Born out of the two-door Pronto Cruizer and the four-door Chrysler Pronto Cruizer AWD – both concept vehicles – the 2001 PT Cruiser is a concept(ion)-to-reality vehicle.

“Personal transportation,” which is meant to reflect the PT Cruiser’s flexibility and versatility for each individual owner.

Move over Gumby. The PT Cruiser is capable of carrying five people as a passenger car or just a driver with the cargo capacity of a light truck. The 65/35-split folding rear seat can be folded forward in two positions or removed completely to reveal a flat load floor. For added flexibility, an available front passenger seat can be folded completely forward for use as a table top for the driver or to provide enough space to load an 8-foot ladder.

Can you say rigormortis? Some dealers are asking as much as $10,000 above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $16,000. Other dealers have been offered twice the sticker price for demo models.

Reminiscent of classic American cars from the 1930s and ’40s, the PT Cruiser features a roof line with unique proportions, a high belt line accented by three side windows and separate fender forms connected by simulated flared side sills. Unlike its decades-old predecessors, it also features options such as anti-lock brakes, an alarm system, dark-tinted windows and side air bags.

The PT Cruiser features a color-matched dash panel that coordinates with five of the available exterior pearl and metallic colors, a cue-ball shifter knob and a storage drawer under the front passenger seat. Interested?

Unless you mailed your list to Santa back in June, you won’t find any PT Cruiser keys when you turn your stocking inside out (a few stray Life Savers maybe, but no keys). Insatiable demand has left some dealers with a five-month wait – others are hesitantly promising delivery in six to nine months.