Chrysler USA Reviews and Road Tests

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Chrysler USA


Founded by Walter Percy Chrysler in 1925 by using what was left from the Maxwell Motor Company. Chrysler wanted to compete with General Motors, and so needed to create a range of product lines in sync – thus in 1928 a multi-tiered range would be introduced, Plymouth at the lower end, DeSoto in the lower-middle, then Dodge and Imperial at the upper end with Chrysler being the flagship.

As if shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic, management could never decide just where each division sat within the Chrysler empire, and by the end of the 1930’s the order had been changed (from lowest to highest) to Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler and Imperial. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was somewhat of a revolution in automobile design, the beautifully elegant streamlined body being designed in the auto industries first ever wind tunnel to meet aerodynamic principles. There are plenty of cars throughout the Unique Cars & Parts gallery pages that have proven to be too far ahead of their time for their own good, and the Airflow was such an example.

Despite the divine looks and streamliner appearance, it was the lower ranked Plymouth and Dodge divisions that would help secure the companies tenure through the depression era. During these tough economic times, only Plymouth would make an increase in sales, while the company would create a formal parts division under the Mopar brand (short for Motor Parts). After so much effort and financial investment had been put into the spectacularly unsuccessful Airflow, Chrysler opted to take a far more conservative approach to later iterations, although the 1942 DeSoto’s did feature a remarkable hidden headlight system.

Engineering advances would see the introduction of the wonderful Hemi V8’s in 1951, and in 1955 Chrysler unveiled the Forward Look style penned by Virgil Exner. Wonderful models would follow, including the 1957 Plymouth Fury and 1957 Chrysler 300C. In 1960 Chrysler introduced unibody construction, the first of the big three, then the new compact line of Valiant’s would win critical acclaim (and none more so than in Australia).

Also see: The History of Chrysler (USA Edition) | Chrysler Specifications | Chrysler Brochures
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Chrysler Six

Chrysler Six

1924 - 1931
Walter P. Chrysler wanted the Chrysler Six to be a light vehicle, seat five passengers, and be economical to own and operate. He wanted it to be a model of durability and performance. More>>
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Chrysler Airflow  

Chrysler Airflow

1934 - 1937
Their engineers found that then-current two-box automobile design was so aerodynamically inefficient, that it was actually more efficient turned around backwards. More>>
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Chrysler Airstream  

Chrysler Airstream

1935 - 1937
While the Chrysler Airflow marked a radical departure from typical 1930’s designs, the Airstream represented a mild makeover of the 1933 “CO” amd 1934 “CA” models, albeit with a more flowing and streamlined design – something to ensure Chrysler dealerships throughout the USA literally had “something for everyone”. More>>
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Chrysler Ghia L6.4  

Chrysler Ghia L6.4

1960 - 1962
Perhaps the most collectable Chrysler in the world, the Ghia L6.4 has all the trademarks of a truly desirable classic automobile. More>>
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Chrysler New Yorker Gen 5  

Chrysler New Yorker Gen 5

1960 - 1964
The New Yorker was the flagship of the Chrysler range. As such, there were not too many things you needed to worry about. Once you had chosen the colour and upholstery fabric you were pretty much done. Everything else - and we do mean everything - was standard equipment. More>>
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Chrysler Gas Turbine  

Chrysler Gas Turbine

1963
Several car manufacturers experimented with the idea of developing a Gas Turbine car, but none got nearer to developing a fully blown production model than Chrysler. More>>
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Chrysler 300-L  

Chrysler 300-L

1965
The Chrysler 300-L was the last of the 300 letter cars - all of which are extremely collectable today. It was available as a two-door hardtop or as a convertible, and was the 11th in a series of performance cars which dated back to the mid 1950s – with Chrysler being the undisputed pioneers in the performance car category. More>>
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Chrysler Cordoba  

Chrysler Cordoba

1975 - 1983
The Chrysler Cordoba first appeared in 1975, a twin of the detuned, depowered Dodge Charger. Amusingly, it was originally meant to be a Plymouth, rather than a Chrysler; that was a last-minute change. The Cordoba was a B-body, one step in size above the entry-level Valiant A-body, but below the C and D bodies that usually wore the Chrysler badge. More>>
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