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Car Forum / Chrysler Cars / October 2004Origin of name Chrysler?
Is Chrysler a last name? I saw a joke about "John Chrysler" being non-existent in the NewsRadio TV show. What is the origin of the name of that company? -Ramon Ramon writes: >Is Chrysler a last name? > >I saw a joke about "John Chrysler" being non-existent >in the NewsRadio TV show. > >What is the origin of the name of that company? Yes, it's the name of a guy, born in Hayes, Kansas, who grew up to be a mechanical genius, worked on the railroad, bought a Locomobile, while he lived on a farm and worked on the railroad that became the Illinois Central. He bought this new Locomobile after attending the Chicago Auto Show, and he had it shipped to his home in Olwein, Iowa via rail, whereupon he had it towed by a horse and ropes, to his farm, just outside of town. He took the car apart and put it back together several times before trying to drive it, only to end up in a ditch, and had to get the neighbor to pull him out with a team of horses. Only a few years later, Walter P. Chrysler went to work for Buick, and became the president of that great company. He later left Buick to head up the Chalmers Motor Company, and went on to a couple others, before going back to his roots at the Chicago auto Show, with the car that he had introduced at the New York Auto Show, only months before, the New 1924 Chrysler. All this is detailed in a book co-authored by Boyden Sparks, and recognized as Walter Percy Chrysler's Autobiography. The Title is "Life of an American Workman" most hard copies of the book were first published in hardback form, in 1950, although the book had previously been published as a series in the Saturday Evening Post, as early as 1937. The Saturday Evening post also published a few hundred copies as leather covered hardback versions, which were of a size we'd call "coffee-table-size" today. The book is a really easy read, and is a tremendous lesson in character for a young American. I highly recommend finding a copy at your local library and reading it. You won't be sorry. God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml I read a history On WPC, and the book had this interesting tidbit (I won't vouch for its accuracy, however): When WPC's family came to America, (before WPC was born), the family arrived at Plymouth rock. You make the call ....... (I'm not trying to be funny or make a joke, that's what the book said. I read it a long time ago, and don't remember the title/author. This one bit stuck with me, however.) > Ramon writes: > [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ > http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml Dan Stern wrote: >I read a history On WPC, and the book had this interesting tidbit (I won't >vouch for its accuracy, however): [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >read it a long time ago, and don't remember the title/author. This one bit >stuck with me, however.) I've read about everything ever written on the man, or at least the stuff that's still available, and I've seen that kind of thing a couple of times. I usually pass it of as "overzealous use of artistic license," and forget it, as soon as possible. I doubt that it takes any credibility away from those things that we know to be true, and the hundreds of things that have been corroborated over the years, . . . . . like his railroad seniority, working in several roundhouses, on steam locomotives, or the fact that he made his own tools, (which are preserved, along with his toolbox, in the WPC Museam at Highland Park, MI), or the evidence that indicates that he couldn't drive a car, but could take one apart and put it together in his sleep, (okay, . . . .but you know what I mean). He was a very interesting man, who had a very interesting life, filled with interesting visions, interesting philosophies, and interesting relationships, all leading to the successful conclusion of an automotive legacy that lives on today, albiet in somewhat beleaguered forms, all over the globe. I have several copies of "Life of an American Workman." Promise me you'll read it, cover to cover, and I'll gladly send you one, (the e-mail address is good -- send me a mailing address), for your perusal. I also enjoy reading about the other great automotive geniuses, (opinions vary -- I'm admittedly being polite), Henry Ford, his ancestors, Bill Durant, Louis Chevrolet, James Packard, John Dodge and his Brothers, Fred Duesenburg, Albert R. Erskine, David Buick, Harley Earl, Preston Tucker, Alfred P. Sloan, John Z Delorian, as well as Walter P. and his "Triple Threat" of the 1930s. If these kind of men don't embody a Great American Spirit, and a forgotten time in our history, that is rarely spoken about today, nothing does. It sickens me, as much as anyone, to see the bean-counters and lawyers take over the automotive industry, and if we don't hold onto heroes like WPC and the like, (whatever their excentricities), we stand to suffer in the long run. God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml Interesting list. I esxpecially liked inclusion of John Delorean, a mega-crook who cheated the British taxpayer out of millions of pounds. Funny you are not interested in those other great geniuses and pioneers like Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, Wilhelm Maybach, Louis Renault, Andre Citroen, not to mention Rolls & Royce et al.... DAS  SignatureFor direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- [...............] > I also enjoy reading about the other great automotive geniuses, > (opinions vary -- I'm admittedly being polite), Henry Ford, his ancestors, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > and the > like, (whatever their excentricities), we stand to suffer in the long run. > Interesting list. I esxpecially liked inclusion of John Delorean, a > mega-crook who cheated the British taxpayer out of millions of pounds. Please elucidate your point of view. > Funny you are not interested in those other great geniuses and pioneers > like Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, Wilhelm Maybach, Louis Renault, Andre > Citroen, not to mention Rolls & Royce et al... ...Briggs and Stratton...Fichtel and Sachs...Callard and Bowser... > > Interesting list. I esxpecially liked inclusion of John Delorean, a > > mega-crook who cheated the British taxpayer out of millions of pounds. I've never heard he was a crook of any size, nor that he cheated the British taxpayers out of anything. He tried to start a company, he got the British government to help fund it; it went broke. That's just failure, not criminal behavior. Yes, I am aware that while the company was going down the US government set him up and entrapped him into trying to raise money to keep it afloat with cocaine. I regard that as poor judgement brought on by desperation (and utterly reprehensible behavior on the part of the government), not criminality. SignatureJoseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. Phone -- (505) 646-1605 Department of Computer Science FAX -- (505) 646-1002 New Mexico State University http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~pfeiffer Perhaps I put it a bit strongly, but he still cost 'us' USD 100m. He persuaded the British government to pour money into his venture that only ever made 8000 cars. While at GM he was clearly a talented engineer, and then had this perhaps visionary but misguided idea that he could make a commercial success of it. No doubt he would have sold a few more if the US govt hadn't stung him but he took 100 million of our money {I suppose 'our' (British) government has a share in the culpability}. http://www.megastories.com/ireland/glossary2/delorean.htm This seems a good summary of what I mean. DAS SignatureFor direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- >> Interesting list. I esxpecially liked inclusion of John Delorean, a >> mega-crook who cheated the British taxpayer out of millions of pounds. > > Please elucidate your point of view. > Interesting list. I esxpecially liked inclusion of John Delorean, a > mega-crook who cheated the British taxpayer out of millions of pounds. He still was apparently a decent engineer, despite his personal problems. > Funny you are not interested in those other great geniuses and pioneers like > Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, Wilhelm Maybach, Louis Renault, Andre Citroen, > not to mention Rolls & Royce et al.... What about Ferdinand Porsche? Probably had more effect on the modern auto industry than any other man... not to mention Soichiro Honda and various other Japanese and European players... nate Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel From: "Dori A Schmetterling" ng@schmetterling.co.uk comes the following off-point commentary: >Interesting list. I esxpecially liked inclusion of John Delorean, a >mega-crook who cheated the British taxpayer out of millions of pounds. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >DAS You should have paid as much attention to the rhetoric, as the list, itself. The key phrase you'd have been looking for was: >If these kind of men don't embody a Great American Spirit, and a >> forgotten time in our history, that is rarely spoken about today, nothing >> does. What was it about Renault, Maybach, Benx, Citroen, or Daimler, or Rolls & Royce, that would embody anything American?? Oh, that's right, . . . . having forgotten WWII, . . . . . most Brits have a special disdain for us Americans. Too bad. Say, didja hear about the Montreal Expos Baseball Team?? Proposal is that the American Commissioner of Baseball is going to have them playing all their home games at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. next season. Sorry Canada! Maybe among all those political decisions, a few will have some economic consequences you weren't counting on. God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml > Oh, that's right, . . . . having forgotten WWII, . . . . . most Brits > have a special disdain for us Americans. Too bad. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ > http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml You see, Dan'L, being an American in this forum is discouraged. Being an American who leans somewhat conservative is verboten. Being a proud American who leans somewhat conservative results in your being treated with the same disdain usually reserved for a dead, half-eaten squirrel on one's front porch. You're not supposed to represent us as the defenders of Democracy, or as the world's lone benevolent super power. Socialism is good. American capitulation is even better. We Americans would be better off if we just learned to love the world the way it is, and stop being such a bunch of show-offs with our tremendous economy and health care system that is the standard against which all others are measured. We should give away more for free -- it's not fair that we have so much, while the rest have so little. Didja know we ride on the backs of the poor, impoverished western Euro-peons, and then repay them by dragging them along into conflicts over oil? I betcha didn't know that all their roads are better over there, too, and nobody ever dies in a car in Europe. Here in the U.S., of course, we've got government agents flying in black helicopters with handguns practically *falling out of the aircraft* so that said agents can selectively kill those Americans who *should* have died in the rampant car accidents, but didn't. (We're such a violent society. I'm kinda ashamed. How about you?) Maybe we should contract out the positions on the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff to the U.N., and forget about this stars-and-stripes nonsense. I'm sure they can take care of that for us after they're finished monitoring our upcoming election. Sovereignity is so twentieth-century, don'tcha know? I bet the Maple Leafs could find a spot that would take 'em south of the border as well. After they move out, there will be more room for reasonable leftist Americans to move to Canada, an altogether more sensible place. Sorry for the rant. There's only a few of us who'd get the joke anyway. --Geoff >> Oh, that's right, . . . . having forgotten WWII, . . . . . most >Brits [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] >Sorry for the rant. There's only a few of us who'd get the joke >anyway. That's perfectly okay, Geoff. I thought I was alone in this wilderness. Fear not, . . . . the two of us, appropriately armed with our Jeeps, keyborads and Glock 23-C's, can prolly handle several thousand of the wimps, Audie Murphy-style. ROFL! God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml I suspect that starting a list with "great automotive geniuses" and ending with "Great American Spirit" would rub non-Americans the wrong way. The introduction would lead one to suspect it would also include the great automotive geniuses of other countries. Incidentally, your capsule biography of Chrysler didn't mention Maxwell! Maxwell was a floundering auto company which he headed; the first Chrysler was a new Maxwell model, and then the name of the company was changed. SignatureJoseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. Phone -- (505) 646-1605 Department of Computer Science FAX -- (505) 646-1002 New Mexico State University http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~pfeiffer >Joseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. actually wrote: >I suspect that starting a list with "great automotive geniuses" and >ending with "Great American Spirit" would rub non-Americans the wrong >way. Except that the intent was to list Great American Automotive Geniuses, which is where my interests lay. I could care less about the Euro-genius or Japanese-genius or the occassional Tiawanese-genius factors, as they held NOTHING for the history of my country. >The introduction would lead one to suspect it would also include >the great automotive geniuses of other countries. Funny, . . . I wrote the O.P. and don't remember including anything resembling an "introduction." Please elaborate. >Incidentally, your capsule biography of Chrysler didn't mention >Maxwell! As a result of encapsulation, I took the opportunity to leave out a few minor details of Chrysler's life. A book was not my intent ---- a synopsis was.. Should I have also mentioned his family, . . . in particular, his son's tastes in art, particularly nude art, as well as sexual excentricities, . . . . and his penchant for covering those fetishes, by buying up all kinds of artifacts. The old man had a true sense of value, when it came to collecting things, (although, many say it was Mrs. Chrysler, who had the true tastefulness and sense of appreciative value), and Junior was kinda following in his parents' footsteps, first by collecting furniture, (until after his first wife left him, and then moving to the art-world and finally really erotic stuff, showing very little taste. But, . . . . None of that is important, in the overall picture of Walter P. Chrysler and his contributions to the Industrialization of America, during the first half of the twentieth century. BTW, we DO agree on the Delorean thing. The government was WAAAAAAY out of line, on that sting thing, and John Z. was a true automotive genius, especially when he was first named head of Pontiac, and took the suits on the top floor of the General's offices to task on just about everything, even bucking the Board of Directors to get the GTO out the door, in '64. His candid admission that he did it, to keep pace with those employee-racers over at Chrysler, was priceless. God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml > >Joseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. actually wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Euro-genius or Japanese-genius or the occassional Tiawanese-genius factors, as > they held NOTHING for the history of my country. The above statement is one of the most jingoistic statements that I've ever seen. And I write that as an American. Most great ideas, inventions or great cars didn't happen in a vacuum or in isolation. Each inventor/developer borrowed ideas from others. Chrysler, Duryea, Ford, Olds and many other American car inventors/developers and businessmen borrowed ideas from other developers around the world. If you think not, you do not truly know the history of the auto industry. Carl Benz of Germany was the first "auto" maker in the world to offer cars for sale in 1889, long before the first American car was offered for sale. Word of this spread across the Atlantic and American experimenters began their activity, with the Duryea Bros offering their first cars in the 1890's. Europeans were building cars with driveshafts, four wheel brakes and steering wheels when American developers were still using chain drives, 2 wheel brakes and tillers. Of course soon after experimentation began, Americans also added their contributions. For example, Kettering's electric starter was one of the major developments. Cadillac's demonstration of interchangeable parts was another milestone. The knowledge that crossed between developers certainly did add to the history of America and of other countries. That knowledge was certainly trans-Atlantic. Doug Doug, AKA "sparks065" sparks06524@yahoo.com actually offered: >> >Joseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. actually wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >seen. >And I write that as an American. The point was that the subject of the original response, that was authored by me, was intended to encompass ONLY names of American Automotive genius, to keep the scope of the thread to a manageable perameter. >Most great ideas, inventions or great cars didn't happen in a vacuum or in >isolation. No one said they DID. >Each inventor/developer borrowed ideas from others. Really!!??!! So, . . . . guys like Thomas Alva Edison, and his neighbor Henry Ford, had their own heroes, ehh?? >Chrysler, Duryea, Ford, Olds and many other American car >inventors/developers and businessmen >borrowed ideas from other developers around the world. If you think not, you >do not truly know >the history of the auto industry. Again, . . . . . "DO YA THINK????" >Carl Benz of Germany was the first "auto" maker in the world to offer cars >for sale in 1889, >long before the first American car was offered for sale. Word of this spread >across the Atlantic >and American experimenters began their activity, with the Duryea Bros >offering their first cars in the 1890's. WOWIE! -- ZOWIE! Good thing they were there, to teach those dumb ool' Americans how it's done, ehh?? >Europeans were building cars with driveshafts, four wheel brakes and >steering wheels when [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >history of America >and of other countries. That knowledge was certainly trans-Atlantic. Good thing we had the EuroEngineers, . . . . otherwise we dunces across the water could never have made it on our own, ehh??? Folks, I'm sure Doug has the best intentions, here, . . . . in his attempt to manipulate history in HIS opinion, but the subject matter was Chrysler and the OP seemed to be somewhat of a novice, obviously "foreign" to the history of Chrysler, and in answering him, my intent was to include a bit of WPC's ancestry and work ethic, . . . . NOT whether he was among those emigrating from another part of the world. NOT whether he studied other great engineers, . . . . (of course he did), . . . . NOT who his friends or heroes were, . . . . . not whether he liked spinach, . . . . or even whether he hired Breer, Skelton, and Zeder, because he truly needed them, or whether he was stumped to complete the tasks alone. Some folks just can't help themselves, when there's a chance to denegrate America, and/or her great history. Thanks Doug, for the small window into your world. God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml > >> >Joseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. actually wrote: > >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >factors, as > >> they held NOTHING for the history of my country. (I hope I got the attribution right) If the intent was to list Great American Automotive Geniuses, then that's what you should have at the beginning of the list. It still takes Not Invented Here syndrom to dizzying new depths, but at least it doesn't imply that all great automotive geniuses were American. SignatureJoseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. Phone -- (505) 646-1605 Department of Computer Science FAX -- (505) 646-1002 New Mexico State University http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~pfeiffer > Doug, AKA "sparks065" sparks06524@yahoo.com actually offered: > [quoted text clipped - 79 lines] > God Bless, > Dan'L Dan, I was simply replying to YOUR statement, to quote: "as they held NOTHING for the history of my country." unquote I stand by my view that your statement above is one of the most narrow views that I've heard. How is saying that ideas came from many areas of the world, a denigration of America?? Do you feel denigrated in life if someone also compliments the fellow standing next to you???? Doug IIRC, your point was that they represented some 'Great American Spirit' (whatever that is), whereas my contention is that they were 'just' great automotive engineers, representing themselves, period. DAS SignatureFor direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- [......] >>> Except that the intent was to list Great American Automotive >>> Geniuses, which is where my interests lay. I could care less about the >>> Euro-genius or Japanese-genius or the occassional Tiawanese-genius >>factors, as >>> they held NOTHING for the history of my country. ................... Please allow me the suggested privilege of pre-stating my intent in this post: "I intend to turn the discussion over to the nit-pickers of the group!" There! Having satisfied the suggested preliminary topical labeling requirements, a few facts need to be aligned before I can complete my opbjective: First, DAS wrote that I left something out: >IIRC, your point was that they represented some 'Great American Spirit' >(whatever that is), whereas my contention is that they were 'just' great >automotive engineers, representing themselves, period. But Doug thought I should have included MORE: >I was simply replying to YOUR statement, to quote: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Do you feel denigrated in life if someone also compliments the fellow >standing next to you???? In order to complicate the issue to the stage of "completely anal," , . . . . Doctor Joe thought it could have been better articulated, when commented: >(I hope I got the attribution right) > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >at least it doesn't imply that all great automotive geniuses were >American. What you folks have communicted to the O.P. is that the name Chrysler, and it's history isn't nearly as important as an ability to argue some infantile point of how YOU would have answered the question. Be my guest. I give up! I know NOTHING, compared to you, when it comes to the name "Chrysler." I hereby defer to the experts in the area of Automotive history, Mr. Schmetterling, Dr. Phieffer, and Mr. Doug. God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml I did see that phrase but didn't quite get the connection. You listed some Americans who were great. My point is that the others I listed were equally great (or even more so, maybe, in the case of Daimler & Benz), thus this greatness and achievement has nothing to do with any American or other "Spirit". DAS SignatureFor direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- [.......] > You should have paid as much attention to the rhetoric, as the > list, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Rolls > & Royce, that would embody anything American?? .......................... > Yes, it's the name of a guy, born in Hayes, Kansas, who grew up Thanks a lot for your very complete answer, Dan. I am currently driving from Miami to Boston, with a little detour to California and happened to pass in front of that city/town around the same time that you were sending your posting yesterday. :-) The name of the town is actually spelled "Hays". Thanks again, -Ramon > Is Chrysler a last name? Yes, that of Walter P. Chrysler. Dan Stern wrote: >> Is Chrysler a last name? > >Yes, that of Walter P. Chrysler. That's kinda what I said. TMI, Dan?? God Bless, Dan'L Fun to Read: http://www.25thaviation.org/johnkerry/id15.htm http://www.johnkerrytruth.com/ http://www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml > >> Is Chrysler a last name? > > > >Yes, that of Walter P. Chrysler. > That's kinda what I said. TMI, Dan?? Your response didn't hit my server til sometime after I'd posted mine. Wasn't trying to step on your toes. >Is Chrysler a last name? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >-Ramon Named after it's founder, Walter P. Chrysler. |
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