66 Models We Loved at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum – Auburn Hills, Michigan
As the calendar turned from 2012 to 2013, we here at I Love Detroit Michigan were saddened to witness the loss of one of Metro Detroit’s crown jewels of automobile manufacturing culture. On December 31st, 2012, the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills closed its doors to the general public for good. We hear rumors that Chrysler Group LLC owns the building and intends to purchase the Museum’s stunning collection of mint classics, and that the building might still be used for museum-like exhibitions; but for now they’ll be strictly private affairs. In the weeks before its closing we made a special effort to chronicle and archive a good portion of the Museum’s holdings for both posterity and the pleasure of Metro Detroit car culture enthusiasts. If you never had the opportunity to peruse the Museum’s amazing collection while it was still open, well, you do now. Enjoy! ~I♥DM
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1. 1902 Rambler Model C
Retail price: $750
1,500 Model Cs were produced by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company of Chicago in 1902.
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2. 1909 Hudson Roadster
Retail price: $900
The Hudson Motor Car Company was founded in Detroit in 1909.
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3. 1915 Dodge Touring Car
Retail price: $785
The auto industry’s first mass-produced, all-steel body.
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4. 1917 Willys Knight 88-8 Touring Car
Retail price: Low $2,000s to nearly $3,000
The 88-8 was available as a touring car, town car, sedan or limousine.
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5. 1924 Chrysler B-70 Phaeton
Retail price: $1,350
The first automobile to bear the Chrysler name.
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6. 1928 Chrysler Model 72 Le Mans Racer #8 Replica
Retail price of 1928 stock model: $1,500
“In England, the Chrysler became known as ‘the poor man’s Bentley’.”
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7. 1928 Plymouth Model Q Deluxe Coupe
Retail price: $720
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8. 1929 DeSoto Roadster
Retail price: $845
“DeSoto Motors Corporation sold more than 80,000 cars in its first 12 months in business.”
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9. 1929 Nash 440 Special Six Sedan
Retail price: $1,400
“Nash Motors built more than 116,000 cars in 1929.”
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10. 1930 Hudson Model T Coupe
Retail price: $925
Hudson sold more than 300,000 cars in 1929, making it the nation’s third largest auto manufacturer, behind Ford and Chevrolet.
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11. 1934 Chrysler Airflow Model CU
Retail price: $1,350
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12. 1934 Dodge KC Commercial Express Half-Ton Pickup
Retail price: $480
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13. 1934 Plymouth PE Deluxe Coupe
Retail price: $650
“A 1934 Plymouth cost one hundred more dollars than a Ford but was longer, heavier and better-equipped.”
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14. 1935 Plymouth PJ Deluxe Rumble Seat Coupe
Retail price: $630
Owned by Judy Sherman of Orchard Lake, Michigan.
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15. 1937 Chrysler Airflow C-17 Two Door Coupe
Retail price: $1,610
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16. 1937 DeSoto Convertible Coupe
Retail price: $975
Owned by Burke and Karen Brown of Milford, Michigan.
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17. 1939 Dodge Deluxe Town Coupe
Retail price: $1,050
Bodies for this limited-production premium coupe were built for Chrysler by the Hayes Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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18. 1939 Plymouth Convertible Coupe
Retail price: $900
Featured a “vacuum-powered convertible top – a Chrysler first.”
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19. 1940 Dodge Pickup
Retail price: $600
“By 1940, Dodge was the nation’s fourth-largest truck manufacturer.”
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20. 1940s Chrysler 30-Cylinder Tank Engine
Retail price: n/a
Five six-cylinder automobile engines bundled around a single crankcase.
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21. 1941 Chrysler Newport
Retail price: n/a
Designed by Ralph Roberts, only six were produced by the Briggs Body Company.
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22. 1941 Chrysler Town & Country Station Wagon
Retail price: $1,500
“The Chrysler brand’s first ‘woodie.'”
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23. 1941 Dodge Command Car
Retail price: n/a
Chrysler’s Dodge Division produced over half a million military vehicles during World War II.
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24. 1943 Willys-Overland Jeep MB
Retail price: n/a
“In 1940 Willys-Overland competed against Ford and American Bantam for a contract to supply the U.S. Army with a four-wheel drive scout vehicle.”
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25. 1945 Willys-Overland Jeep CJ-2A
Retail price: $1,200
“CJ” stands for “Civilian Jeep”.
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26. 1948 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible
Retail price: $3,200
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27. 1949 Dodge Half-Ton Pickup
Retail price: $1,250
“This 1949 Dodge Half-Ton Pickup is in original, unrestored condition — with just 28,500 miles showing on its odometer.”
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28. 1950s Chrysler Air Raid Siren
Retail price: n/a
“Several hundred HEMI-powered Chrysler Air Raid Sirens were built from 1952 until 1957.”
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29. 1951 Chrysler Saratoga Club Coupe
Retail price before customizations: $3,000
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30. 1951 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible
Retail price: $3,900
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31. 1953 Chrysler Special
Retail price: n/a
Custom designed by Virgil Exner.
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32. 1953 Hudson Hornet
Retail price: $2,800
In 1954 Hudson merged with Nash to form the American Motors Corporation.
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33. 1954 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible
Retail price: $3,650
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34. 1955 Chrysler 300
Retail price: $4,100
“Nicknamed the ‘banker’s hot rod’, the 300 was America’s first modern muscle car.”
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35. 1955 Dodge La Femme
Retail price: $2,600
Painted in “Sapphire White” and “Heather Rose”.
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36. 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer D-500
Retail price: $2,650
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37. 1956 Imperial Southampton Coupe
Retail price: $4,700
In ’56, “Chrysler’s flagship Imperial line was spun off into a separate car line to compete head-to-head with luxury car rivals Cadillac and Lincoln.”
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38. 1957 Dodge Sweptside Pickup
Retail price: $2,200 with custom cab
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39. 1957 Plymouth Fury
Retail price: $2,900
Plymouth’s first “premium-priced high-performance model.”
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40. 1964 Dodge “Color Me Gone” Model 330
Retail price: n/a
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41. 1966 Dodge Charger
Retail price: $3,150
Introduced in mid-1966, all Charger models were powered by V-8 engines.
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42. 1967 Plymouth Fury III Convertible
Retail price: $3,200
One of only 4,523 Fury III Convertibles built in 1967.
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43. 1968 American Motors AMX
Retail price: $3,300
“This 1968 AMX was restored in AMC’s Kenosha, Wisconsin Assembly Plant in the early 1980s.”
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44. 1968 Dodge Charger
Retail price: $3,500
“Bobby Isaac — who went on to win the 1970 NASCAR driver’s championship — campaigned a Dodge Charger in 1968.”
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45. 1968 Dodge Hemi Charger RT
Retail price: $3,480
“This vehicle was used in the 2011 movie Fast Five starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.”
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46. 1968 Dodge Hemi Dart
Retail price before customizations: $5,194
With this Dodge Dart, Larry Griffith won two United Drag Racing Association Super Stock Championships.
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47. 1969 Plymouth Road Runner
Retail price: $3,100
“The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner was Motor Trend magazine’s ‘car of the year’.”
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48. 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda (Purple)
Retail price: $3,104
“The ‘Cuda had the option of five different engines, and many high performance upgrades inside and out.”
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49. 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda (Orange)
Retail price: $3,200
“Fewer than 700 ‘Cuda coupes were built for 1970 — and just 18 convertibles.”
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50. 1970 Plymouth Valiant Duster 340
Retail price: $2,600
“After a 16-year production run, the last Plymouth Valiant was built in mid-1976.”
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51. 1972 Dodge Charger SE
Retail price: $3,249
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52. 1973 Jeep CJ-5
Retail price: $3,100
The CJ-5 was a staple of the Jeep product line from 1954 to 1983.
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53. 1976 Chrysler Cordoba
Retail price: $5,600
“The most memorable elements of Cordoba marketing were the endorsements of actor Ricardo Montalban.”
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54. 1981 Plymouth Reliant K
Retail price: $6,350
“The Reliant was the lowest cost offering of all Chrysler K cars.”
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55. 1982 AMC Eagle SX/4
Retail price: $7,800
Chrysler acquired the American Motors Corporation in 1987.
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56. 1982 Dodge PPG M4S Turbo Interceptor
Retail price: n/a
Top speed of 194 miles per hour.
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57. 1984 Plymouth Voyager Minivan
Retail price: $9,100
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58. 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger
Retail price: $9,553
Dodge produced 7,709 Carroll Shelby designed Chargers in 1985.
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59. 1986 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible
Retail price: $17,600
“Injection molded plastic imitation wood trim replaced the hand crafted ash of the original.”
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60. 1995 Patriot Hybrid Race Car Concept
Retail price: n/a
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61. 1997 Dodge Viper GTS-R
Retail price: n/a
“This very early GTS-R was the first pilot vehicle for the entire Dodge Viper Racing Program.”
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62. 1997 Plymouth Prowler
Retail price: $39,000
“Chrysler ceased building Plymouth Brand vehicles in 2001.”
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63. 2001 Evernham Winston Cup NASCAR Prototype
Retail price: n/a
“In February 2001, Dodge competed in its first NASCAR stock car race in 22 years.”
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64. 2002 Dodge Razor Concept
Retail price: n/a
“Equipped with two matching ‘Razor’ kick scooters mounted behind its seats.”
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65. 2003 Dodge Tomahawk Motorcycle
Retail price: $550,000
“Hand-built examples of the Tomahawk were to be offered through the Nieman Marcus catalog at a price of $550,000, but none were ever produced for sale.”
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66. 2005 Chrysler Firepower Concept
Retail price: n/a
Debuted at Detroit’s NAIAS in 2005.
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[Editor’s Note: All info in quotes taken directly from informational placards inside the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. Click on any photo to see it enlarged.]
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About the author
Dale Carlson grew up along the northeastern shores of Lake Michigan, where at a young age Detroit called out to him in his dreams. In 2008, after extended stays in ten different Michigan cities, the author settled permanently in southeast Oakland County where he currently lives and works in various capacities within the local real estate industry.
