Chrysler Heritage – 1800s
1846 | 1864 | 1868 | 1873 | 1875 | 1878 | 1883 | 1886 | 1891 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899
1846
Thomas Jeffery is born in England; emigrates to U. S., becomes maker of Rambler bicycles in Chicago; sells company to build Rambler automobiles in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1902.
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1864
Charles W. Nash is born in Cortland, Illinois; as President of Buick, hires Walter Chrysler; later produces Jeffery Co. to produce the Nash automobile.
Jonathan Dixon Maxwell born in Howard County, Indiana; co-founds Maxwell-Briscoe in 1903.
John Francis Dodge is born in Niles, Michigan. Forms Dodge Brothers with brother Horace in 1914.
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1868
Horace Elgin Dodge is born in Niles, Michigan.
The Dodge Brothers biography (pdf)
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1873
John N. Willys born in Canandaigua, New York; will rescue Overland (founded 1903) to form Willys-Overland in 1909.
Hugh Chalmers born; will acquire control of Thomas-Detroit in 1908 to former Chalmers-Detroit, ultimately Chalmers, later merged with Maxwell.
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1875
Walter Percy Chrysler is born April 2 in Wamego, Kansas. He will become only major railroad industry figure to achieve success in the automobile industry, introduce the advanced Chrysler automobile and found the Chrysler Corporation which, under his leadership, will become the third of the Detroit Big Three automakers and the second largest producer after General Motors.
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1878
Joseph E. Fields biography (1878-1951) (pdf)
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1883
Carl Breer is born in Los Angeles, California. He will become one of the three major engineering talents behind Chrysler’s early success.
Kaufman Thuma Keller born in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania; will work with Walter Chrysler at General Motors and later succeed him as President and, ultimately, Chairman of Chrysler Corporation.
Kaufmann Thuma Keller biography (1885-1966) (pdf)
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1886
Fred Morrell Zeder is born in Bay City, Michigan; he will join with Breer and Owen Skelton to develop the first Chrysler car and will head Chrysler engineering until 1951, ultimately serving as Vice-Chairman of Chrysler Corporation.
“The Three Musketeers” (pdf) – Walter Chrysler’s term for the talented trio of engineers, Zeder, Skelton and Breer, whom he brought to Willys-Overland from Studebaker Motors.
Bernard Edwin Hutchison biography (1888-1961) (pdf)
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1891
George Mason born; will lead engineering at Maxwell Motors under Walter Chrysler. Later heads Nash-Kelvinator and merges it with Hudson to form American Motors.
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1894
Joseph W. Frazier born; will become first Chrysler Corporation sales manager, later President of Willys-Overland and Kaiser-Frazer. The first vehicles are built by Willys-Overland while Frazier leads the company.
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1895
Morris & Salom build four “production models” of their new battery-powered car.
Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, manufacturer of the Columbia bicycle, produces an electric car.
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1896
Morris & Salom form the Electric Carriage & Wagon Company, concentrating on electric car production.
A. L. Riker forms the Riker Electric Motor Vehicle Company in Brooklyn, New York.
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1897
Issac L. Rice, President of Electric Storage Battery Company and the Electric Boat Company, purchases Electric Carriage & Wagon Company and joins it with the Electric Vehicle Company in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Pope Manufacturing begins production of the Columbia electric; the vehicles are also sold in England and France.
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1898
The Dodge brothers begin working for a Canadian company in Windsor, Ontario, where they will later create the Evans & Dodge bicycle.
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1899
The automobile division of Pope Manufacturing becomes the Columbia Automobile Company.
The Riker Electric Motor Company is taken over by the Electric Vehicle Company. Production of the Riker car moves to Elizabeth, New Jersey.
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