The Walter P. Chrysler museum opened it’s doors in 1999 and showcased historical and significant vehicles from Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, American Motors, Hudson, Nash, Rambler and Jeep within it’s walls. You could see the first minivan, one of the Turbine cars, former race cars, concept cars, and whatever else your B5 Blue-blooded heart desired. Unfortunately, the idea behind the museum’s creation and reality couldn’t have been further apart. Between the DaimlerChrysler goat-rope, the sincerely disastrous period of time when Cerberus held the reins and the current FCA form, to say that there is a disconnect between the manufacturer and the public would be an understatement. The museum was a money loser, and after several re-start attempts, locked the doors for good late last year.
The vehicles that had been inside of the museum have been distributed to a host of storage lots, other museums, and other locations within the FCA realm, but what about 1 Chrysler Drive in Auburn Hills, Michigan? Well, this week we’ve gotten our answer: it will be converted into office space for Maserati and Alfa Romeo workers, eliminating the need to fly them in from New Jersey whenever they are needed. No sweat, just bump out all of the old junk and make room, right?
We don’t care one bit about FCA’s decision to move their employees, that’s their decision. What we can’t stomach is that in order to make this deal work out, the Museum officially becomes a moot point and the vehicles that they have held onto and maintained for so long will either become part of a traveling road show or worse, left in a storage shed somewhere to gain dust. We would like to be optimistic for the collection, but we fear that sooner or later we will be reporting on random pre-DaimlerChrysler vehicles that were formerly museum pieces up for auction at Barrett-Jackson. With that in mind, maybe it’s time to pour another one and look forward to the weekend…
Sergio better remove that circular ” thing a ma bob” from the front of his new office. It would make a perfect seat to take one magnificent taco powered dump. To wipe away 100+ years of American automotive history for two losing Italian brands is sacrilegious.
Hardcore Mopar enthusiasts will be drinking straight out of the bottle this weekend.
I think they should take the cars to Vette museum in Kentucky & top off the hole with them.
He\’ll, I\’m not a MOPAR guy and that news makes me wanna drink.
Hardcore Mopar enthusiasts better get looking for those cars and save them. At least if they wound up at auction they would be in the hands of people who care enough to keep the dust off, or worse the rust and the crusher
Not to worry people. I work just down the street from the museum and was there taking a tour not that long ago. I was informed by the tour guide that many of the vehicles were on loan from private collectors. I\’m quite sure they will find a way to continue to display their rides. Maybe even on woodward. Some of the more interesting things like the radial tank engine and aircraft parts should go to other museums to be enjoyed by all though. They are way too cool for some dark storage space.
How about a bay at the new M-1 condo and track in Pontiac? MOPAR could easily support that!!!