Walter Percy Chrysler (April 2, 1875 - August 18, 1940) was an American automobile pioneer.
He was born in Wamego, Kansas.
His automobile career began when the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) decided to diversify into the automobile business. Chrysler was the plant manager. ALCO had some racing success but less in the way of sales success. Chrysler saw the way things were going and took a job at the Buick Motor Company in 1911, two years before ALCO quit the automobile business. He resigned his job as president of Buick in 1919. In 1921, Chrysler took controlling interest in ailing Maxwell Motor Company. Chrysler phased out Maxwell and absorbed it into his new firm, the Chrysler Corporation, in 1925. In addition to his namesake car company, Plymouth and DeSoto marques were created and in 1928, Chrysler purchased Dodge. He financed the construction of the tallest skyscraper in the world, which was christened the Chrysler Building and built in New York City. In 1928, Chrysler was named Time Magazine's Man of the Year.
The Chrysler Corporation went through numerous changes over the years, with the Jeep and Eagle brands coming from the acquisition of American Motors. Despite the retirement of the Maxwell, DeSoto, AMC, Eagle, and Plymouth brands, Chrysler continued to be a part of Detroit's Big Three until 1998, when the German company Daimler-Benz, the makers of Mercedes-Benz automobiles, decided to merge with the company to form a new car company, DaimlerChrysler.
Walter Chrysler's autobiography was titled The Life of an American Workman.
He is buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
