Chrysler facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
FCA US, LLC

The Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan, headquarters of Stellantis North America
Trade name	Stellantis North America
Formerly	Chrysler Corporation (1925–1998) DaimlerChrysler (1998–2007) Chrysler LLC (2007–2009) Chrysler Group LLC (2009–2014) Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US (2014–2021)
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	United States Motor Company (1910–1913) Maxwell-Chalmers (1913–1925)
Founded	June 6, 1925; 100 years ago (1925-06-06)
Founder	Walter Chrysler
Headquarters	1000 Chrysler Drive, Auburn Hills, Michigan , United States
Number of locations	See List of Stellantis North America factories
Area served	North America
Key people	Carlos Zarlenga (COO)
Brands	Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Mopar Ram SRT
Number of employees	81,341 (2023)
Parent	Stellantis
Subsidiaries	Stellantis Canada

FCA US, LLC, also known as Stellantis North America, is one of the "Big Three" car makers in the United States. Its main office is in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This company is the American part of a much larger global car company called Stellantis.

Stellantis North America sells cars, trucks, and SUVs all over the world. You might know some of their brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. They also have Mopar, which makes car parts, and SRT, which focuses on high-performance cars. Plus, they help sell Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Maserati vehicles in North America.

The company started way back in 1925 as the Chrysler Corporation. It was founded by Walter Chrysler. Over the years, it went through many changes. It merged with a German company called Daimler-Benz in 1998, becoming DaimlerChrysler. Later, it was sold and became Chrysler LLC. In 2014, an Italian company, Fiat S.p.A., bought it and it became Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Finally, in 2021, FCA merged with another big car company, PSA Group, to form Stellantis.

Walter Chrysler was very smart about how he built the company. He bought other truck and car companies like Fargo Trucks and Dodge Brothers. He also created new car brands like Plymouth and DeSoto in 1928. Chrysler faced tough times after World War II, as other car makers grew faster. To keep up, they borrowed money to expand and design new cars.

In the 1960s, Chrysler expanded into Europe by buying French, British, and Spanish car companies. But they sold these European businesses in 1978. The 1970s were hard for Chrysler. People wanted smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, especially after the 1973 oil crisis. Chrysler also faced more competition from imported cars and new rules about car safety and pollution. The company was almost out of money in the late 1970s, but the U.S. government helped with a large loan. A new CEO, Lee Iacocca, helped the company become successful again in the 1980s. In 1987, Chrysler bought American Motors Corporation (AMC), which brought the very popular Jeep brand into the family.

Like other big car companies, Chrysler was affected by the worldwide financial crisis around 2008-2010. The company had to go through a special legal process to reorganize its debts, and the U.S. government helped them stay in business. After this, Fiat S.p.A. slowly bought more and more shares of Chrysler. By 2014, Fiat owned all of Chrysler, and they formed a new company called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). In 2021, FCA joined with PSA Group to create Stellantis, which is now the parent company.

Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Exploring Chrysler's Journey: From Past to Present

Early Years: Chrysler Corporation (1925–1998)

The Chrysler company was started by Walter Chrysler on June 6, 1925. It grew out of an older company called Maxwell Motor Company. The company's main office was in Highland Park, Michigan, for many years before moving to Auburn Hills in 1996.

Walter Chrysler first joined the struggling Maxwell-Chalmers company in the early 1920s to help fix its problems. In 1924, he launched the first Chrysler car, the Chrysler Six. This car was designed to be advanced and well-made, but also affordable. It had cool features for its time, like an air filter for the engine, a special engine design, and an oil filter. Chrysler also invented important things like the first practical four-wheel hydraulic brakes and special rubber engine mounts called "Floating Power" that made cars vibrate less. They even created a wheel design that kept a flat tire from coming off the rim, which was later used by car makers everywhere!

The Maxwell brand was stopped in 1925. By 1936, Chrysler Corporation was the second-biggest car seller in the U.S., a position it held until 1949.

In 1928, Chrysler started to offer different car brands for different prices. They introduced the Plymouth brand for lower-priced cars and the DeSoto brand for mid-priced cars. In the same year, Chrysler also bought the Dodge Brothers company, which made cars and trucks. This brought the popular Dodge cars and Fargo trucks into the Chrysler family.

1955 Imperial car model, in its first year as a separate make, apart from Chrysler, shown on display at January 1955 Chicago Auto Show

The Imperial name was used for Chrysler's fanciest cars since 1926. But in 1955, Imperial became its own separate brand, just like Lincoln and Cadillac. This made Chrysler have five main brands: Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial.

In the 1960s, Chrysler took full control of French, British, and Spanish car companies, bringing them together as Chrysler Europe. Later, in the 1970s, Chrysler partnered with Mitsubishi Motors and started selling Mitsubishi cars in North America under the Dodge and Plymouth names.

The 1970s were a difficult time for Chrysler. People started wanting smaller cars, especially after the 1973 oil crisis. Chrysler struggled to make enough of these smaller cars. Also, there was more competition from imported cars and new government rules about car safety and fuel economy. Since Chrysler was the smallest of the "Big Three" U.S. car makers, it didn't have as much money to deal with all these challenges. In 1978, Lee Iacocca was hired to help the company. He asked the U.S. government for help, and they provided loan guarantees. Iacocca also sold the struggling European operations to PSA Peugeot Citroën.

After closing some factories and cutting salaries, Chrysler paid back its government loans in 1983. In November 1983, Chrysler introduced the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager minivans. These minivans became very popular and helped Chrysler get back on its feet.

In 1987, Chrysler bought American Motors Corporation (AMC). This was a big deal because it brought the very profitable Jeep brand into the Chrysler family. Lee Iacocca especially wanted Jeep and its new models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee (ZJ). This purchase also gave Chrysler new factories and talented engineers, which were very important for the company's future.

DaimlerChrysler Partnership (1998–2007)

In 1998, Chrysler joined with a German company called Daimler-Benz AG. They called it a "merger of equals" and formed DaimlerChrysler AG. However, many people felt that Daimler actually bought Chrysler. After this merger, the Eagle brand was stopped, and in 2001, the Plymouth brand was also discontinued.

In 2007, DaimlerChrysler announced that it was selling most of its share in Chrysler to a company called Cerberus Capital Management. Chrysler then became known as Chrysler LLC.

Facing Challenges and New Beginnings (2007–2014)

During the worldwide financial crisis of 2007–2008, Chrysler faced huge problems. On April 30, 2009, the company had to file for a special type of bankruptcy to reorganize its debts and keep operating. The U.S. government helped Chrysler during this time.

On June 10, 2009, most of Chrysler's assets were sold to a "New Chrysler" company, called Chrysler Group LLC. The government provided financial support for this deal. Under the new CEO, Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler focused on improving the quality of its cars and refreshing many models. Some older models were stopped. On May 24, 2011, Chrysler paid back its loans to the United States and Canadian governments much earlier than expected.

Over the next few years, Fiat S.p.A. (an Italian car company) slowly bought more and more shares of Chrysler. By January 2014, Fiat owned all of Chrysler. A few days later, Fiat and Chrysler announced they would combine to form a new company called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). On December 16, 2014, Chrysler Group LLC officially changed its name to FCA US LLC to show this merger.

Becoming Part of Stellantis (2014–Present)

On January 17, 2021, FCA merged with another large car company, PSA. This big merger created a brand new global company called Stellantis Group. FCA US LLC then became a part of this new, even larger company.

In February 2024, Chrysler showed off a concept for its first electric car, the Chrysler Halcyon, which is a battery-powered sedan.

Logo Evolution

1925–1955
1955–1962
1962–1998
1998–2007
2007–2014
2014–2021
2021–present

How Chrysler Sells Cars

Marketing Strategies

Lifetime Powertrain Warranty

In 2007, Chrysler started offering a special lifetime warranty for the engine and transmission (the "powertrain") for the first owner of certain vehicles. This was a big deal because it showed confidence in their cars. However, after Chrysler went through its reorganization, this lifetime warranty was replaced with a five-year/100,000-mile warranty for newer cars.

"Let's Refuel America"

In 2008, when gas prices were a big worry for customers, Chrysler launched a program called "Let's Refuel America." If you bought an eligible Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge vehicle, you could get a gas card that would lower your gas price to $2.99 per gallon for three years.

Ram Trucks Become Separate

In October 2009, Dodge's cars and trucks were separated. The "Dodge" name was kept for cars, minivans, and crossovers, while "Ram" became its own brand for light and medium-duty trucks and other commercial vehicles.

"Imported From Detroit"

In 2011, Chrysler launched a famous advertising campaign called "Imported From Detroit." These ads, which even featured rapper Eminem, highlighted the city of Detroit and the rebirth of Chrysler's car lineup. The campaign showed off new models like the Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300, and Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Chrysler also sold clothing with the "Imported from Detroit" slogan, and the money went to charities in the Detroit area.

"Halftime in America"

Chrysler also ran a memorable ad during the 2012 Super Bowl called "Halftime in America." This two-minute ad featured actor Clint Eastwood and talked about America's comeback, much like a football team coming back in the second half of a game.

"America's Import"

In 2014, Chrysler started using a new slogan, "America's Import," for ads introducing their new 2015 Chrysler 200. These ads aimed to show that American-made cars could be just as good as cars from Germany or Japan, often ending with the phrase, "We Built This."

Slogans Over Time

Engineered to be Great Cars (1998–2001)
Drive = Love (2002–2004)
Inspiration comes standard (2004–2007)
Engineered Beautifully (2007–mid 2010)
Imported From Detroit (2011–2014)
America's Import (2014–2016)

Brands of Stellantis North America

Current Brands

Origin	Brand	Estab.	Added	Notes
US	Chrysler	1925	1925
US	Dodge	1900	1928
US	Jeep	1943	1987
US	Mopar	1937	1937
US	Ram	2010	2010	Previously Ram Truck Division (of Chrysler).

Former Brands

Origin	Brand	Estab.	Chrysler Years	Fate
US	American Motors	1954	1987–1988	Stopped, replaced by the Eagle brand
US	DeSoto	1928	1928–1961	Models became part of Chrysler.
US	Eagle	1988	1988–1998	Stopped
US	Fargo	1913	1913–1972	Stopped
US	Imperial	1955	1955–1983	Stopped
US	Plymouth	1928	1928–2001	Stopped, models moved to Chrysler.
ITA	Lamborghini	1963	1987–1994	Sold to another company.

Chrysler and the Environment

Chrysler has worked on different ways to make cars more environmentally friendly.

In 1979, Chrysler worked with the U.S. Department of Energy to create an experimental battery electric vehicle, the Chrysler ETV-1. They also produced a small number of electric minivans called the TEVan in 1993.

For a while, Chrysler owned a company called Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), which made small, low-speed electric vehicles. But they sold GEM in 2011.

In 2007, Chrysler created a group called ENVI to focus on electric cars and related technologies, but this group was later closed. In 2009, Chrysler received money from the U.S. government to develop a test fleet of 220 hybrid pickup trucks and minivans.

The first hybrid models, the Chrysler Aspen hybrid and the Dodge Durango hybrid, were stopped shortly after they were made in 2008.

In 2012, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler said that the companies would focus more on alternative fuels like compressed natural gas and Diesel, rather than just hybrid and electric cars for everyday customers.

Chrysler's Role in Defense and Space

Chrysler Defense

During World War II, Chrysler had a special division dedicated to building military vehicles, especially tanks. This division started in 1940 and quickly expanded to produce tanks like the M4 Sherman tank.

Special Programs

During World War II, almost all of Chrysler's factories were used to build military vehicles. They even designed powerful engines for airplanes, though these didn't go into production. In the 1950s, during the Cold War, Chrysler made air raid sirens powered by its Hemi V-8 engines.

Radar Antennas

One important thing Chrysler did during the war was help with radar technology. They helped design and build the antennas for the SCR-584 radar system, which was very important for tracking enemy aircraft. Chrysler used its knowledge from making car parts to make these radar antennas lighter and easier to maintain.

Missiles

In the 1950s, Chrysler's Missile Division became a main contractor for the U.S. Army. They helped build the PGM-11 Redstone, a type of missile, based on the German V-2 missile from WWII. The Redstone missile was used from 1958 to 1964. Working with scientists like Wernher von Braun, Chrysler's team also helped improve the Redstone to create the PGM-19 Jupiter, a longer-range missile.

Space Boosters

In 1959, NASA chose the Redstone missile to be the base for the Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle. This rocket was used for early test flights of the Project Mercury spacecraft, which sent the first American astronauts into space on short flights.

Chrysler's Space Division also became a main contractor for the first stage of the Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets. These rockets were very important for the Apollo program, which aimed to send humans to the Moon. Chrysler built these rocket parts at a huge factory in New Orleans. Between 1961 and 1975, Chrysler's missiles and rockets had a perfect record, never failing a launch!