The Heritage of Chrysler
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© FCA US Celebrate The Heritage of Chrysler 90 YEARS OF CHRYSLER | PROFILE IN LEADERSHIP An Unlikely Hero hrysler survived the death of its founder, the Great Depression and World C War II only to be weakened nearly to the point of collapse. The forces that would threaten Chrysler’s existence began build- into the fire.” ing in the 1970s, the same decade A whopping $1.5 billion in loan in which its unexpected savior guarantees from the U.S. govern- was ousted as the president of a ment certainly helped him take competing automaker. the heat. That infusion of money gave Chrysler an opportunity to develop two vehicles that would A NEW ERA Although Chrysler made become synonymous with the high-horsepower muscle cars company — and success: the that enthusiasts loved, the hey K-car, whose platform was intro- day for such vehicles was in the- duced in 1981, and the minivan, rear-view mirror by the ‘70s. which changed the world of auto- Emissions and safety standards mobiles when it arrived in 1984. were getting stricter, insurance Between those two milestones, rates were on the rise, and con- Chrysler returned $813,487,500 to sumers were looking for more the administration that gave it a affordable vehicles. In 1973, the new lease on life. oil embargo and its accompany ing fuel shortages motivated - SUCCESS Chrysler to focus on producing Under Iacocca’s guidance, mid-size and smaller models. Chrysler not only survived, it Despite that shift in product flourished. It acquired American planning, the company still need- Motors Corp, the fourth-largest ed help. It came from a surprising U.S. automobile manufacturer, © FCA US source: a former Ford man. and, by extension, Jeep in 1987. Lee Iacocca, who was instru- That was also the year Chrysler mental in the success of the took ownership of the iconic “We are continually faced by great Mustang, was nevertheless Italian sports car company opportunities brilliantly disguised relieved of his position as presi- Lamborghini. dent of Ford in 1978. In Iacocca retired from Chrysler as insoluble problems.” November of that year, he was in 1992, the first year of sales for named the president of the two more iconic and popular Chrysler Corporation. Iacocca vehicles: the Jeep Grand described the experience of tak- Cherokee and Dodge Viper. Like — Lee Iacocca ing the helm of Chrysler as being Chrysler, both of those models “like going from the frying pan survive| A NEW to this CLASS day, thanks in part 90 YEARS OF CHRYSLERto Lee Iacocca. Birth of the Minivan efore the days of FCA US LLC, there was the Chrysler Corporation. It brought the automotive world a number of forward-thinking B innovations, such as power brakes and the high-performance HEMI V8. The Chrysler Corporation also produced a variety of pop- ular models, including the tire-shredding Plymouth Barracuda and the original, trail-conquering Jeep Grand Cherokee. In 1983, it produced more than an automobile; it created an entire class of vehicle: the minivan. The 1984 model-year Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager came around during a time when “baby boomers” were starting families. They needed vehicles larger than sedans and wagons, which were shrinking in size to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy. Full- size vans were too big and didn’t provide a pleasant enough ride for passengers. SPACE, CONVENIENCE The Chrysler Corporation’s minivan twins were built on © FCA US car — instead of truck — plat- forms and provided room for extensive array of useful stan- seven people and their luggage. Plymouth Voyager is no longer duced two years later. The dard equipment Despite how much space they the Caravan and Voyager were around, the Dodge Grand Crossover utility vehicles offered, they were able to fit in Chrysler Town & Country luxu- instant successes when they Caravan and Chrysler Town & may be the craze these days, home garages and through car ry minivan debuted for the rolled into dealerships. By Country live on into the 2016 but they can never take the washes. The smooth-riding 1990 model year. 1985, they made their way onto model year. The Dodge can be place of the minivan, a vehicle front-engine, front-wheel-drive Car and Driver magazine’s “Ten ordered with value-adding Plus which, thanks to the company models gave people in the front ENDURING POPULARITY Best” list. Packages, and the available now known as FCA US LLC, is seats a commanding view of Several generations of 90th Anniversary Edition of the Longer wheelbase models, Chrysler Corporation minivans in a class by itself. the road, as well as the ability known as the Grand Caravan Chrysler variant brings an to step — not climb — out of followed. Although the 90 YEARS OF CHRYSLERand Grand Voyager, were intro- and into the cabin. No wonder | PROFILE IN LEADERSHIP The Father of an Institution elieve it or not, the man who created one of the major American automotive companies B didn’t start his career in the car business. At the age of 17, Walter P. Chrysler defied his father’s Company and begin managing wishes and decided to not go the Buick plant. Eventually, to college. Instead, he followed Chrysler more than tripled pro- in his father’s footsteps and duction by using a variety of started working in the railroad techniques. industry. Chrysler simultane- By 1916, Chrysler was the ously started as an apprentice president of Buick, courtesy of in a machine shop and began a the founder of General Motors, two-decade career, throughout William Durant. However, a which he became known as a few years later, he left the con- master of plant efficiency. glomerate over a disagreement Chrysler went on to hold with Durant about how to best increasingly prestigious posi- handle the costs of vehicle tions within the locomotive frames. sector, and he had a large fami- ly to support. He fell in love A NEW VISION with the sleek Locomobile after Chrysler then became the seeing it at the Chicago Auto head of Maxwell Motor Show, but had to borrow $4,300 Company, Inc. In 1924, the to buy the $5,000 vehicle, Chrysler Six debuted at the which he did in 1908. However, New York Auto Show. Its afford- Chrysler didn’t even drive his able sub-$2,000 price made it a Locomobile until he had taken hit for Maxwell — and for it apart and reassembled it to Chrysler himself. The Maxwell understand its mechanical sys- Motor Corporation formally tems. became the Chrysler Corporation in 1925. A NEW PASSION Ninety years later, Chrysler is It wasn’t until Chrysler was a part of FCA US LLC, which 36 that he went into the auto- will help carry on Walter P. mobile business. Charles Nash, Chrysler’s legacy of advanced engineering and innovation. the president of General Motors at the time, convinced His company’s future is — to his future rival to leave his job borrow an expression from his at the American Locomotive first line of work — “on the right track.” Chrysler simultaneously started as an apprentice in a machine shop and began a two-decade career,© FCA US throughout which he became known as a master of plant efficiency. | THEN AND NOW 90 YEARS OF CHRYSLER The Chrysler 300 he year 1955 was historically significant in numerous ways. The Allies ended their occupation of West Germany, the Brooklyn Dodgers won the World T Series, Rosa Parks took a seat and Chrysler introduced the now-iconic 300. When it came to the U.S. market, the 300-horsepower Chrysler 300 was the most powerful production car in the country. It broke another record by hitting 127.58 miles per hour at Daytona. A POWERFUL TRADITION Chrysler only waited until 1956 to give the 300 even more power — in the form of the 300B. Peak output climbed to 390 horsepower just a year later. Customers had the option © FCA US of lowering the top if they ordered a newly available con- vertible model. Stylish rear fender fins were standard. After leaving dealership lots in 1963, the drop-top 300 returned in 1964. The initial series of letter cars ended in 1965. Non-letter versions of the 300 were produced at various © FCA US points until 1979. It would take another 20 years for a 300 to reappear in Chrysler show- rooms — as the V6-powered, HEMI V8. front-wheel-drive 300M sedan. and transmission choices. A thoroughly revised 300 REBIRTH The highest-performance arrived in time for the 2015 REVIVAL model year. Chrysler is com- Chrysler rolled out the sec- power plant once again came For the 2005 model year, V8-equipped 300C package memorating its founding as a ond-generation of the reborn between the front wheels of the Chrysler marked the 50th anni- with 340 horsepower. company with the 2016 90th 300 for the 2011 model year. In SRT8 model, which pumped versary of the launch of the Performance hit a new peak Anniversary Edition 300. addition to restyled bodywork, out an impressive 470 horse- original 300 by rolling out an with the 2006 SRT-8 variant of the sedan featured upgraded power from a massive 6.4-liter all-new 300. It was available the 300, which packed a technology and new engine with rear- or all-wheel drive 425-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI 90 YEARS OF CHRYSLER and in a variety of trim levels, V8 under its hood. | INNOVATION including the 5.7-liter-HEMI- Ahead of its Time is a package of hen you look up into the sky and catch a glimpse of a plane 90 Years of Chrysler flying, what do you see? More than likely, just lights and W wings, not the inspiration for a revolutionary car design.