Chrysler (brand)

This article is about the American car brand. For the brand's owner, see FCA US. For Chrysler's parent company, see Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Chrysler
Division of FCA US LLC
Industry Automotive
Founded June 6, 1920 (June 6, 1920)
Founder Walter Chrysler
Headquarters Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
Key people
Sergio Marchionne (Chairman and CEO of FCA US LLC)[1]
Products Mainstream vehicles
Parent Chrysler
Website chrysler.com

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 S.p.A. and Chrysler, FCA US was known as Chrysler Group LLC, named after its founder Walter Chrysler.

History

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.

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

Logo of the Chrysler-Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation

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.

During the 1980s the Chrysler division expanded its product line 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.

During the 1990s, more and more Chrysler-Plymouth dealers took on the Jeep and Eagle franchises as Chrysler Corporation began consolidated its dealerships throughout the United States. The Eagle franchise was eventually discontinued in 1998.

Chrysler

Chrysler winged logo (1998 2010)

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.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]

Current Chrysler line-up

2011 Chrysler 300.
2011 Chrysler 300C

The North America Chrysler line-up

Model Years Notes
Chrysler 300 1955-1971

1979

1999–present

Chrysler Pacifica 2017–present Minivan unrelated to SUV

Previous models

Model Years
Chrysler 200 2011–2016
300 letter series 1955–1965
300 1962–1971, 1979
300M 1999–2004
Airstream 1935–1936
Cirrus 1995–2000
Concorde 1993–2004
Conquest 1987–1989
Cordoba 1975–1983
Crossfire 2004–2007
Delta 2011-2014
E-Class 1983–1984
Executive 1983–1986
Fifth Avenue 1983–1993
Imperial 1926–1993
Laser 1984–1986
LeBaron 1977–1995
LHS 1994–2001
Newport 1940–1981
New Yorker 1939–1996
Pacifica 2004–2008
Prowler 2001–2002
PT Cruiser 2001–2010
Royal 1937–1950
Chrysler Voyager 1988-2015
Ypsilon 2011-2015
Chrysler Windsor 1939-1961

Slogan

Chrysler's prior slogan was "Imported from Detroit", which debuted in early 2011. The current slogan, in an effort to modernize and globalize the brand, has been changed to "America's Import".

References

  1. "Chrysler Group Media Website". media.chrysler.com. March 25, 2014. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  2. "Chrysler dealers OK with consolidation plan" in Automotive News, February 18, 2008. Accessed May 1, 2008.
  3. "REPORT: Fiat wants Chrysler to be a Cadillac Competitor". autoblog.com. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
  4. "Lancia, Chrysler to share products". Leftlanenews.com. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
  5. Priddle, Alisa; Snavely, Brent; Walsh, Tom (May 6, 2014). "Chrysler brand goes mainstream, adds compact". USA Today. Tysons Corner, VA: Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456. Archived from the original on May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.

External links

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