engine my dads car had but I’m sure it was the very basic model. It was a standard three speed manual with no air conditioning or anything. It was my dads first new car. He would have been close to 40 at that time.

[@lionelhowell4972]

I have always liked these,and the Cross fire

[@IndependantMind168]

Also at this time the v6's were being built like tanks and starting to output decent performance. Honestly this v6 sounds amazing.

[@SnowTime-be9eh]

There were plenty of 6 cylinder performance cars before the Prowler came out, so I'm not sure why it was ok for them and heresy for the Prowler. Some of these cars include the Grand National, '89 Turbo T/A, Stealth R/T, Taurus SHO, NSX, M3, 300ZX, Supra and plenty more. The Prowler V6 was every bit a Hot Rod engine too. It featured 10.4:1 compression ratio, aluminum SOHC heads with 4 valves per cylinder, a long ram intake manifold with sequential multi port fuel injection and distributorless ignition. The power was underpinned by a stout bottom end that included forged crank, forged rods, full floating pistons and 6 bolt main caps, that's right 6. It had 4 bolts coming in from the bottom and 2 more cross bolted in through the side of the block(just like the old 427 Cobra Demand blocks). No turbo, no supercharger, no vvt and it still put out a hair less than 1 NET hp per cubic inch. That was the first year Prowler. After the initial year, they added an aluminum block, and a sophisticated valved intake manifold with twin throttle bodies. Was it quick? The first year did 0-60 in 7 seconds flat and the 1/4 mile in 15.4. The refreshed 2nd gen engine was good for 5.7 0-60 and 14.3 1/4 mjle. How does this compare to the competition? '96 Mustang GT 0-60 6.7, 1/4 15.1, 1999 Z28 conv. 0-60 5.5, 1/4 14.0, 1999 SVT Cobra 0-60 5.4, 1/4 14.0, 1999 M3 0-60 5.6, 1/4 14.3, 1996 Porsche 911 0-60 6.3, 1/4 14.3, 1993 Ferrari 348TS O-60 5.5, 1/4 13.9 1996 Acura NSX(auto) 0-60 5.8, 1/4 14.3. Obviously the performance was plenty competitive. The biggest mistake that Chrysler made with the Prowler was overestimating the intelligence of the car community at large. The press and the public got hung up on the lack of V8, and failed to see the substance and competence that was actually there. Unfortunately, judging by most of the current reviews and comments, nothing has changed to this day.

[@Nicontrast]

This is the first time I've cringed at Jay Leno's comments during one of his videos. So much time spent bagging out the car when there is so much to appreciate. It sounds like my younger self in my mind looking back at a youth criticising things before I got over myself as I aged, cringy teenager bagging when there's a cool-looking fun machine just sitting there ready to be enjoyed if you'd just let it go. Chip was a great spirit in this video. I've wanted one of these cars for so long, I just love those lines and the boldness of the company to build something that was lucky to make it out of the design-area. I would own it any day and when people bag it out telling me why it should have been better, I'd be the one enjoying it with a smile on my face driving every day.

[@nukedathlonman]

I've always felt the Prowler was under appreciated, though I'm one of the people that think a manual trans should have been an option and it should have had a V8. That isn't me saying the car didn't have it's niche, and I felt it served it quite well. Very awesome seeing Chip Foose on the show. Thanks Jayu!!!

[@h5mind373]

Even a manual option would have made this more interesting and exciting to drive. And for what it's worth, the Prowler has almost 200HP more than the 1932 flathead Ford V-8 it was inspired by.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

I always hated the fake retro 90's craze - they were all ugly caricatures & under-powered in my opinion & the Prowler was one of the worst culprits. Still interesting history though - and I do like the colour.

[@Eric714Trading]

My last day of high school in 2008, we got out of class and made a b-line to the nearest smoke shop. While driving over there, we saw Chip Foose driving a Prowler (possibly this one) and we waved and ended up going into the same shopping center. We said hi to him briefly and he was of course super cool even though he was about to get a steak at Mortons steakhouse. Great memory, he is a legend

[@ronmorgan8214]

hmmm...

[@mikestufano4961]

Thank you Mr. Leno for taking the time to give to the lowly Prowler! I was working for Chrysler in between jobs for a 2-year h life change rite when the towers fell in New York and had some strong Prowler exposure at the time. Thank you both Mr. Leno and Mr. Foose i have 40 yrs of autobody experience that i could fill your reply space up with, but I wont.Thank you both!

[@blackbuttecruizr]

Just ran into Chip over in Maryville TN this afternoon, super nice guy.

[@GroinFaceGroin]

Is he ok?

[@legalisquestae]

If we’re lucky, he’s there to consult with Smith & Wesson. Wonder how he’d modify a Performance Center M&P 2.0?

[@jimhimes3506]

@@GroinFaceGroin😂🤣😂

[@eriklarson9137]

@@GroinFaceGroin Excellent.

[@Future-Classic-Comics]

Seems abit harsh, seems fitting as he works with cars. 🤔

[@scottimusgarrett15]

Two of my favourite car guys...in a Prowler? Okay! I knew Chip's background with this car, so that wasn't surprising. What did surprise me is that this car has aged better than I would've expected. Update the engine with a twin-turbo setup and a Tremec, remove those bumpers, and it would be pretty fun! Thanks for coming out and giving us some personal background on the car, Chip! Great to see you! And as usual, kudos to Jay and The Crew for another great episode! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

[@77gmcnut]

I met Chip briefly through a WD40 promotion when I worked at NAPA Auto Parts. Boyd Coddington was a very talented man and Mr Leno is amazing too.

[@scottnewton9046]

This was one of the more interesting vehicles I worked on back in the day. I worked on the airbag crash sensor calibrations while working for TRW. It was quite exciting when we received the drawings of the chassis and had to figure out the best placement for those crash sensors.

[@rare6499]

This is fantastic, as someone from the UK I was only ever aware of this car from pictures and so on, and I wasn’t a particularly big fan at the time. But as time has gone on this car has grown in to an incredible looking vehicle. It looks way more ‘modern’ than 1999! Brilliant

[@mrFalconlem]

So import it, I know no mot….? Maybe it can get one from the right importer.

[@lancewright21]

In 1999 I was a car salesman at you guessed it, a Chrysler/Plymouth dealership. We were all blown away when we first learned of the prowler coming to our showroom floor. I will never forget the day it showed up in our parking lot on the car hauler and after the manager got his first test drive around the block, we all got to take it for a spin but just inside the dealership grounds, lol. The car was an instant hit but as chip and jay pointed out, it was under powered and no trunk space. That first Prowler we got my Buddy sold just a day later for 42,000. The MSRP was like 32 and some change and we had added a dealer mark up of 10 grand. Needless to say after the dealership closed that night, my buddy that made the sale, to a Lawyer I might add, took us all out for a night of drinking and a few other things 😂 and the Lawyer that bought the car joined us.

[@gasparini76]

Chip Foose lives his job as main passion 24/7. All of his builds are top work. Huge respect!

[@DMBVR4]

Love the chemistry between you two and how you bounce jokes and exaggerations off each other, this was a delight to watch! I was 10-14 years old during the era of the Copperhead, Prowler, GT90, and other concept cars were in magazines. I didn't care what engines or powertrains they had, they were just plain cool. Fast forward 25 years and I still think they're just as cool lol

[@FelipeColby]

That was thoroughly delightful. 31 minutes? They just flew by. Kudos to all

[@customjohnny]

I met Chip Foose at SEMA some years back. Such a nice guy, he never made me feel rushed as I talked to him. He seemed genuinely interested to meet me and others

[@DeeperImageAutomotive]

What a treat to have these two legends sharing the same floorspace!!! I recently got to see the Hemisfear from Chip at Savoy Museum, along with some of his other amazing creations. The Hemisfear is absolutely stunning! Brilliant designer indeed!

[@druidofthefang]

omg it's Chip! Hes an awesome guy, very very humble. Good to see Jay and Chip together

[@kielbasaglen6843]

Looks like he put a few... pounds on.

[@chiefcharlesmolina7933]

That car is beautiful. It looks absolutely stunning.

[@MasteringTheModel]

We need more Chip Foose on Jay Leno's Garage.

[@summertimeforever]

agree, chip foose must be back

[@jameswampler4073]

I remember my Dad fell in love with this car, but then there was a waiting list and then dealers started marking them up and he said no thanks...But because he had been to the dealer so many times he bought a 4X4 Dakota with the V8 and Loved it.

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

So nice to see Chip again! I never knew of his involvement with the Prowler. Good time listening to this pair sharing their thoughts on the car.

[@christophermarin9125]

I was 12 when that came out and it was instantly my favorite car. It actually is what got me interested in cars, my school bus had a stop right by a chrysler dealership with one of these in the front showroom. 2850 lbs, 255 hp and the looks of a 30s chopped hot rod, I still think they're pretty amazing cars.

[@gzuzsavz]

right on! & they're not underpowered: 0-60 mph time to 5.7 seconds and quarter-mile performance to 14.3 seconds at 95.4 mph

[@curbozerboomer1773]

And really, ic you did certain mods to that engine, you could easily extract well over 300hp...no need for a V8.

[@adg1017]

What an incredible story. How did I not know this?!?

[@beckman2007]

My step-dad had a silver one of these he bought new and he customized the heck out of it. Chrome a-arms, chrome grill, supercharger, Borla exhaust, upgraded sound system with a kicker sub, hard-top, ghost flames by Steve Vandemon. Thing was pretty quick with that supercharger and it was quite a bit of fun.

[@tbirdtim]

Thanks, Jay, for giving the Prowler some long overdue credibility. I have owned my 2000 Plymouth Prowler since 2015. No regrets whatsoever. It is a very solid car. Fun to drive. Gets lots of attention (which I enjoy). Soft top goes up (or down) in seconds. I updated the sound system. I did remove the moustache bumpers and installed turn indicator inserts. Otherwise the car is 100% stock. It’s not an everyday driver, however I do drive it quite often.

[@ed3402]

I’d like to see pictures with the bumper removed. Any way to see them?

[@FastSS02]

@@ed3402 just google search Plymouth Prowler. TONS of people remove the bumpers because they're so ugly. Stupid federal mandates!

[@MikeBMW]

Not gonna lie, I've always liked the Prowler. Knowing Chip Foose was involved proves me right. :D A friend of mine had the PT Cruiser - that was plain horrible but, at the time, different, and, therefore interesting - for a bit ...

[@j3tztbassman123]

I remember having an rc model of the Prowler. So cool to hear the story of its genesis.

[@BingWrosby]

Used to work with a guy, a higher up, who had one of these. He looked like a cross between Ned Flanders and Mr. Belvedere. Gave out big creepy 6’3” nice guy hugs that included a strong pull in and musty moist BO. Back slapping bad joke teller to boot. Car fit him perfectly!

[@andymelendez9757]

Great to see Chip again. What a team Jay and Chip would make. Almost too much talent in the room! It takes big balls to push the envelope in a big corporate environment. Chip rules

[@garrettkrieger6867]

Got to drive one of these when I was 16 and it was an awesome experience, had no idea Foose designed it. If this would’ve had a good power plant it would’ve been a legendary car.

[@FFVison]

I had a Trapper Keeper in grade school which featured the Prowler. Loved the fact that I could see it eventually get made.

[@edgeg400]

JAY! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG? IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU HAD ONE OF THE GREATEST, IF NOT THE GREATEST, FABRICATOR OF DREAM MACHINES - ON THE PLANET! Thank you. Seeing two of the greatest auto enthusiasts (both creator & curators) together - in one car..., ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS! More Chip Foose, PLEASE!

[@zoltore23]

Please stop yelling.

[@pissoff234]

Settle down before you piss yourself.

[@jekutube9]

I hope he brings some of his cars to Jay's garage that they talked about.

[@Future-Classic-Comics]

Writing isn't yelling. Yelling is audible. ​@@zoltore23

[@wrightsublette1701]

Thank you for having Chip on the show, please bring him on a semi regular bases so you could both discuss automotive design together. I would love to see you visit Chip’s collection.

[@justinvanburen8259]

Another great episode. Chip Voest is iconic legend.

[@CarswithNash]

I loved these from day one and still do!

[@ynot5105]

Surprised to see Chip on the show, but it was great, to follow their conversation, pretty natural humour all round. Must admit, I quite like the car too; V6 and all. Thanks Jay!

[@christopherhuber2517]

Chip you are very humble. I love the fact that you did the drawings for the prowler. Its nice

[@jayroth6110]

First years was 1998 and it had 214 horse power... Fun cars and always gets people to smile!

[@beerzerker8359]

This car looks so good for a car that was made in the 90's. Especially coming off the boxy era of 80's car designs. I grew up in the 90's and I don't recall ever seeing one, but they were probably not very common in Canada. I think it would be fun to own one of these if you are someone of my generation. A few tweaks to the engine, maybe do a supercharger mod and improve the injection system (as Jay alluded to), it would be tons of fun to drive.

[@momnc4721]

Thank you Mr. Leno for another amazing car review and also for having the legend Chip Foose on your show. You two are my favorite car people and I watch anything that you guys are a part of🙏🏽

[@chrisstavro4698]

In .97 I was working at the plant that made the bumpers, as well as Firebird fenders. They could have LS swapped it with a T56. jk It's hard to call a niche vehicle a "failure'. They still sold way more than any real hot rod shops.

[@mangotail6808]

I always admired the Prowler and i still do. What it could of had was more power, that,s it. Beside that its like nothing else on the road 😊

[@bobbyhill1013]

My childhood dream car. 🙌🏻 I had a poster in my room for years of the tuxedo edition

[@jamesengland7461]

This and the PT Cruiser are both brilliant designs in their revival of some of the most beautiful design language in automotive history. If you don't love the 30s cars, you may just not get it. Us street rod lovers get it.

[@313barrygmail]

Have you ever driven or worked on at pt cruiser?

[@johndavey72]

Hi Jay . Really good to see Chip . I was aware of Chip being the designer . Such a talented and respectful man . And his artwork is sensational . Thanks Jay