Walter P. Chrysler was a self-taught engineer who started his career as a mechanic, traveling from town to town working in different machine shops. In Wellington, Kansas he went to work in the machine shops for the Santa Fe Railroad. He then went to work for Buick as a works manager and rose fairly quickly to become the company’s president.
In 1920, the Maxwell-Chalmers company hired Chrysler to overhaul the company’s troubled operations. Chrysler brought in three engineers from Studebaker—Fred Zeder, Owen Skelton, and Carl Breer—in order to design a revolutionary new automobile. In 1924, the new car was ready and featured innovations such as a high-compression six-cylinder engine and four-wheel hydraulic brakes.
Production of the Chalmers automobile ended in late 1923 and in 1925 the Maxwell Motor Company was re-organized as the Chrysler Corporation. By 1936, Chrysler was the second best-selling car in the United States. By this time Chrysler had earned a reputation as an engineering company that had developed a number automotive firsts, including replaceable oil filters, downdraft carburetors, and a new method of mounting engines to isolate vibration.
The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon, has on display more than 100 antique automobiles. Shown below are some of the Chrysler automobiles which are on display.
1927 Chrysler Model E-60 Imperial Cabriolet
1929 Chrysler Model 65 Coupe
This car sold new for $1,296. It has a 98 horsepower, six cylinder engine.
1931 Chrysler CG Imperial Limousine
1935 Chrysler Airstream 4S
1948 Chrysler New Yorker
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