Aged just seven Chip Foose started working on car at his Dad’s Project Design shop, in Santa Barbara, California in 1970.

After financial difficulties Chip dropped out of the Art Center College of Design in 1982, but returned to graduate in 1990 by which time he had designed a retro coupé / roadster for a a Chrysler-sponsored college project.

After attracting much attention with it’s Dodge Viper, Chrysler design director Thomas C. Gale, also a hot rodder, gave the Plymouth Prowler which was influenced by Chip Fooses College design the go ahead as a concept car in 1993.

The Prowler went into production in 1997 with a chassis and body built from adhesive bonded aluminium at a facility in Shadeyside, Ohio with the rest of the assembly being completed by hand in Detroit.

Initially the Prowler was powered by a 214hp 3.5 litre / 213 cui V6 but in 1999 this was upgraded to produce 253hp, the motor is linked to a a four-speed Autostick semi-automatic transmission mounted in in the back, a al Alfa Romeo and Porsche 924/944/968 among many others to improve weight distribution, by a torque tube.

When the Plymouth brand was dropped in 2001 the Prowler continued to be marketed as a Chrysler until production ceased in 2002 with 11,700 examples built.

The 2002 example seen in these photographs taken at Pendine Sands was first registered in the UK on the 19th of December 2002.

Thanks for joining me on this “Shadeyside Bonded Body” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Wishing all GALPOT readers a Happy New Yew Year. Don’t forget to come back now !