When Walter P. Chrysler launched his Company and his car in 1924, he just wanted to succeed in a tough, relatively new industry. He had little concern for the past and couldn’t possibly have envisioned the shrine that the managers and employees of his Company would build in his honor in 1999 with the opening of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich. And a beautiful tribute it is, with state-of-the-art in modern architecture in a three-story facility with roughly 55,000 square feet of exhibit space for 75 vehicles. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Chrysler Corp., so the number has special significance. With more than 130 vehicles in the Chrysler Historical Collection, the cars and trucks will be exhibited on a rotating basis, which will also encourage repeat visits by enthusiasts.

In addition, the Chrysler Archive, founded in 1965, will be open to the public for the first time. "The archive is one of the really unique attributes of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum," remarked Barry Dressel, museum manager. "Now, any visitor with an interest in classic and antique cars can visit the museum and have access to historical specification and marketing documents."