Bill Watson's Chronological History of Chrysler Corporation:
Part II, 1912 - 1919 (Buick days, early Dodge)

Walter Chrysler at Buick; Dodge independence

1912 - Walter Chrysler joins Buick

• Columbia produces a sleeve-valved model, the Columbia-Knight, with 410-cid. Knight engine.
• Stoddard introduces a 525-cid sleeve-valved Stoddard-Knight.
• Benjamin Briscoe leaves United States Motor Co. and forms Briscoe Motor Co., Jackson, MI.
• September 12 - the United States Motor Company in receivership.
• Walter P. Chrysler hired by Charles W. Nash, president of Buick Motor Company, as works manager.
• Frederick J. Haynes leaves H.H.Franklin Company for Dodge Brothers.
• K.T.Keller leaves Maxwell-Briscoe to become general superintendant of Northway Motors, a subsidiary of General Motors Company.
• December 31 - the Maxwell-Briscoe company becomes the Standard Motor Company, a Delaware corporation. The company is headed by Walter Flanders (of E.M.F. fame).

1913 - Studebaker hires Frederick Zeder

• The Columbia, Brush, Stoddard and Courier end production.
• January 25 - The Standard Motor Company becomes the Maxwell Motor Company.
• Plants at Providence, RI and Hartford, CT sold, while the Tarrytown, NY plant is sold to Chevrolet.
• The company holds on to the Stoddard plant in Dayton, OH, and uses it for assembly of the Maxwell 35. The former Flanders plant in Detroit is used for assembly of the Maxwell Six. The company also holds on to the Maxwell plant in Newcastle,.IN.
• The new Maxwell 25 entered production in the summer of 1913 as a 1914 model, a design that would last to the end in 1925 and beyond.
• Fred M. Zeder becomes consulting engineeer for Studebaker Corporation.

1914 - Dodge Brothers begun

• July 17 - Dodge Brothers Inc. formed. Begin working on bringing out the Dodge Brothers car.
• November 14 - First Dodge Brothers car rolls off the line. When asked why the Dodge Brothers wanted to build their own car, John Dodge replied, "Just think of all the Ford owners who will someday want an automobile." Dodge Brothers end contract with Ford Motor Company as Ford begins building its own engines. Dodge starts with all-steel Budd bodies (with some Wilson wood-framed tourings because Budd could not meet production needs).
• Fred M. Zeder becomes chief engineer for Studebaker Corporation.
• Carl Breer becomes engineer for Studebaker Corporation.

1916: Walter Chrysler runs Buick, Nash begun

• Graham Brothers Inc. is formed with a plant in Evansville, IN, to build trucks on Ford and other chassis. Pluto Glass Co merged with Owens Bottle Company, Toledo, OH, later a part of Libby-Owens-Ford Glass.
• Charles W. Nash resigns as president of Buick Motor Company and General Motors Company and is succeeded as president of Buick Motor Company by Walter P. Chrysler.
• Charles W. Nash purchases the Thomas B. Jeffery Co.and forms Nash Motors. Walter P. Chrysler invited to join with Nash but Chrysler decides to stay with Buick.
• Dodge Brothers adopts Budd-built all-steel body for touring cars.
• Owen R. Skelton joins Studebaker Corporation.

1917

• With Maxwell production soaring, and Chalmers production sagging, an agreement was made to have Maxwell cars built in the Chalmers plant on Jefferson Avenue. In return, Chalmers cars would be sold through Maxwell dealers.
• First Dodge Brothers commercial car built in October.
• K.T. Keller becomes master mechanic for Buick Motor Company.
  

1919: Walter Chrysler leaves Buick and General Motors

• Henry Ford purchases stock of minority stockholders of Ford Motor Company, including the holdings of John and Horace Dodge who collect $19,000,000.
• K.T.Keller becomes vice president and general manager of Chevrolet Motor Company of Canada Limited.
• Herman L. Weckler joins Buick Motor Company.
• David A. Wallace leaves Buick for John Deere Plow Co. in Waterloo, IA
• Walter P. Chrysler resigns as president of the Buick Motor Company and vice-president of General Motors Corporation.

1864 - 1911 * 1912 - 1919 * 1920 - 1939 * 1940 - 1949 * 1950 - 1963 * 1964 - 1971 * History * By Year