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Chrysler, 1920s-2009

 Sub-Series
Accession: 20100108-ZTVIdentifier: 20100108-ZTV-I.-939691

Dates

  • Creation: 1920s-2009

Scope and Content

This subseries documents Chrysler Group LLC of Highland Park, Michigan (1924-1992) and Auburn Hills, Michigan (1992-Present). It also documents the Chrysler nameplate, which was built by Maxwell Motors Corporation (1924-1925) and Chrysler Group LLC (1925-Present). DaimlerChrysler, De Soto, Dodge, Imperial, Jeep, and Plymouth are also mentioned in these materials.

The Chrysler nameplate first appeared in 1924 when Walter P. Chrysler, who had recently acquired a controlling interest in Maxwell Motors Corporation, introduced the first car bearing his own name. Largely due to the success of this car, the company was reorganized as Chrysler Corporation in 1925 and the Maxwell nameplate was dropped. Chrysler Corporation quickly expanded by buying other automakers, including Dodge (1928), Fargo (1928), and by establishing new brands including Plymouth (1928) and DeSoto (1928) brands. Before long, Chrysler Corporation had become one of America's "Big Three" automakers.

The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries were particularly eventful for Chrysler. During the late 1970s, the company nearly went bankrupt and was bailed out by the United States government, but was brought back to profitability in the 1980s by Lee Iaccoca. In 1987, Chrysler bought American Motors Corporation, through which it acquired Jeep. In 1998, Chrylser merged with Daimler-Benz AG to form DaimlerChrysler AG, but this merger proved unsuccessful.

Chrysler was sold to Cerberus Capital Management in 2007 and renamed Chrysler LLC. In 2009, Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and emerged from bankruptcy that same year with the United States and Canadian governments as its principal owners. In 2011, Fiat S.p.A. acquired a controlling interest in Chrysler by purchasing stock held by the United States government and renamed the firm Chrysler Group LLC.

Chrysler Group LLC is currently the smallest of the American "Big Three" and is a subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. The Chrysler nameplate is the firm's flagship brand. See also Chandler, DaimlerChrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, Eagle, GEM, Imperial, Jeep, Maxwell, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Plymouth, and smart.

General Physical Description note

14.25 boxes; 5.75 boxes oversize; 7 folders Flat; 1 folder oversize

Extent

From the Series: 625 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Access Restrictions

Vinson’s manuscript A Collector’s Life: An Autobiography, included in Series XIII, is closed to researchers until 2035.

Related Names

Creator

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Published Collections Repository

Contact:
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