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Wikipedia: Chrysler (division)
Official Site: Chrysler.com Page Sections History Reference Desk Motorsports Multimedia Images Documents Article Index |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Chrysler (division) page on 12 December 2015, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Chrysler is an American car brand and the longstanding premium marque of automaker FCA US LLC. Before the 2014 creation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles by the merger of Fiat and Chrysler, FCA US was known as Chrysler Group LLC, named after its founder Walter Chrysler.
Overview
The Chrysler brand was originally a premium luxury position competing with Cadillac, Packard, and Lincoln. Chrysler was the top brand in the portfolio of what was then known as Chrysler Corporation, led by its top model, the Imperial starting in 1955.
After the corporation decided to spin Imperial off as a separate brand in 1955 to better compete with Cadillac and Lincoln, Chrysler became the corporation's number two brand, but still offered luxury and near-luxury products. Chrysler's positioning of the Chrysler brand towards a mid-price brand caused Chrysler to kill DeSoto after 1961 and merge most DeSoto vehicles into the new Chrysler Newport. After the Imperial brand was dropped in 1975, Chrysler once again became the top brand.
Chrysler-Plymouth
Chrysler-Plymouth was a division that sold cars with both Chrysler and Plymouth brand names. The Chrysler models emphasized luxury, while the Plymouth cars stood for practicality. The division also sold the high-luxury Imperial brand until 1975. Most Chrysler-Plymouth dealers began offering Jeep vehicles following the demise of Chrysler's Eagle brand in 1998.
When the Plymouth brand was retired in 2001, Chrysler became a stand-alone division of DaimlerChrysler AG, the company formed by the merger of Chrysler and Daimler-Benz. Recently, however, the Chrysler Group has been making efforts to consolidate the Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep brands into one sales unit, while maintaining separate brand identity.
During the 1980s the Chrysler division expanded its product line and target markets by marketing upscale versions of the Chrysler K platform. The Chrysler brand took on a similar role as Oldsmobile, Buick, or Acura by offering entry-level luxury cars of various types and sizes. After the Plymouth line of cars (which were sold in car dealerships alongside the Chrysler brand) were discontinued in 2001, the Chrysler division marketed everything from economy cars such as the PT Cruiser to the limited production Prowler sports car alongside the brand's traditional upscale models such as the 300 and LHS.
Following Fiat's acquisition of a 20% stake in Chrysler LLC, Fiat set a long-term goal of reviving Chrysler as a full luxury brand to compete again with Cadillac and other luxury brands. The company stated in October 2009 that future plans for Chrysler brand vehicles include closer cooperation and shared development between Chrysler and Lancia, an upscale Italian automaker within the Fiat Group. In 2011, the brand's winged emblem was modified, eliminating the historic blue ribbon center which dated from the 1930s, replacing it with a blue-backed "Chrysler" nameplate. In May 2014, Fiat-Chrysler announced it would make the brand a mainstream brand with premium features, similar to GM's Buick, in contrast to earlier statements of moving the full line into the luxury market.
Reference Desk
The Crittenden Automotive Library's "Reference Desk" is a collection of materials that cannot be shared due to copyright restrictions. Information from these resources, however, can be shared. Go to the Reference Desk page for more information.
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
1957  Book | Chrysler-Imperial 1957 Service Manual; Chrysler Corporation |
| 1976 Book | 1976 Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Chassis-Body Service Manual; Chrysler Corporation |
| 1976 Book | 1976 Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Electrical Service Manual; Chrysler Corporation |
| 2006 Book | Standard Catalog of 1950's Chrysler by Jon G. Robinson; Krause Publications |
Championships Won in Chryslers
| Year | Series | Driver | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | NASCAR Grand National | Lee Petty | New Yorker |
| 1955 | NASCAR Grand National | Tim Flock | C-300 |
| 1956 | NASCAR Grand National | Buck Baker | 300B |
| Date | Media or Collection Name & Details | Files |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Chrysler's New One Hundred Million Dollar Look! Jerry Fairbanks Productions for Chrysler |  Topic Page - 831MB - 36:36 |
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Subject: 1924 Chrysler New Zealand Stamp
Title: News and Events: For the Stamp Collector Source: Antique Automobile: March-April 1972 Caption: New Zealand recently issued an attractive set of six antique car stamps to help celebrate the 13th International Car Rally held in New Zealand in February. The six cars illustrate the development of the motor car from the earliest pioneering period to the introduction of the light economy car. The three cent stamp shows an 1895 Benz; the four cent a 1904 Oldsmobile; the five cent a 1914 Model T Ford; the six cent a 1915 Cadillac service car; the eight cent a 1924 Chrysler and the ten cent shows a 1923 Austin 7. The background scenes are appropriate to both the time and eras in which the cars were used. View photo of 1924 Chrysler New Zealand Stamp - 2.7MB |
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Subject: A. Kann & Company 1929 Chrysler Ad
Source: The Ludington Daily News, 24 May 1929 View photo of A. Kann & Company 1929 Chrysler Ad - 1.5MB |
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Subject: 1941 Chrysler Advertisement
View photo of 1941 Chrysler Advertisement - 23.1MB |
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Subject: 1953 Chrysler Advertisement
Photographer/Source: The Saturday Evening Post Date: 20 June 1953 View photo of 1953 Chrysler Advertisement - 25.6MB |
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Subject: 1954 Chrysler Advertisement
View photo of 1954 Chrysler Advertisement - 24.9MB |
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Subject: 1954 Chrysler Advertisement
View photo of 1954 Chrysler Advertisement - 55.7MB |
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Subject: "Orange Rush" 1957 Chrysler Dragster Scale Model (Jim DiBiase)
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2011 Indian Uprising Model Car Show Model Build Info: Jimmy Flintstone body View photo of "Orange Rush" 1957 Chrysler Dragster Model - 1,523KB |
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Subject: "Orange Rush" 1957 Chrysler Dragster Scale Model (Jim DiBiase)
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2011 Indian Uprising Model Car Show Model Build Info: Jimmy Flintstone body View photo of "Orange Rush" 1957 Chrysler Dragster Model - 2,111KB |
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Subject: 1960 Chrysler Advertisement
Source: National Geographic, May 1959 View photo of 1960 Chrysler Advertisement - 2,154KB |
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Subject: 1962 Chrysler 300H (background) and a 1965 Chrysler 300L
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2007 Lensing Autumn Classic Car Show View photo of Chrysler 300s - 3,302KB |
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Subject: 300 Series Collection
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2008 Summer NNL Model Build Info: Built by Bob Deneen View photo of Chrysler 300s - 3,862KB |
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Subject: "Slow Down"
Artist: Wissam Shekhani License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 Generic License Artwork Info: Ink & Marker On Board Caption: This work was made by Wissam Shekhani, Arabian contemporary intellectual and polymath from Lebanon. For more works and information, see www.wissamshekhani.com. View image of "Slow Down" by Wissam Shekhani - Chrysler Wheel Art - 1.1MB |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 21 September 1924 | W. VA. STATE TROOPERS BUY CHRYSLER AFTER SPEED TEST | The Pittsburgh Press |
| March-April 1972 | THE CHRYSLER SIX: America's First Modern Automobile  | Mark Howell, Antique Automobile |
| 13 August 2006 | Chrysler Film Project Named Five Lucky Finalists | Sarah McBride |
| 29 August 2013 | Petition for Exemption From the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard; Chrysler | Federal Register: NHTSA (Christopher J. Bonanti) |
