
Sampling the Best of the Brand for Chrysler's 100th Anniversary
It's been 100 years since former railroad mechanic Walter P. Chrysler gave his last name to a burgeoning car company. Chrysler cars were upscale and technologically advanced, early adopters of safety features like non-splintering windscreen glass (1933) and padded dashboards (1949) as well as experimental designs like the wind-tunnel-tested Airflow (1934) and the radical Turbine Car (1963).
Later Chrysler cars competed with Lincoln and Cadillac to be the preferred ride for fat cats and big shots. In the '80s, Chrysler went family-friendly, introducing the minivan first as Dodge- and Plymouth-branded models, and later under its own nameplate as a Town & Country. When the Hemi engine made a return in the 2000s, Chrysler went for the sleeper muscle car with the 300 SRT (a highly slept-on collectible, in my opinion) but was soon eclipsed by the Hellcat-powered Dodges, Jeeps, and Rams, leaving what was once the flagship brand as the least interesting of the options.
All of which could have left Chrysler celebrating its century in a kinda gloomy mood, but instead the company hosted a birthday celebration at the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle—where Walter P. was a member—and invited all its favorite concept and production cars of the past.
We also got a look at an anniversary edition Chrysler Pacifica, which unfortunately does not incorporate the woodgrain, big fins, or plaid wool seats of lovely Chryslers past, but does come in a patriotic trio of color options (Red Hot, Bright White, or Hydro Blue) and has special badges and new-for-2026 grille and wheel options. If you're excited about owning an anniversary edition, they should be on sale now (June 2025) and start at $44,390 ($47,385 with AWD) for the nonhybrid and $52,565 for the Pacifica PHEV. 2026 Pacificas sans birthday badges will retail at $42,465 with PHEVs starting at $51,070.
Stellantis
2026 Chrysler Pacifica 100th Anniversary Edition.
But a single minivan does not a party celebration make, even if it does have semi-gloss granite crystal trim, so Chrysler let us get behind the wheel, or at least in the passenger seat of some of the cars from its heritage collection. Here are a few favorites.
1924 Chrysler Six B70 Prototype
Walter himself drove this car some 100 years ago, it's pretty cool to take it out on the road. We weren't allowed to drive this one, something about it being one of five prototypes that has been owned by the company since its inception. As its name suggests, the 1924 Chrysler is powered by a straight-six engine making 68 horsepower and backed by a three-speed transmission with a dog-leg shift pattern. Production versions of the B70 won the Mount Wilson hill-climb in California, finished the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and set a 100 mph lap record at Brooklands race circuit in the UK. We didn't get quite to 100 mph, but the B70 has good off-the-line acceleration and a spectacularly roomy back seat.
Elana Scherr
|
Car and Driver
1924 Chrysler B70 Prototype.
1934 Chrysler Airflow
The Airflow (top of page) looks so normal by today's standards that it's hard to understand how shocking its rounded front and smoothed out fenders must have looked to car buyers in the early '30s, when every other brand was still upright and squared off. Orville Wright of the Wright brothers worked with the Chrysler engineers to test the models for the Airflow in his wind tunnel, and while the results were too wild for the consumers—and too complex for Chrysler to produce in a quick and affordable fashion—we can see the influence of the Airflow on today's aerodynamic profiles.
VIEW PHOTOS
Elana Scherr
|
Car and Driver
1934 Chrysler Airflow.
1948 Chrysler Town & Country, 1951 Chrysler New Yorker, 1955 Chrysler 300, and 1958 Chrysler 300D
I'm putting all these together because they represent the introduction of name plates that would grace Chrysler fenders for decades to come. This was Chrysler's big shot era, making cars that paced the Indy 500, introduced power steering and semi-automatic transmissions, and (with the '55) shoved a Hemi V-8 engine under the hood. Riding in cars of this era is a reminder of how cushioned and soft a luxury car used to be. The plaid-covered seats and tall white-walled tires soak up every pavement imperfection. The interiors are also fantastic, with chrome and Bakelite details that make something as pedestrian as opening a fresh-air vent feel like an important event.
VIEW PHOTOS
Elana Scherr
|
Car and Driver
1963 Chrysler Turbine Car
Eeeek, this wasn't just a ride-along, it was a scientific experiment. Powered by a gas turbine mated to a modified Chrysler automatic transmission, this car represents the impact of of the space-race on the mainstream. There were 54 turbine cars made, and nine in existence today, of which only a few are in running condition. The turbine car whirrs like a jet engine and has a tach that goes to 60,000rpm—although most documents about the car suggest redline was closer to 45,000. Chrysler received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the turbine cars, especially after running a loan program which allowed regular civilians to borrow the cars for a few months. As is often the case with ambitious ideas, the project was expensive and never went into full production. This is truly one of the wildest cars ever to grace public roads, and getting to see and feel it in action was very cool.
VIEW PHOTOS
Elana Scherr
|
Car and Driver
1963 Chrysler Turbine Car.
1976 Chrysler Cordoba
Is it wrong that out of all these fabulous machines, the '76 Cordoba might have been my favorite? It was just such a baller machine with its intimidating four-light front end, balck and silver paint, and grumbly 360 V-8. This particular car belonged to Ricardo Montalban, whose smooth voice made "Corinthian leather" into a phrase still used today. Ironically, this car did not have leather from Corinth, but instead was trimmed in silver vinyl.
VIEW PHOTOS
Elana Scherr
|
Car and Driver
1986 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country
Here's that woodgrain and nameplate again. The K-car gets a lot of grief, but it saved Chrysler from financial disaster, and I have to say, this was a pretty sweet ride. I felt like I should be heading to a country club to lay out by the pool but not go in for fear of ruining my new perm.
VIEW PHOTOS
Elana Scherr
|
Car and Driver
1996 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan
Talk about nostalgia. The second I got in this, turned the key, and heard that distinctive seat-belt chime, I felt like I was back in carpool on the way to middle school. It actually gave me some unfinished homework anxiety. My mom never had a minivan but plenty of my friends' parents did, and it was quite the flashback to roll that heavy sidedoor back and scramble into the third row. Note to all modern SUV designers: The '96 minivan has a perfect space between the seats to keep a handbag or backpack.
2006 Chrysler 300 SRT8
Speaking of nostalgia, the Chrysler engineers must have been thinking back to the '55 when they stuffed the new 6.1-liter Hemi into the 300 and revived the idea of a luxury muscle machine. It was funny to drive the 300 after all the plush-riding machines that preceded it. The early 2000s were all about a stiff suspension and direct steering. Still, I think the 300 SRT8 was overlooked when it came out, and would make a good buy today for someone thinking of future collectibility.
After sampling so many of Chrysler's excellent machines, one wonders what's next for the brand. Today's Chrysler is at a crossroads, with only a few variations of the minivan in its line-up. The role of glamorous SUVs is being covered by Maserati, Alfa, and of all things, Jeep. Big, fast cars are under Dodge, and trucks, even if there was room alongside Ram, have never been a Chrysler focus. It doesn't leave a lot of space, but there's still the possibility that Stellantis could return the company to big luxury cruisers, or even "banker's hot rods," like the 300.
VIEW PHOTOS
Elana Scherr
|
Car and Driver
Recent concept cars like the futuristic Halcyon revealed in 2024, show that Chrysler's designers and engineers aren't just thinking about third rows and Stow 'n Go seating. Here's hoping they bring back five-digit redlines, under-cover performers, and fine Corinthian leather.
Elana Scherr
Senior Editor, Features
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn't know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver's license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story "A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2." In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story "In Washington, D.C.'s Secret Carpool Cabal, It's a Daily Slug Fest" was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.
Read full bio
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Bloomberg
34 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Tesla Stock Downgraded After Trump Feud
Tesla Inc. was downgraded on Monday by Argus Research and Baird due to concerns about the company's outlook following a clash between CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. But George Gianarikas of Cannacord Genuity is looking forward and says the robotaxi launch will be very important for the company. He is on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)


Gizmodo
37 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
This LEGO Formula 1 Mystery Box Set Is Almost Free and Comes With Six Surprise Race Cars
Who doesn't love Lego? Appealing to folks of all ages, Lego makes for wonderful gifts or collectors items. Those massive sets like the Death Star from Star Wars are all about the build. Slowly putting it together brick by brick. But while many Lego sets are like that, with a huge number of total pieces designed to be displayed after you finished, some are more about the play that comes after. That's exactly what these Formula 1 cars are for. Perfect for boys and girls alike, this mystery box of F1 race cars make for a wonderful gift. Normally priced at $30, right now you can score a box for just $20. That's a nice 33% discount you get to hold onto. See at Amazon Built for Play This set of collectible Formula 1 Lego race cars comes with six unique models. You won't know which six you'll get until you open the box. There are a total of 12 mini race cars to collect in all different color combinations. They include the RB20, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, Williams, VCARB, Sauber, Haas, F1 car, F1 Academy car, and more. They each feature the authentic team colors and official logos. Each box contains 174 pieces which works out to 29 pieces per race car, with easy instructions that anyone ages six and up will be able to follow and have fun doing so. Each car comes with an F1 helmet to place in the cockpit and moving wheels. You can actually play with and race your Formula 1 race cars once you've finished building them.


Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Even Electric Vehicle Owners Fall For EV Misinformation
Photo byMost people around the world have fallen for misinformation about electric vehicles, believing that they're more dangerous and less environmentally-friendly than they really are. A University of Queensland-led study published in the journal Nature Energy has found that people in Australia, the U.S., Germany and Austria were more likely to agree than disagree with misinformation on EVs—even when they actually owned one themselves. The misinformation tested included the claims that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars, that they don't produce emission savings and that they emit electromagnetic fields that damage health—all claims that are demonstrably false. 'We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating, but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport", said Dr Chris Bretter from the UQ Business School. "The fact that even EV owners were more likely than not to agree with misinformation underscores just how embedded it's become in society." Perhaps surprisingly, education doesn't seem to make a great deal of difference when it comes to falling for misinformation around EVs. What does, though, is what the researchers call a 'conspiracy mindset'. "The biggest predictor of whether a person accepted misinformation statements was actually conspiracy mentality—a tendency to believe conspiracies occur and seeing the world through a lens of corruption and secret agendas", said Professor Matthew Hornsey. "This same outlook has also been associated with opposition to science-backed technologies like vaccinations and wind farms." Many respondents believed there was a secret agenda to exaggerate the benefits of EVs; others thought that decisions were being made unethically, and for motives of profit. Some had unfounded or exaggerated concerns about the damage of EVs towards health and the environment. "The results show public understanding of EVs has been distorted by an information landscape shaped by myths, selective framing and speculative reasoning", said Hornsey. When it comes to specific claims, EVs aren't more likely to catch fire than conventional vehicles - indeed, according to data from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, EVs are 20 times less likely to catch fire than petrol and diesel cars. Meanwhile, according to research from Carbon Brief, it takes less than two years for a typical EV to pay off the 'carbon debt' from its battery. Over the full vehicle lifecycle, CO2 emissions from an EV are around three times lower than an average petrol car, it said. And as for emitting electromagnetic fields, research from fact-checking organization Science Feedback found that electric vehicles do indeed generate low-frequency magnetic fields for their occupants - but that there's no evidence that these fields have any impact on human health. The researchers found that both traditional fact sheets on electric vehicles and conversations with ChatGPT led respondents to be less likely to fall for misinformation about EVs. "Given the global need to transition toward more sustainable transport options, it is crucial we address the prevalence of misinformation about energy efficient technologies like EVs", said Bretter.