Walter Chrysler

Full Name: Walter Percy Chrysler
Profession: Automobile Pioneer and Founder of Chrysler

Biography: Walter Chrysler spent nearly 20 years of his working life working on the railways in ever more senior positions until Charles Nash, President of General Motors hired him to manage the Buick factory in Flint, Michigan.

Chrysler excelled at Buick, introducing assembly-line techniques and raising production. In 1916 he was made President of Buick.

In 1919 Nash and Chrysler fell out over costs, Chrysler resigned and took over the Maxwell Motor Company, which became the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.

Chrysler developed more low cost cars and in 1928 bought Dodge Brothers Inc. and introduced the first Plymouth cars. In the same year he was named Time magazine's Man of the Year.

By 1930, Chrysler had also built the Chrysler building in New York, for 11 months the tallest building in the world, until overtaken by the Empire State.

Born: April 2, 1875
Birthplace: Wamego, Kansas, USA
Star Sign: Aries

Died: August 18, 1940 (aged 65)
Cause of Death: Cerebral hemorrhage