Overview & Reviews

Chrysler is generally considered part of the Big Three, a title that refers to the traditional triumvirate of domestic automakers. The current accuracy of this classification is open for debate, but there's no debating the fact that Chrysler has experienced a revival of sorts over the past few years.

Chrysler Corporation was founded in 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, a noted machinist; he'd purchased the Maxwell Motor Corporation of Detroit and used it as the foundation for his new company. The automaker quickly earned a reputation for advanced engineering. In 1928, Chrysler Corporation expanded with the purchase of Dodge and the creation of the DeSoto and Plymouth divisions.

The 1930s saw Chrysler boldly looking toward the future with the introduction of its revolutionary Airflow. Powered by a front-mounted inline-8, the car was one of the first to be designed with aerodynamics in mind, and featured swooping lines and a prominent grille. Perhaps a bit too ahead of its time, the Airflow was a flop with the public. Chrysler was able to survive the lean years of the Depression thanks to strong sales of its entry-level Dodge and Plymouth brands, whose vehicles boasted more traditional designs and much lower price tags.

Chrysler shined postwar. For a period in the late 1940s, it even surpassed Ford as the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The company's storied "Hemi" V8 engine debuted in 1951. Offering 180 horsepower, it was a significant improvement over Chrysler's previous 135-hp V8. The Hemi engine was meant to trounce the V8 offered by Cadillac, Chrysler's rival, and it kick-started Detroit's horsepower race of the 1950s and '60s. The '50s also saw the debut of treasured Chrysler classics like the handsome Town and Country and the sleek 300C.

By 1961, Chrysler had trimmed its line of brands by dropping the DeSoto nameplate. New technologies were also afoot, such as unibody construction (Chrysler was the first of the Big Three to introduce it) and the replacement of generators with alternators for a car's charging system. In the latter half of the '60s, Chrysler was heavily involved with NASCAR and producing performance-oriented cars.

At the same time, however, dark clouds were gathering. As with other domestic automakers, the 1970s proved to be a difficult decade due to the oil crisis, new government regulations and changing consumer tastes. A costly and ineffective overseas expansion further hurt the company's bottom line. By the late '70s, the company was in such financial disarray that it petitioned the government for $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to save it from bankruptcy.

Thanks to impressive public campaigning by then-chairman Lee Iacocca, the debut of the well-received K-car platform and the creation of the modern minivan, sales had improved dramatically by the mid-'80s. The government's loan was paid off seven years early. The picture further brightened in the late 1980s with Chrysler's purchase of American Motors Corporation (which netted the company the Jeep brand) and a joint venture with Mitsubishi known as Diamond Star Motors.

Success continued through the early 1990s. In 1998, German-based Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler. At the time, this deal was presented as a merger of equals. But it quickly became apparent that it was more of a purchase, with Daimler being the dominant partner.

Less than a decade later, that merger was no longer, as Daimler sold Chrysler (and Dodge) to a private equity firm in 2007. However, that merger had borne some worthwhile fruit, most notably in the form of the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan. The latter shared some chassis components with an older Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform.

As such, the 300 was a highlight for Chrysler that had a pleasingly solid feel to its driving dynamics that was further sweetened via an available powerful V8 engine. But soon after the split, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy and the federal government intervened with bailout loans. Eventually Chrysler came under control of Italy's Fiat.

Today, the lineup has been pared down to a pair of sedans, a convertible and a minivan. However, after years of having lackluster entries in the very important midsize car category, Chrysler made major improvements in the performance, design and quality of its midsize sedan entry, the 200. The latest 300 also stands as a prime choice for a premium full-size sedan. Still, it remains to be seen as to whether this and future product releases will be enough to restore the company to its former glory.

User Reviews:

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  1 HOT CAR - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By MAS - August 27 - 2:00 am

  My 99 300M has almost 70,000 miles on it, and has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. Just had to change the original tires, and have needed brakes only once, at about 60000 miles. Only problems I have had (which were both covered under the extended warranty were the drivers side heated seat needed to be replaced because the heat stopped working, and I had the power steering box replaced. Other than that...nothing! I think that is exceptional after 70,000 miles. I would defintely buy another one!

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  YEA BABEH!! - 1998 Chrysler Concorde
  By kruzzin - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I went to the dealership,to buy my lease vehicle,which was an earlier Concorde. I saw the 1998 and just, well fell in love with it. It drives GREAT!!! Its roomie and being 62", I needed the room. It drives great, handles well. Oh, did I mention the ladies love it......YEA BABEH!!

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  Chrysler 300M Review - 2002 Chrysler 300M
  By FUEL MAN - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Makes driving fun again

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  The car to have - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By Dorina Cane - August 25 - 8:53 am

  It is a fun car to drive and very family oriented a thing that is important to me. Also it saves me a lot in fuel use, compared to my husbands car.

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  great car - 2001 Chrysler 300M
  By JEFFERY - August 25 - 2:00 am

  love this car.i do highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  Excellent Car ! - 2000 Chrysler Cirrus
  By dev01 - August 23 - 2:00 am

  I have being driving this car for more than two years. No problems at all. It has a lot of interior space for every one of the 5 passengers seats, which makes long trips very very comfortable. The design is superb, and the performance? excellent!

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  What a Car - 2002 Chrysler Concorde
  By another happy person - August 20 - 2:00 am

  What a sound system. When I drive the car, feels like I am driving my corvette. I could not tell I was driving 90 mph on the Interstate.

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  Great! - 1999 Chrysler 300M
  By dok1300 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Have had very few problems, and now have 62K miles on it. Only problem so far is the speed sensor, it cost $161 to replace. I have read about the power window problem, have had no problem there, but can hardly wait my turn! Car has a great trunk,back seat room, handles great for a large car, pep is exceptional. It has an annoying problem with road noise. While it is a fixable problem Chrysler choses not to worry about it. (The road/wind noise was MUCH worse on my 1993 LTS, if you can imagine that!) Maybe by my next one.....they will have committed to the wind/road noise thing.

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  Tbe Best In Design - 2001 Chrysler Prowler
  By bikeman1 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  Over all the design is what makes the car. Performance is great for the the size and weight of the vehicle. Could use a little more headroom with the top up. A VERY FUN CAR TO DRIVE AND BE SEEN IN.

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  Love this Van - 2002 Chrysler Voyager
  By steve blum - August 18 - 2:00 am

  This van is perfect. It handles well. It looks great, If there is any drawback, Its everybody has one. You cant be unique. I would buy this van again.