10/10/2024
Walter P. Chrysler was born on April 2, 1875 In Wamega Kansas.
He was the third of 4 children of Henry and Anna Marie Chrysler.
His father was a lifelong railroad engineer and as a child Walter wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. He developed a real passion for machinery and at 17 years of age, shunning college, he started a railroad machine shop apprenticeship working his way up over the next 20 years. In 1901 he married Della Forker and settled in Salt Lake City Utah and Walter worked for the Denver and Rio Grande Railway. They had 4 children. He soon became their works manager and at a salary of $8000.00 a year. Chrysler bought a new Locomobile in 1908 and even though he had to borrow most of the money to pay its $5000.00 price tag he had it shipped home by rail and he completely took his new car apart then putting it back together again, while learning how every bit of it functioned.
At 36 years of age, Walter met Charles Nash, president of General Motors. Even though he was now making $12,000.00 yearly Nash persuaded him to come to GM as the general manager of the Buick plant at half that salary. He revolutionized Buicks manufacturing system and by 1915 was made President of Buick by Billy Durant, the founder of GM who had returned to run the company.
Billy Durant and Walter Chrysler both had very strong personalities and often disagreed so Chrysler resigned from GM.
Within a year he had assumed direction of Willys-Overland and Maxwell cars. Maxwell was in huge debt and Chrysler set about reviving it so that in 1924 he renamed the car the Chrysler Six. It was stylish and lower priced. It was such a success that in 1925 the Maxwell car company was reorganized into the Chrysler Corporation.
In 1928 Chrysler purchased the Dodge Brothers line of cars and in 1929 added a line of Plymouths and the DeSoto.
He now became a member of what was known as the big three- GM, Ford and now Chrysler.
Between 1928-1930 he built the Chrysler building in New York City, a 77 stories high skyscraper and was the tallest building at that time in the world.
Chrysler retired in 1935 but suffered a stroke in 1938. His wife also passed away that year and 2 years later Walter passed away.
Most of you readers now, would not know that our father, Reg. McGee started out in April of 1929 as a Plymouth-Chrysler dealer and by 1932 it was switched to a Dodge & DeSoto franchise. I have often wondered if my father had ever met Walter Chrysler. Reg. McGee passed away in February of 1960 and his sons, all in the business acquired the GM franchise on January 22, 1962, ending our 33 year association with Chrysler.
In the years that followed Chrysler had several tough times, fighting off bankruptcies and so on but under Lee Iaccoccas reign also had several successes such as the K car and the minivan. Today it is now part of Stellantis, a huge Corporation that has gobbled up an unbelievable amount of 14 car companies- some good, some not so good but I understand the reasoning such as Opel would allow them to enter Germany, Vauxhall the UK, Alfa Romeo and Fiat- Italy.
However they are in serious debt and bleeding money, plus at this time their main line of vehicles, the Chrysler products are down substantially in sales making the problem even worse.
Now here is the latest scoop. A Mr. Frank Rhodes Jr., a great Grandson of Walter Chrysler is quite disturbed at what he sees happening to the Chrysler brand under the control of Stellantis. In a long letter he sent to CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares dated August 26, he asked that the company carve our Chrysler, dodge and Mopar and let him buy the operations, the facilities and take over the labour force.
He wants to create an aggressive design and renewal program for the company and commence to build an exciting rebirth for Chrysler and Dodge.
Soon after, Stellantis declined the offer in a statement to the Detroit Free Press saying that each brand has been given a 10 year timeframe to be a profitable, sustainable business. Mr Rhodes was quite disappointed that they replied to the Free Press and not to him directly.
It’s nice though that McDougalls Chrysler (Stellantis) dealership in our town is doing OK. With a good stock and a good service reputation any business will do well.
It would be nice to have a Ford dealership here again That way the Big Three could rule the roost once more.
It’s sure going to be an interesting watch for car fans what with Electric cars, hybrids, gasoline powered offerings etc:
I just picked up my new 2025 car with its 3.6 gasoline powered engine that gives superb fuel mileage. Right or wrong, time will soon tell.
