Chrysler was Innovative Out of Necessity

[Viperenvy]

Some have heard me say, "Viper was the last great automotive development program that could have been killed at any moment by anyone. Under the great leadership of Roy Sjoberg and a passionate team, Viper inspired millions around the world who are as passionate today as ever."

I do not think we or the car community fully grasps how innovative Chrysler had been and was in the 80's and 90's. Why, because they had to to survive. K-cars and common platforms, Mini-vans, turbo charging for power and fuel economy, cab forward design, convertibles, etc. A big part of the reason Iacocca, Lutz, Sperlich, Dauch, and others joined Chrysler was because of the challenge. In challenge, everything could be rethought. It was change or die. Even several current employees at the time like Tom Gale were drawn to Chrysler's scrappy image in the 60's fit right in with the 80's mentality and leadership.

As a kid whose father was a Chrysler exec at the time, the "Chrysler kids" looked at the Ford and GM kids knowing that Iacocca was "the man." There was energy, buzz, and excitement the others didn't have.

The year Viper was shown at the NAIAS in Detroit, changed my life and many of us. That same year, Chrysler and Dodge change the truck market as much, maybe even more, than Viper would change the sports car world.

I was fortunate to be a part-timer at Dodge City in Warren, MI from 1986 to 1991 filling on the line Monday and Fridays - usually putting on 70lb step bumpers 450 times a night. When the Cummins came out and started down the line, every assembly employee knew it was a game changer. The sound at start-up and off the line was magical.

To understand the environment that created Cummins with Ram and the Viper with the V-10 is to understand why Stellantis and the rest will never impact the automotive industry close to this level. Chrysler's history is littered with engine history - slant 6, 340, 383, 440, 426, I-6 4.0 Jeep, I-6 5.9 Cummins, 8.0 V-10, and more. Great cars with dream inspiring engines, but we also owe it to a long lineage of scrappy, creative engineers lead by some of the most historic leaders.


https://www.hemmings.com/stories/202...ign=2022-01-13

[13COBRA]

100% agree on most of your statements.

Chrysler in the 80s/90s was the Apple of the 70s/80s, namely Steve Jobs and his cronies who worked on the Macintosh (not the Apple II, LISA, etc).

[Patentlaw]

Agreed as well.

[gfviperman]

I'm a bit older and will say there was lots of excitement further back for me ... beginning with the first Chrysler 300 in 1955.

Much more to follow ... stay tuned ...

[gfviperman]

https://search.aol.com/aol/video;_yl...be&action=view

Hope this works .. In case you have never seen or heard of this one, go to YouTube and search: Plymouth XNR ...
Was going to write in detail about all things Mopar in my early life, but covid found me ... too pooped!!!
But this car hit a nerve and still does. Motor Trend Cover Car1960. Wish I had a spare million when it sold in 2012.
This would have been an early vette fighter ... not so.

But the Viper was certainly worth the long wait.
It has meant everything to me ...

Enjoyed your write-up ...

[Policy Limits]

Chrysler even owned Lamborghini in the 80s for a bit!

[Viperenvy]

https://search.aol.com/aol/video;_yl...be&action=view

Hope this works .. In case you have never seen or heard of this one, go to YouTube and search: Plymouth XNR ...
Was going to write in detail about all things Mopar in my early life, but covid found me ... too pooped!!!
But this car hit a nerve and still does. Motor Trend Cover Car1960. Wish I had a spare million when it sold in 2012.
This would have been an early vette fighter ... not so.

But the Viper was certainly worth the long wait.
It has meant everything to me ...

Enjoyed your write-up ...

Just had the opportunity to watch the XNR videos - WOW!

[Bill Pemberton]

Ironically, to a certain degree, the innards of the Pentastar group were practically sucked out by the Overlords at Daimler and when Cerberus jumped in the downward slide had Chrysler hanging at the edge of a cliff. 2008's recession did not help, but looking at the resurgence when partnering with Fiat ( and now the expansion to Stellantis ) I honestly think, to a degree , history has repeated itself. Visionaries and consummate gear heads like Ralph Gilles and Tim Kuniskis have revamped the US lines and I do believe those younger members will remember the contributions these two and others have made. Like the 80s, there were many of us working for the Chrysler Group who thought they were going down. Similar to the 80s there were government loans, paid off early and the vehicles since then have been nothing short of remarkable. Gilles will go down in Automotive History as one of the Design Icons in the same vein as Shinoda, Harley Earl, and Raymond Loewy to name a few. Kuniskis came in and has turned a vehicle that was supposed to die in 2014 into the Pony Car that outsold Mustang and Camaro last year and when one views the variations ( Hellcat, TA, 1320, Shaker, Demon, Redeye, RT Classic ,etc. ) along with keeping the Charger cruising down the road in similar variations, it is amazing to many of us. Heck, this is the group with the only truck to win "Motor Trend " Truck of the Year three years running, bring back the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, do a Wrangler Pickup, using so many similar platforms but making them feel new to the buying public. I know I am biased, but having been in the business for over 30 years total , the fact that so many of the guys running things at Stellantis divisions in the UW are the same serious Gearheads who have stuck it out, also shows they have had to understand how to survive all over again. I respect and love the story of Chrysler in the 1980s, but I also feel the repeating scramble over the past decade and a half is an equally complelling story. We all know the fact that the Viper survived as long as it did due to extremely dedicated Engineers, Marketers and Designers who valued passion over a paycheck. With the meager amounts given to keep the production line going, the fact that our beloved beast made it to 2017 is really astounding. Unique people saved Chrysler long ago, and a similar kind of passionate car guys did it again. This is part of the reason I have so much confidence in the future of Stellantis, because some of the guys were admire now are not going anywhere because they could not be replaced.

[gfviperman]

Great write-up, Bill. Agree on Ralph and Tim, they have done an outstanding job along with others.

Kinda hate to see Challenger and Charger go EV so soon.

But as Carlos Tavares (Stellantis) has said, these decisions are being made by politicians not by the industry.

[viperman4125]

Great write-up, Bill. Agree on Ralph and Tim, they have done an outstanding job along with others.

Kinda hate to see Challenger and Charger go EV so soon.

But as Carlos Tavares (Stellantis) has said, these decisions are being made by politicians not by the industry.

Real Car guys won't buy them.

[Bill Pemberton]

Don't be surprised if one of the last Challengers is a " Hybrid " with a monster Hemi and extra large " Energizer Bunny " battery packs. Gotta believe the speed and power will be shocking, ha!