The text of this book has many similarities to Chrysler & Imperial 1946-1985 (1993) as well as various Consumer Guide histories. The result is often derivative but contains plenty of interesting historical nuggets.
For example, authors Richard Langworth and Jan Norbye dig up a 1958 quote from then-retired Chrysler head K. T. Keller. He accurately predicted the end of tail fins and increasing car size, noting “. . . we’ll get back to design for function, and there’ll be more stress on utility. It takes more than styling to make a successful car. The car must be a good, dependable product” (p. 198). Keller must have been horrified by the 1957 Chryslers’ quality issues.
Langworth and Norbye’s analysis is subtle but sometimes colored by Detroit groupthink, e.g., their overly negative assessment of the 1953-54 Plymouth and downsized 1962s. See my alternative perspectives here and here.
The Complete History of Chrysler Corporation 1924-1985
- Richard M. Langworth and Jan P. Norbye; 1985
- Publications International, Skokie, Il
“Chrysler spent three years as Buick’s boss. He fought with Durant much of the time, and threatened to leave unless Durant kept his hands off Buick. But wily Willy continued to transfer division personnel to other assignments and to interfere with Buick’s sales administration in open conflict with Chrysler’s decision. A nasty break was inevitable, and when his contract ran out, so did Walter.” (p. 10)
“Grisinger, said Tremulus was ‘the greatest sculptural design modeler of all time. Tremendously talented, he did very little on paper — usually a quick sketch. That was all he needed to attack a full-sized clay model singlehandedly. In his field he was in a class by himself. The body engineering draftsmen told me that they never had to surface-develop any irregularities in his models; they merely took templates off the clay and used his lines verbatim.” (p. 110)
“In a far-reaching move, product planners concluded that the Imperial would share more Chryslers sheetmetal as well as its basic structure from model year ’69 on. It was this key decision, perhaps more than any other, that doomed Imperial to its eventual, though temporary, passing as a separate make after 1975.” (p. 210)
OTHER REVIEWS:
RE:SOURCES
- Langworth, Richard M; 1993. Chrysler & Imperial 1946-1985: The Classic Postwar Years. Motorbooks, Minneapolis, MN.
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