Functional, gas efficient, inexpensive and boring, subcompacts are considered the car of necessity, not the dream car of choice. Chrysler set out to reverse that perception by creating a small car that people lusted after

Before Chrysler built its mega-hit PT Cruiser, it consulted a Jungian psychiatrist to try to glean the subconscious desires of consumers. What emerged as Chrysler tapped into cultural archetypes was a vehicle that the Wall Street Journal described as "part 1920s gangster car, part 1950s hot rod, and part London taxicab." It became an instant worldwide success so much so that there is now nearly a year's waiting list to get one..

The initial goal at Chrysler (which in 1998 became DaimlerChrysler), however, was to produce a subcompact car that would sell equally well in the U.S. and overseas two distinctly different markets. In the U.S., the automaker wanted to issue a small car to satisfy federal regulations on fuel economy, so that it would be left free to sell more big trucks and SUVs. At the same time, it wanted to make inroads internationally where exorbitant petro taxes made small gas-sipping cars a necessity. To avoid duplicating design and manufacturing costs, Chrysler was intent on producing one new model, not two.

The problem was that Americans preferred SUVs and minivans, and the Europeans were nationalistic in their car-buying preferences. The Germans bought German-made cars; the French French-made cars; the Italians Italian cars. Getting them to accept an American-made subcompact would be no easy task, especially since internationally Chrysler was known for pickup trucks, Jeeps and minivans.

In its determination to discover intangible qualities that consumers want in a vehicle, Chrysler went beyond traditional consumer research. One approach was to consult with Dr. Clothaire Rapaille, a Palm Beach-based Jungian who propounds an Archetype Research method designed to help businesses tap into what underlies consumer-buying preferences. Through free association exercises, Chrysler executives pieced together a mosaic impression of American culture, positive and negative. The picture that emerged was a society that was entrepreneurial, individualistic, freedom-loving and inventive as well as juvenile and self-indulgent. Deeply embedded in the American persona, these archetypal traits, in theory, superseded practical needs and defined the subconscious desires of American consumers..

In leading the exterior design of the PT (Personal Transportation) Cruiser, Bryan Nesbitt says he reflected on the insights that came out of Dr. Rapaille's research. Two points that particularly intrigued him were America's tendency toward indulgence and a belief in the inherent right to the trappings of wealth.

"If you think about indulgence in the domestic car market, scale still equates to status," Nesbitt says. "In America, nobody aspires to the small-car market. You are constantly aspiring to something else. If you only have so much money, why should you be constantly reminded that you only have so much money?"

Searching for a way around this conundrum, Nesbitt began to wonder if it was possible to design a small car that felt like something beyond that and not a sacrifice to own. "Was there a way to make it feel indulgent?" he asked himself. "Can we make it feel like a special purchase, unique, not like any of these other small cars? Can we make sure it never reinforces the fact that you are in the small-car segment?" Going further, he concluded, "If we could design it so it's not judged at all, it would become its own category."

But there was also the international market to consider. There, Nesbitt had an epiphany while visiting a Gap store in Paris. "It was extremely western. It really catered to the American mythology," he recalls. "Cowboy hats, the West, this entire mythology of freedom." Then it struck him. "If Chrysler is such an American brand, why not let Europeans indulge on that Americana? For the international market, it would have premium exclusivity because, in reality, it would be an import."

Looking back on American automotive history, Nesbitt sought to pinpoint the one genre that communicated individualism more than any other and concluded it was the custom cars of the 1920s and '30s. "I started sketching vehicles that had that architecture aesthetically, making it obvious and exaggerating it on the small car," he explains. The vintage look helped to convey to overseas markets that Chrysler had been making cars for a long time. It also said it "may be the size of a European car, but it is very American."Nesbitt found another nostalgic symbol in the "woodie" wagons of the 1950s. Evocative of California surfers, endless summers and the celebrated film classic, "American Graffiti," the silhouette reminded aging baby-boomers of their carefree youth, real or imagined.

These positive impressions played well in both the U.S. and overseas. By connecting with consumers on an emotional level, the unique design brought another dimension of value to the small-car segment.

The styling of the PT Cruiser, says Nesbitt, helps to "transcend the whole negative stigma of having to sacrifice in the small-car market." It looks "specialized," Nesbitt says, and Americans equate specialized with indulgence. "You see that in the SUV market. This vehicle was purpose-built to go off-road, but I just happen to use it everyday to go to the store. Wow, that's a luxury because it is completely unnecessary! The PT Cruiser seats five people, has tremendous rear headroom and is great for families, but don't ever let it communicate that. I bought it for me."

In fact, consumer research reveals that people assume that the PT Cruiser is priced in the $30-40,000 range, instead of its actual price point of between $16-20,000.

While a retro look has given the PT Cruiser a cachet that has attracted an avid following, the automaker clearly understood that homage to the past ends when it comes to ergonomic considerations and modern technologies. "Americans want all that emotion, all that equity of history and, at the same time, the latest CD changer, the latest safety system, the flexibility of a cargo van that does everything," says Nesbitt.

What's more, he adds, today's consumers are very savvy. "They expect good design because they know it can be obtained in their price range. They want it all." Four cupholders, ergonomic armrest/pull handles, a flexible storage bin, and a coin holder that accommodates both American and European-size coins are just some of the thoughtful appointments that DaimlerChrysler included to satisfy these demands. "It's the best of the old and the best of the new," says Nesbitt.

The retro proportions of the PT Cruiser also lent itself to another critical feature headroom and a spacious interior. The low floor and tall profile make getting in and out of the car easier and leave plenty of space for five people to sit comfortably. The taller height of the car also creates the optical illusion that the vehicle is not in the subcompact class, although the PT is actually five inches shorter in length than the Dodge Neon. Additionally, it gives the driver a higher visibility that feels more like an SUV..

The "tall sedan" profile actually preceded the retro styling. It first began to emerge in the 1994 Plymouth Expresso and became more evident in the 1997 Plymouth Pronto and the 1998 two-door Pronto Cruizer. But without the exaggerated retro look of the final PT Cruiser, these concept versions received little attention at car shows..

It took the nostalgic styling of the PT Cruiser for people to connect with it on a visceral level and to think that the car was truly special. "Consumers either like it or they don't, and often they can't tell you why," says Nesbitt. That connection often comes down to whether the car makes a cohesive design statement, he believes.

Early on, in trying to make a visceral connection for himself, Nesbitt spent a lot of time thinking about the personality of the car he wanted to design. Then one day he says he happened upon a book on dogs. "It showed a picture of a flat-faced pug. It was described as small but able to hold its ground. Street smart. Confident. Affectionate. The ultimate companion. And rewarding to be with. That is what I wanted the PT Cruiser to be.".

Nesbitt was wondering if he had achieved this goal when a mechanic in Seattle called to say he was forming a PT Cruiser Club. "There was no car yet," Nesbitt says. "That's when I began to think, `Wow, maybe we have something pretty neat here.'" Indeed. By the time the PT Cruiser hit the market, the club had over 400 members and has been growing ever since.