Chrysler PT Cruiser hits the end of the road this summer

One of the original retro cars, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, is getting the ax.

Production ends this summer, Chrysler president Tom Lasorda confirmed last week.

With its sinister styling that drew comparisons to 1930s gangster rides, the PT Cruiser was a hit when it was launched in 2000. It was refreshed for 2006 and over the past decade, Chrysler has produced 14 variations, including a Turbo, a Woodie and five Woodward Dream Cruise editions.

Still, with its styling essentially unchanged for nearly a decade, sales fell 51 percent in 2008, and only 50,910 units were sold last year. The cars are assembled in Toluca, Mexico.

As the car has grown long in the tooth, rumors of the PT Crusier

By Greg Migliore