Chrysler Heir Frank B. Rhodes Posts Proposal to Reshape Chrysler
Woah, shots fired! The kids are still saying that, right? Frank B. Rhodes, the heir of the Chrysler automotive brand posted a video on YouTube two days ago (8/27/2024) about the state Chrysler is in and how it’s being treated as opposed to the rest of the brands under the Stellantis umbrella. The video was a little short, with three minutes of Rhodes talking about Chrysler’s accomplishments, followed by three minutes of music and pictures. Nothing a high school student couldn’t do, but his long and detailed proposal has a lot more to say.
Did you know Chrysler is about to celebrate its 100th Anniversary in 2025? Since 1925, Chrysler has been gearing up to enter the auto industry. The founder, Walter Chrysler, was working up the idea for the first Chrysler vehicle, the Chrysler E-80, in 1925, and then produced the E-80 in 1926. That was when Chrysler became the first American brand, and they continued to show their patriotism with their involvement in the army.
We all know the 4×4 off-road automotive brand Jeep® is always called the “Most Patriotic Brand” for its involvement in the U.S. Army. The Jeep Wrangler was produced and used by the army years before it became a civilian vehicle, but Chrysler also had a large hand in producing vehicles during World War II. Chrysler is responsive for building many trucks and tanks. Not only this, but Chrysler built the engines of the B29 Bomber used during the war. Rhodes did leave out this was also the plane used to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan on August 6 and 9, 1945. Methinks the guy’s age is blindsiding him.
Chrysler is also known for building the world’s first minivan in 1983. This was the vehicle the changed the auto market forever. Back in the day, the only vehicle types known as family vehicles were the sedan and the station wagon – the latter had kids facing the rear of the vehicle at times. Talk about a tragedy waiting to happen if the vehicle is rear ended. Then came in Chrysler with many models of the minivan: the Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, and Plymouth Voyager. These vehicles sold like crazy. Other automakers worldwide tried to compete, but Chrysler was in the lead and dominated the market for years.
Here’s where it gets messy. Back in 2021, Chrysler claimed that the automaker would be taking the brand in a new direction of Christine Feuell, Chrysler Brand CEO. According to Rhodes, nothing has happened and no funds have been allocated to doing that. He seems pretty angry and took a couple of shots at Feuell in his long-form proposal that we won’t repeat here. Still, we can’t ignore the facts.
In recent years, Chrysler has released and scrapped the Airflow concept and discontinued the beloved Chrysler 300. At the moment, Chrysler is happy being a one-model only automaker with the Chrysler Pacifica minivan (and its plug-in hybrid counterpart). There is the Chrysler Halcyon concept with claims to be the world’s first self-driving battery-electric vehicle (BEV) with near-limitless range, but it’s quite the claim for an automaker that only has one electrified vehicle (a plug-in hybrid) that it’s been milking ever since its release.
All eyes are now on Chrysler and their response to Rhodes. Want to find out what happens with Chrysler next? Follow along with us on Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram social media.