Chrysler Turned 100 And Celebrated With a Day Of Letting Guests Drive Its ‘Museum On Wheels’
Driving Chrysler's classic, cars, biggest innovations and seeing its future cars is a little humbling, and a lot of fun.
Chrysler celebrated 100 years of innovation in June, and we had the opportunity to check out some of their most important models from the last century and peek at what’s on deck for the next century. With the cars staged at the Detroit Yacht Club, we drove, rode and posed with the display. One of the highlights was a ride in the original 1924 Chrysler B70 Prototype around Belle Isle, along with a few more historic models.
If you need a SparkNotes version of Chrysler’s innovative history, the company was the first to develop the now-beloved Hemi V8. It was the first company to study aerodynamics and how a more aerodynamic car gets better gas mileage, and, of course, produced the first minivan in the 1980s (Chrysler was the parent company of Dodge then).
During the celebration, I came face-to-face with many of the company’s game-changing models like the first generation of the Town and County van, a New Yorker convertible, a gas turbine car, and so much more. It helped me appreciate the brand’s contributions to global car culture and automotive innovation. But which was my favorite?
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. Additionally, I was Stellantis’s guest for this event, but all opinions are my own.
Stellantis Provided Me With the Coolest Transport
This wasn’t my first time in Detroit, but it was my first time being in a two-door Jeep Wrangler. When I landed, I knew a Rubicon was waiting for me, but I didn’t realize it was a two-door hard top. It fit right in, parked across the river from the Detroit skyline, and it completed the experience.
Jeep was mass-produced by Chrysler for decades, only adding a crucial item to the list of things that make the company such a cool one. It’s also one of my favorite off-roaders.
READ MORE: I Went Off-Roading in the New 2024 Jeep Wrangler, and It Blew My Mind
A New Edition of the Chrysler Pacifica Will Debut in 2026
I am a minivan mom through and through, so I’m excited that the brand was the first to ever produce a minivan continues to improve upon it so many years later. I believe that a minivan is the best family car around, hands down. I owned minivans for many years when my three kids were little.
The Pacifica, which is the only car being produced under the brand’s name right now, will have a “100th Anniversary Edition” for 2026. Not much has changed internally, but it’ll have some cool badging and specific color choices: red, white, and blue. It was announced that the next generation of the Pacifica is being refreshed, which Chrysler will reveal soon.
After decades of producing minivans, it only made sense to take a ride in the 1996 Town & Country. I had the chance to ride in one, and it was a huge leap forward for Chrysler since the flagship minivan debuted in 1984. I found it so interesting that even then, minivans were innovating with unique cargo and storage solutions.
READ MORE: The Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Minivan: This Ain’t Your Mama’s Minivan
My Favorite Vintage Car Was the 1951 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible
This beauty had a unique red plaid interior with a stunning, unique exterior with the top down. We cruised around Belle Isle in this powerful Hemi V-8, which was also the first American production car with power steering and Oriflow shock absorbers, both created by the Chrysler Corporation. The New Yorker was a pace car in the 1951 Indy 500, started at $3,900, and is 180 horsepower.
The convertible version of the New Yorker is quite rare, too, with only 1,725 models being produced for that model year. The station wagon version is even rarer, with just over 500 units produced. Being able to stand so close to an iconic piece of American history was very, very cool.
READ MORE: The Ultimate Classic Car: Authentic Design, Modern Technology for the Best of Both Worlds
The Just-for-Fun One: 1986 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country Convertible
My colleague and friend Tanya Gazdik and I had a ball cruising Belle Isle on our own in the Town & Country soft top. It was a perfect day in the Motor City to enjoy an open-air drive in the 2.2L 4-cylinder with a beige leather interior (even beige seat belts) and 97 horsepower with a 3-speed automatic transmission. Those numbers sound so small compared to today’s cars, but this was a popular cruiser back in the day and its performance was considered peppy.
I was surprised by the power seats, although my legs had to really stretch to reach the gas pedal. The base price of this cutie was $11,370. The wood paneling, blocky design, and interior layout felt like I’d stepped into a time machine. The only thing missing from this car was the smell of cigarettes and Van Halen blasting from the radio.
READ MORE: Minivan Showdown: Toyota Sienna vs. Chrysler Pacifica vs. Honda Odyssey
The Most Unique: 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car
This one is unique because its power and propulsion come from a regenerative gas turbine, and only 55 were produced. While it was designed in Detroit, it was hand-built in Italy, and it’s cool to see that Stellantis, which has Italian leadership and owns many Italian brands, had deep roots in the country even then. Fun fact: the engine was designed to run on multiple types of fuel, including kerosene, jet fuel, regular gasoline, and even diesel. The engine’s uniqueness is known for its “whining” sound, similar to a jet engine.
Chrysler tested 50 of the Turbine cars by lending them to 203 different families to learn how they’d fit into normal, everyday activities. After testing, unfortunately, a majority of these cars were destroyed because of import regulations, making this in-person sighting quite a privilege.
READ MORE: Introducing the Chrysler Calm Cabin for People With Autism
We Just HAVE to Mention the 1924 B70 Prototype
In case you didn’t know, the “70” in the B70 Prototype’s name stood for its blazing top speed of 70 mph. It may not seem like a lot compared to cars from 100 years later who go that fast on the freeway without breaking a sweat, but in 1924, 70 mph probably felt like traveling at the speed of light.
It was also the first car to be produced under the Chrysler name, and debuted with a high-compression six-cylinder engine and one hydraulic brake per wheel—two engineering feats that were only featured in luxury cars. The B70 was designed to be affordable, safe, fun, and fast. And, it was also the first car ever to feature a replaceable oil filter, so it was easier to maintain.
Other groundbreaking features were a replaceable air filter, an internally lit dashboard, and an engine temperature gauge. Just goes to show how far into the future Chrysler engineers were thinking back then.
Speaking Of the Future, Check Out the Halcyon Concept
Following Chrysler’s theme of thinking years ahead of its time, the company featured the Halcyon EV concept, which is packed with sustainable technology and fun, unique features. First, it’s made with a lithium-sulfur battery, which reportedly produces 60% fewer emissions than today’s traditional lithium-ion batteries without sacrificing much range.
The interior is made of sustainable materials, too. The roof is made of recycled water bottles and CDs. It also has a “pillar to pillar” display. Instead of traditional screens, it has a single display that stretches across the entire width of the car. It’s also the company’s blueprint for autonomous vehicles, with a retractable steering wheel and pedals that open up the interior when the car is driving itself.
The windshield isn’t just a sheet of glass, either. The entire windshield is a screen that uses augmented reality to highlight street signs, point out interesting things along your route, or stream content from your favorite streaming service. The roof is also a display, with a “Stargazing” mode that can point out constellations when the seats are reclined.
It can also recognize different drivers as they come close to the car with facial recognition tech, so it can customize the settings, seating, and steering wheel position, climate controls, and ambient color settings before they enter the car.
Now only if this tech can make its way to the Chrysler Pacifica, as well as feed, diaper and sing to the kids, THAT would be an innovation. And it would be my all time #1 favorite car, hands down.
More About:Car Culture