An updated Pacifica will arrive next year and be followed by an all-new crossover
- Chrysler is gearing up to celebrate their 100th anniversary on June 6.
- The once popular brand has seen sales drop nearly 60% in a decade.
- Three new models are on the horizon including a much-needed crossover.
Milestones don’t get much bigger than your 100th anniversary but unfortunately for Chrysler, there isn’t much to celebrate. Sales have plummeted nearly 60% in a decade and the brand’s lineup consists of an ageing minivan as well as an even older version of that same van.
Things have gotten so bad that Stellantis has been forced to rebuff an offer to buy the brand and deny it’s on the chopping block. On top of that, promised products – such as the Chrysler 100 – have never arrived. If that wasn’t bad enough, the once popular 300 is now a distant memory.
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While we could go on and on, Chrysler wants us to remember the glory days. The story begins with the Chrysler Six that debuted at the 1924 New York Auto Show. Fittingly, the brand brought the same exact car to this year’s show.
That’s an awesome thing to do and it helps kick off Chrysler’s Century of Innovation celebration. Things will reach a climax on June 6, which is the date that Maxwell Motors became the Chrysler Corporation with Walter P. Chrysler as its president.
The Six cost $1,565 and featured a 3.3-liter inline-six that reportedly produced 68 hp (51 kW / 69 PS). Other highlights included hydraulic brakes, aluminum pistons, replaceable oil and air filters, shock absorbers, and “full pressure lubrication.”
One of Chrysler’s most famous models arrived roughly a decade later and was a huge flop. We’re talking about the 1934 Airflow, which featured a revolutionary design as it was the first production vehicle designed in a wind tunnel. Despite being futuristic, the model was launched in the midst of the Great Depression and never really caught on.
In 1955, the 300 burst onto the scene with a 300 hp (224 kW / 304 PS) Hemi V8. Chrysler dusted off that moniker decades later as a rear-wheel drive flagship returned for the 2005 model year.
Between those dates, Chrysler introduced the first minivan in the 1980’s. The company also debuted automatic speed control in 1958, an in-vehicle record player in 1956, and Stow ‘n Go seats in 2005.
Looking Ahead To A Brighter Future
While Chrysler hasn’t had much to celebrate in the past two decades, officials are promising a brighter future. As CEO Chris Feuell noted, there are “exciting new releases” on the horizon including “a refreshed Chrysler Pacifica in 2026, a new crossover soon after, and a third product inspired by the Halcyon concept.”
Feuell has been talking up these models in recent months and has previously said the Halcyon previews their new styling language, which is modern and sleek but not overly complicated.
The Pacifica is slated to offer an updated plug-in hybrid powertrain and an electric model is also on the works. The crossover, on the other hand, is expected to be offered in hybrid and electric guise.
Photos Chrysler / Stellantis
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