Bill Watson's Chronological History of Chrysler Corporation
Part VI: 1964-1971, the Muscle Car Era

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

Chrysler History, Part 7

1964 - Barracuda; control of Rootes; California emissions

• April - Plymouth Barracuda introduced, a couple of weeks before the Ford Mustang, leading many to say that "pony cars" should really be called "fish cars."
• 50 Chrysler Turbine cars built, bodies by Ghia, for extensive tests by average motorists.
• Philip N. Buckminster named general manager of Chrysler-Plymouth Divison.
• June - Chrysler Corporation purchases 30% of voting stock and 50% non-voting stock of the Rootes Group (UK), builders of Hillman, Sunbeam, Singer, Humber cars and Karrier and Commer trucks.
• November - California Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board approves its first U.S.-developed exhaust control system - the system engineered by Chrysler Corporation
• Simca ceases production of Simce Vedette (nee Ford Vedette) and ships all tooling, including ex-Ford flathead V-8, to Chrysler in Brazil. Production begins in Brazil using old Vedette tooling, and the flathead Ford V8 carries on for a few more years.
• Forms Chrysler Credit Corporation
• Show car - Dodge Charger
  

1965: C body created; Chrysler Boat

• New "C" body for 1965 as Fury and Polara move up into standard size bodies.
• Old "B" bodies become Plymouth Belvedere and Dodge Coronet.
• Sterling, MI, stamping plant completed.
• New aluminum die casting plant completed in Kokomo, IN
• New foundry and expansion for second car line at Plymouth plant on Lynch Road
• Last Crown Imperial Ghia limousine built.
• Acquires outboard engine business of West-Bend Co., Hartford, WI. and Lone Star Boat Co., Plano, TX., which becomes Chrysler Boat Corporation.
• December - Simca Automobiles S.A. becomes Societe des Autos Simca.
• Show car - Plymouth XP-VIP, Dodge Charger II
• 14 millionth Plymouth
• 10 millionth Dodge car
• Illustration: 1965 Chrysler New Yorker

1966: Dodge Charger

• See our fully detailed 1966 page - with racing, the Street Hemi, and more
• February 1 - Chrysler Corporation takes over marketing of Rootes and Simca products
• February - Exchanges 25% interest in Simca Industries for Fiat's 8% interest in Societe des Autos Simca.
• Belvidere, IL, assembly plant opens
• April - Dodge Charger introduced.
• May - Chrysler Corporation now controls 45% of voting stock of the Rootes Group and 77% of total equity.
• K.T. Keller dies.
• Show cars : Chrysler 300-X
• 15 millionth Plymouth
• 4 millionth Chrysler

1967: Townsend chairs board; Chrysler Financial; control of Barreiros

• Glenn E. White named general manager of Chrysler-Plymouth Division
• Robert J. McCurry named general manager of Dodge Division.
• Virgil E. Boyd named president of Chrysler Corporation
• Lynn A Townsend named chairman of the board.
• June - Purchases Redisco Inc. from American Motors Corporation and merges it with Chrysler Credit Corporation to form Chrysler Financial Corporation.
• October - Acquires 77% control of Barreiros Diesel S.A. (Spain)
• Now controls 92% interest in Chrysler do Brasil S.A.
• Show cars - Plymouth Barracuda Formula SX, Dodge Deora
• 11 millionth Dodge car
• See our detailed 1967 page
  

1968

• March - Acquires auto business of King-Seeley Division of King-Seeley Thermos Co. for $28,000,000, and forms Introl Division.
• August - Forms Chrysler Plastic Products Co., producing sheet vinyl and fabrics for automobiles and other applications.
• Chrylser Corporation becomes the world’s fifth largest industrial corporation
• Signs agreement with Nissan Diesel Motors Company, Tokyo, Japan, to distribute Chrysler-Nissan diesel engines in North and South America.
• Show cars - Dodge Charger III, Dodge Daroo Dart
• 16 millionth Plymouth
• Click here for information on Plymouths of 1968.

1969: Joint agreement with Mitsubishi

• May - Chrysler Corporation enters into joint agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
• Show cars - Plymouth Duster I, Dodge Custom Swinger 340
• 17 millionth Plymouth
• 12 millionth Dodge car
• Heavy duty trucks of 1969 • Motor homes and campers
  

1970: E body created; Duster; Rootes becomes Chrysler UK

• Dodge Challenger introduced - shares "E" body with Plymouth Barracuda
• Plymouth Valiant Duster introduced
• Richard K. Brown named general manager of Chrysler-Plymouth Division
• John J. Riccardo named president of Chrysler Corporation.
• Chrysler Corporation now owned 73% of the equity capital of the Rootes Group, which on July 1st becomes Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd.
• Societe des Autos Simca becomes Chrysler France SA
• Byron C. Foy dies.
• Show cars : Cordoba de Oro, Cencept 70-X, Dodge Diamante
• 18 millionth Plymouth
• 13 millionth Dodge car
• 5 millionth Chrysler

1971: Colt, Cricket imported; last year of the Street Hemi

• See our fully detailed 1971 page - with racing, the Street Hemi, and more

• July - Los Angeles assembly plant closed.
• Dodge imports Colt, built by Mitsubishi in Japan, beginning with 1971 models.
• Plymouth imports Cricket, built by Chrysler United Kingdom, beginning with 1971 models.
• Chrysler Corporation purchases 15% interest in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan, starting a relationship that would not end until DaimlerChrysler tried, unsuccessfully, to acquire Mitsubishi.
• Dodge Dart Demon introduced, based on Plymouth Valiant Duster.
• Plymouth Valiant Scamp introduced, based on Dodge Dart Swinger.
• Dodge Coronet two door models dropped, replaced by Dodge Charger models.
• The post of general manager of Chrysler-Plymouth and Dodge Divisions vacant.

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

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