Bill Watson's Chronological History of Chrysler Corporation, Including Dodge, DeSoto, and Plymouth:

Part IV - The 1940s: From Walter Chrysler to Virgil Exner

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Chrysler History, Part 4: The Story So Far

The Dodge Brothers, who originally supplied Ford, have started their own company, building vehicles with a strong reputation for durability. Walter P. Chrysler, after rising in the railroads as an engineer and, later, a supervisor and manager, was put in charge of faltering Buick, with excellent results. Walter Chrysler left Buick to head Willys, and started working with the firm of Zeder-Skelton-Breer Engineering on the most advanced car ever produced. Both Dodge Brothers die and the business is placed in the hands of people somewhat less qualified to run it. Maxwell-Chalmers runs into trouble. The prototype Chrysler is sold to William Durant as part of the auction of the Willys plant. Maxwell hires Walter Chrysler, who first rescues and then takes over the company, creating a new company called Chrysler Corporation and using it to buy Maxwell-Chalmers. The new Chrysler is produced with excellent reviews and results. Plymouth, Fargo, and DeSoto are started and Dodge is purchased, partly to gain manufacturing plants for Plymouth.

1940 - Walter Chrysler dies; tank production contract

• August 18 - Walter P. Chrysler dies.
• New Engineering Laboratories completed at Highland Park, MI.
• Assembly plant in Antwerp, Belgium closes due to war.
• August - Chrysler contracted to build $20,000,000 plant for production of tanks.
• New bodies for 1940 line of Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler cars.

1941 - Plymouth Truck ends, new bodies, new semi-automatic transmission

• Plymouth Truck dropped at end of 1941 model year.
• New bodies for 1941 line of Dodge, DeSoto, and Chrysler cars. Plymouth continues to use 1940 body.
• Fluid Drive available on all Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler models.
• New semi-automatic transmission - Simplimatic (DeSoto) and Vacamatic (Chrysler).
• Last year for the Plymouth 7-passenger, extended wheelbase sedan.
• Mass production of tanks begin in the fall.
• 4 millionth Plymouth
• 4 millionth Dodge car

1942

• C.E.Bleicher named president of DeSoto Division, as Byron Foy resigns to accept commission in United States Army Air Corps.
• See this article on wartime cars

1943

• Herman L. Weckler named president of Dodge Division.
• Joseph E. Fields retires.

1945

• Byron C. Foy discharged from the Armed Services, becomes vice-president Chrysler Corporation at New York office.

1946 - Gas filter, Diplomat, Kingsway, L.L. Colbert

• Dodge begins assembling cars at plant in San Leandro, CA.
• New revised semi-automatic transmission - Tip-Toe Hydraulic Shift (DeSoto) and Prestomatic (Chrysler).
• Introduces gas tank filter, two-cylinder front wheel brakes.
• Chrysler builds the first two door hardtop in the Town & Country line - 7 are built.
• Export Plymouth-based DeSoto line adopts Diplomat name.
• Export Plymouth-based Dodge line adopts Kingsway name.
• L.L.Colbert named president of Dodge Division.
• Byron C. Foy leaves Chrysler Corporation, to become chairman of the board, Jack and Heintz Precision Industries Inc.

1947 - Chrysler Building sold

• Chrysler purchases former Graham assembly plant on Warren Avenue. Becomes part of the DeSoto complex.
• Chrysler family sells the Chrysler Building.

1948 - Nine Mile Press plant, Winfield Foundry

• Assembly of DeSoto and Chrysler Royal/Windsor begins at Los Angeles, CA
• Nine Mile Press plant in Warren, MI completed.
• Winfield Foundry in Detroit goes on line.
• 5 millionth Plymouth

1949 - Virgil Exner joins Chrysler, starting the "Exner era"

• Plymouth assembly begins at San Leandro, CA
• Dodge begins assembly of cars at Los Angeles, CA
• Chrysler introduces bonded brake linings.
• Plymouth introduces the Suburban, an all-steel station wagon.
• New post-war bodies, one for Plymouth and a larger one for Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler.
• Chrysler Crown Imperial introduces self-energizing four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes.
• Dodge introduces its version of the semi-automatic transmission - Gyromatic.
• Chrysler cars have padded dashboards and collapsible window regulator handles.
• Chrysler brochure shows Newport 2-door hardtop in Windsor, New Yorker and Town & Country series. Model does not get into production until 1950, although one 1949 Town & Country hardtop was built.
• Key-start ignition introduced on all Chrysler Corporation cars.
• Virgil Exner leaves Studebaker Corporation and accepts position with Chrysler Corporation.
• 5 millionth Dodge car
• 1 millionth DeSoto
• Read more: Plymouths of 1949-1952

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