Chrysler By The Decade

The 1920's

In 1908, a 33-year railway worker traveled to Chicago, IL. For the annual auto show and fell in love with a $5000USD "Locomobile" which he immediately bought on credit. The young man was Walter Percy Chrysler, and his interest in the automobile would change the direction of the auto industry forever. More

The 1930's

By 1933, the world was coping with the Great Depression. Chrysler Corporation advertising highlighted as many common sense vehicle features as possible and stressed engineering and price instead of glamour. More

The 1940's

1940 started off with Walter Chrysler's death following a long illness. But by now Chrysler was one of the most sound companies in the world. More

The 1950's and 1960's

The 1950's were a time for Chrysler to begin rejuvenating itself - with a new president, and newly freed divisions, Chrysler began expanding into the global market. More

The 1970's and 1980's

Chrysler's reach not only extends around the world - in the 1970's, it even reached beyond the world - literally launching astronauts in the Saturn 1 and 2 launch vehicles Chrysler produced for the U.S. Space Program. More

The 1990's

Through the late 1980's and early 1990's Chrysler accelerated its move into international markets, focusing on Latin America and Asia/Pacific regions, with a recent emphasis on selling vehicle in Japan and other right-hand-drive markets. In 1991, Chrysler sold its equity stake in Japan's Mitsubishi. More

The Chrysler Technology Center

The Chrysler Technology Center symbolizes the new Chrysler - a lean organization of team members, working together under one roof, to build world-class cars and trucks.

Why? Chrysler's approach to vehicle development, known as the platform team concept, was instrumental to Chrysler's success in building world-class vehicles.

In keeping with this concept, Chrysler can now, in one facility, under one roof, design, test, build, evaluate and develop marketing plans for all its vehicles. Working as a completely integrated team, in a single complex, is an ability unmatched by any other automaker in the world.

The complex comprises 4.4 million square feet on 504 acres and brings approximately 10,000 employees from an array of disciplines together. It evolved much the way Chrysler's platform team concept involved: bring people together from a variety of disciplines to build great products.

Today the CTC complex has brought together these following parts of Chrysler Corporation: Chrysler Corporation World Head Headquarters; the Design Office; Vehicle Platform Engineering and Evaluation facilities; and Evaluation Road; Manufacturing Pilot Plan; Procurement and supply; Scientific Laboratories; Chrysler Education Center.

At a cost of $ 1.1 billion USD, the complex is the largest investment in Chrysler Corporation's history. CTC itself is a $ 900 million USD investment and the world headquarters an additional $ 200 million USD. Currently, Chrysler is investing $370 million USD in a powertrain testing facility to be completed in 1999.

Since its inception, the Technology Center has been the key tool for advancing Chrysler's core strategy - to produce the highest quality cars and trucks at the lowest possible costs.

The complex has become a symbol to employees, to the industry, indeed, to the world of how Chrysler's platform teams work and how Chrysler will prosper into the next century under one common goal: to produce cars and trucks that people want to by, enjoy driving and want to buy again.

The design of the CTC is a structure that allows easy access to all departments. The original design featured an all-glass exterior, open atriums and flexible office space to foster a working environment of open communication, creativity and teamwork.

The result is simultaneous vehicle development - where design, engineering, manufacturing and procurement and supply all develop together. This approach is radically different than the traditional "sequential" development process - a radical difference reflected in the very architecture of the CTC.

In addition, Chrysler's philosophy of "people first" is embodied in the CTC, which features a health activity center, four dining facilities, two sundry shops, and extensive skylight system that provides natural light, outdoor walking trails and a 70,000 square foot Educational Center.

In 1989 Chrysler pioneered the platform team approach to vehicle development. The result of this major change in work style and structure is evident in award winning and internationally recognized products like the Dodge Viper, Intrepid and Ram pickup, the Dodge and Plymouth Neon the Cirrus, Stratus, Breeze platform and the 1996 minivan platform.

What is a platform team? Within the platform team structure, professionals from every discipline - from design, to engineering and manufacturing, to finance and marketing - work together to plan and develop new products.

The advantages of this team structure: less development time, lower production costs and integrated quality.

The first vehicle to benefit from the platform team was a smashing success, the Dodge Viper went on to symbolize the Chrysler renaissance at the same time it hearkened back to the glory days of muscle cars and Chrysler hegemony.

Another success: the 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the first production vehicle developed on the platform team.

Today, all functions at Chrysler Corporation are divided into five broad platforms: small car, large car, Jeep, truck and minivan.

Key to this operation is the presence, at CTC of a test course that allows on-site evaluation of vehicles as they go through their development.

The 1.8 mile test course provides engineers and technicians with the opportunity to drive vehicles under development on surfaces ranging from a 65 mph straightway to banked curves. The evaluations road covers more than 43 acres and loops around wetlands, putting cars in a natural environment that doesn't interfere with the area's wildlife.

Another key to the platform team: a 150,000 square foot pilot plant, whose purpose is to allow engineers to "pilot" manufacture vehicles. This allows the team to anticipate and solve production problems long before new vehicles go to volume assembly lines. The Pilot Plant is located only minutes away from the platform teams.

The CTC, the platform teams and the factories are all part of the New Chrysler - which is dedicated to becoming the premier automaker worldwide by the year 2000. The key is to bring the right people together, proved them the support and facilities to draw on their creative energies and create partnerships with marketplaces across the globe.