Brand histories
The History of the Chrysler Brand
Autopapyrus
Chrysler Corporation is an American automaker that builds vehicles in a range of categories, along with components and other products. The company's headquarters is in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
In 1998, the company merged with Daimler-Benz to form a single enterprise called DaimlerChrysler.
Chrysler was founded in 1924 by engineer and businessman Walter Chrysler. Like other large American automakers, it grew by absorbing smaller car companies. But Chrysler was far from resting on its laurels. Its first car, the Chrysler 70, was powered by a six-cylinder engine and proved hugely popular in the US. Within a year, Americans had bought more than 32,000 of them.
The acquisition of Dodge in 1928 took Chrysler to a new financial level and allowed the company to launch two new brands at once: Plymouth and DeSoto.
The next breakthrough came after World War II, when a powerful new Chrysler appeared on the market that started with an ignition key (1949).
In the 1960s, the company bought stakes in various automakers (Barreiros Diesel, the Rootes Group and others) and built firms around them, which were later combined under the name Chrysler Europe.
The 1970s, despite cooperation with Japan's Mitsubishi, brought the company little profit because of the energy crisis and poorly planned production decisions. Things got so bad that Chrysler Europe was handed over to Peugeot-Citroën, but even that did not improve the situation. Chrysler came to the brink of collapse, and only the talented executive Lee Iacocca kept the plants from shutting down. He convinced the US government that letting Chrysler fail would be an unforgivable, tragic mistake.
In 1987, Chrysler acquired Lamborghini, and the legendary Jeep brand joined it from American Motors Corporation. The famous 1983 model, which was refined and reissued many times afterward, was the Chrysler Voyager, known for its reliability and comfort.
From 1985 to 1989, Chrysler worked with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors to produce economy-class compact cars. In 1988, trucks and pickups appeared under the Eagle brand.
In early 1992, the famous Chrysler Concorde was introduced. It remained popular until the 2000s and changed very little over that time. The popular sports coupe in the grand touring class, the Chrysler Viper/GTS, entered series production in 1996. It was based on the legendary Cobra of the 1960s. One of Chrysler's most successful models is considered to be the Chrysler Cirrus (also sold as the Plymouth Breeze or Dodge Stratus). The car is known for excellent performance, a well-judged equipment list and easy handling.
Since 2000, the company has focused mainly on new markets, because the American car market is already saturated. In 2000, it released the Chrysler PT Cruiser, aimed at European buyers.
In 1998, the company merged with Daimler-Benz to form a single enterprise called DaimlerChrysler.
Chrysler was founded in 1924 by engineer and businessman Walter Chrysler. Like other large American automakers, it grew by absorbing smaller car companies. But Chrysler was far from resting on its laurels. Its first car, the Chrysler 70, was powered by a six-cylinder engine and proved hugely popular in the US. Within a year, Americans had bought more than 32,000 of them.
The acquisition of Dodge in 1928 took Chrysler to a new financial level and allowed the company to launch two new brands at once: Plymouth and DeSoto.
The next breakthrough came after World War II, when a powerful new Chrysler appeared on the market that started with an ignition key (1949).
In the 1960s, the company bought stakes in various automakers (Barreiros Diesel, the Rootes Group and others) and built firms around them, which were later combined under the name Chrysler Europe.
The 1970s, despite cooperation with Japan's Mitsubishi, brought the company little profit because of the energy crisis and poorly planned production decisions. Things got so bad that Chrysler Europe was handed over to Peugeot-Citroën, but even that did not improve the situation. Chrysler came to the brink of collapse, and only the talented executive Lee Iacocca kept the plants from shutting down. He convinced the US government that letting Chrysler fail would be an unforgivable, tragic mistake.
In 1987, Chrysler acquired Lamborghini, and the legendary Jeep brand joined it from American Motors Corporation. The famous 1983 model, which was refined and reissued many times afterward, was the Chrysler Voyager, known for its reliability and comfort.
From 1985 to 1989, Chrysler worked with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors to produce economy-class compact cars. In 1988, trucks and pickups appeared under the Eagle brand.
In early 1992, the famous Chrysler Concorde was introduced. It remained popular until the 2000s and changed very little over that time. The popular sports coupe in the grand touring class, the Chrysler Viper/GTS, entered series production in 1996. It was based on the legendary Cobra of the 1960s. One of Chrysler's most successful models is considered to be the Chrysler Cirrus (also sold as the Plymouth Breeze or Dodge Stratus). The car is known for excellent performance, a well-judged equipment list and easy handling.
Since 2000, the company has focused mainly on new markets, because the American car market is already saturated. In 2000, it released the Chrysler PT Cruiser, aimed at European buyers.
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