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HomeLynn Townsend

Lynn Townsend

1968 Dodge Monaco
Gallery

Was Lynn Townsend’s first major failure the 1967-68 full-sized Dodge?

March 31, 2025 Steve 7

Lynn Townsend led a remarkably quick turnaround of the Chrysler Corporation, but he started to lose altitude in the late-60s. One might debate what were key turning points, but I would suggest that the 1967-68 […]

1973 Dodge Dart
Drive-By Musings

Chrysler’s Lynn Townsend in 1973: Even a compact is too small

November 1, 2024 Steve 18

CEO Lynn Townsend hinted at why the Chrysler Corporation arguably neglected its aging line of compacts in the first half of the 1970s. Townsend told Forbes in 1973, “The subcompacts are just too small. The […]

1962 Plymouth Sport Fury
History

Defense of Virgil Exner’s 1962 Plymouth doesn’t add up

June 10, 2024 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 4/23/2021) Once in a while a work of automotive history is smacked down by a critic who sanctimoniously points to alleged inaccuracies. Sometimes these kind of critiques are on target (if unduly indignant). […]

1970 Chrysler 300 2-door hardtop
Quotes

Lynn Townsend’s hubris led to Chrysler’s decline in 1969-70

July 24, 2023 Steve 1

“It has become fashionable to assume that when a company does a multibillion-dollar business, there is little that one man — even the man at the top — can do to sway its fortunes. ‘These […]

1969 Dodge Charger
Quotes

Chrysler’s Lynn Townsend giveth and taketh on warranties

August 26, 2022 Steve 5

“Hard-eyed Townsend caught the industry with its pants down in 1962 when Chrysler suddenly offered its customers a five-year or 50,000-mile warranty on principal engine and power-train components on new cars. Industry practice at the […]

1967 Dodge Coronet 500
Letters to the Editor

Lynn Townsend failed to solve Chrysler’s warfare between divisions

November 23, 2021 Steve 4

Reader James E. Duvall offered a thoughtful take on our 1966-67 Chrysler B-Body story that deserves more prominence as a stand-alone letter. While I believe the Elwood Engel’s styling department was on-track and that Lynn […]

Quotes
Quotes

How Elwood Engel viewed Chrysler’s styling

December 26, 2020 Steve 0

“. . . Townsend first made personnel changes of urgent concern. He stole away from Ford its stylist, Elwood Engel. Looking at Chrysler interior designs shortly after his arrival, Engel yelped: ‘Ye Gods, this out […]

  • 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
    Was the 1966 Olds Cutlass Supreme the first mid-sized brougham model?
    March 5, 2026 21
  • 1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
    Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period
    March 3, 2026 1
  • Reader questions Chrysler’s future as it passes 100th anniversary
    March 2, 2026 12
  • 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup
    Was the 1967-68 Chevrolet C10 the ‘first modern pickup’?
    February 27, 2026 7
  • 1941 Studebaker Commander 2-door coupe
    1941 Studebaker Commander: Ending its big cars on a high note
    February 26, 2026 11
  • 1961 De Soto
    Video histories of DeSoto and American Motors aren’t as good as books
    February 24, 2026 3
  • 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk front with hood open
    Four lingering questions about Aaron Severson’s take on the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
    February 20, 2026 6
  • Thank yous, power outages and format changes
    October 31, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 134
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