A Heritage of Innovation and Engineering Firsts
All automobile manufacturers build vehicles, but Chrysler Group creates entirely new automotive categories. Our leadership and innovation earned us the label of Detroit’s “engineering company.” Our innovation has stretched from pioneering automotive wind tunnel development with Orville Wright1 to ushering in the era of modern automotive aerodynamic design.
Here are our proud “firsts”:
- Automatic overdrive: 1934
- Power-assisted convertible tops: 1939
- Safety rim wheels: 1941
- All steel body station wagon: 1946
- Key operated combination ignition and starter: 1949
- Power windows: 1950
- Power steering: 1951
- Cruise control: 1958
- Alternator: 1960
- Mating of four-wheel-drive and automatic transmission: 1963
- Front-wheel-drive minivan: 1984
- Airbag as standard: 1988
- Integrated child seat: 1992
1Orville Wright™ by The Wright family Foundation, and under the license through Corbis, Corporation.