After a decade-long production run, the last Chrysler PT Cruiser rolls of the line in Mexico today. One of the most recognizable automobiles on the road, the PT Cruiser has sold nearly 1.5 million copies worldwide since its introduction at the Detroit car show in 1999.

Ten years ago retro-styled vehicles were a minor fad as cars such as the New Beetle, Ford’s resurrected Thunderbird and the PT Cruiser hit the streets. Chrysler’s offering was by far the most popular of the lot, owing to its low price and useful, roomy interior.

The PT Cruiser was preceded by the Plymouth Pronto concept car, a design exercise intended to maximize interior space in a tidy, compact footprint. Chrysler took the interior packaging of the Pronto, added unique retro styling and began selling it as a Chrysler in the fall of 1999. Interestingly, the PT Cruiser is officially designated as a truck, not a car.

The PT Cruiser spawned a sizeable cottage industry of customizers and Chrysler itself offered a two-door convertible and a wide variety of custom packages for the car -- er, truck.

The Toluca, Mexico, factory that built the PT Cruiser will now be converted for production of the Fiat 500 which will be introduced to the North American market later this year.

--M.D.