COMPANY

Chrysler is a well-known American-based automaker from the Detroit, Michigan suburb of Auburn Hills. The company was established by Walter Chrysler in June of 1925, after the Maxwell Motor Company was reorganized.

Walter Percy Chrysler was a railroad mechanic, automotive executive, machinist and founder of the Chrysler Corporation. His automotive career began as early as 1911 when he met James J. Storrow, an executive at General Motors. Storrow asked Chrysler if he had ever thought about going into automobile manufacturing.

A few years later, Chrysler was offered the opportunity to run Buick, which he did until 1919, having disagreed with the proposed vision of General Motors. He acquired some control over Maxwell Motor Company in 1921 and phased it out to absorb it into his new firm known as the Chrysler Corporation. Over the next few years he would create the Plymouth and DeSoto brands and buy out Dodge. By 1929, Chrysler was named Time Magazine's Man of the Year.

The original 1924 Chrysler model had an oil filter, full pressure lubrication, carburetor air filter and a high compression engine. This was during a time when most automobiles came without these features. Chrysler even developed a ridged rim to prevent a flat tire from flying off the wheel, which was a safety feature quickly adopted worldwide.

Like other automobile companies, the Chrysler Corporation split up certain cars by function and price class. At the lower end of the price market was the Plymouth, which was a reworking of Chrysler's 4-cylinder. After purchasing Dodge, Chrysler launched the Fargo trucks.

Beginning in the 1950s, the Chrysler Imperial was the company's luxury car. It had been around since 1926 as Chrysler's top-of-the-line model, but revamps during the 50s created an extravagant car like none other to compete with the likes of Cadillac and Lincoln. New body styles were designed every two or three years and every Imperial had a V8 engine with automatic transmission. The technology incorporated into the Imperial would soon trickle down into Chrysler's lower rung models. Other brands that Chrysler created, none of which lasted, were MoPar, AutoPar and Chryco.

Chrysler even developed America's first "pony car", which is a name inspired by the Ford Mustang. The term suggests a performance-oriented, highly styled and compact, affordable sports car. While the term, pony car was inspired by the Mustang, Chrysler's Barracuda did, in fact, come out two weeks before Ford's popular car. Despite this, the Mustang outsold the Barracuda, but Chrysler had stamped its name in history.