Photos from the last day of the Walter Percy Chrysler Museum

[detmatt]

I would like to see a museum maintained offsite so that its existence would no longer be subject to expansion of the Technology Center.

While Sergio has done a lot of good for the company IMO, as he knows a good product when he sees it and drives it, but overall, I believe he has spread the resources of the company too thin trying to develop Alfa Romeo and Maserati as well as more modern Fiat products and still keep the U.S. brands fresh in the market place. FCA still has plenty of debt that needs to be erased, and his foray into revitalizing those two old brands seems to be hurting overall and continuously delaying needed updates on its core brands. FCA is also lagging in new technology development as GM and Ford are working hard on (not to mention all the other big players around the world) that will hurt them going forward too.

A friend of mine who I used to work with is one of the board members of the museum and tells me the entire collection will still be housed in the same central warehouse they have been using for a long time (cars on display in the museum are rotated from the full collection in the warehouse). He is involved in the collection maintenance. I will try to find out anything he can share on the museum's future and update you when I learn anything. There is a lot of great history there that should be available for the public to see IMO.

The Corvette museum isn't in Detroit, rather it is in Bowling Green, KY at their assembly plant. Maybe something like that would work for Chrysler, and the Corvette museum is open on a regular basis and is well attended from what I see on their website:

Plant Tours – National Corvette Museum

I think it's already known what's happening to the museum itself, its turning into an office space and the cars will be displayed around the campus in the same rotational manor and will also be available for special events. I've talked to several people that work in the museum including 1 of only a couple of people not on a volunteer basis and if any of them know anything more than that, they aren't talking.

 

[rapidtrans]

I enjoyed the employee car shows as much as the museum. There is still plenty of parking lot to hold an occasional show. Maybe roll out a few museum cars each show.

 

[1978 NYB]

I was able to tour the Chrysler Museum with Detroit Matt (Detmatt) on December 21, 2012 which was the first time they closed the museum for good. Some are duplicate pictures that were posted on this thread but a lot of them are new pictures.

Here's the thread from 2012.

I could repost the pictures in my thread if there is any additional interest.

Walter P. Chrysler Museum

 

[rapidtrans]

I was able to take dad through the museum while he was still getting around o.k. He liked the first-of cars and any of the forward look models. They have loaded Desoto or New Yorker wagon from the big fin era he liked. Plus some stories of guys from work with the Hemi and Turbine car loaners.

 

[detmatt]

I enjoyed the employee car shows as much as the museum. There is still plenty of parking lot to hold an occasional show. Maybe roll out a few museum cars each show.

It sounds to me the parking lot will no longer be available for the car shows which is a shame because besides being in front of the museum the lot is perfect for a car show.