Herman L. Weckler (August 31, 1888 - January 28, 1970) was an American automobile industry executive. He spent 20 years at General Motors, rising to lead the Buick division. He joined Chrysler in 1932 [1] and spent 21 years there. He managed industrial relations there in the late 1930s, a time of turmoil with autoworker unions. [2] He eventually became vice president and general manager (the second highest position in the company) until retiring in 1953.
Weckler died at age 81 in Detroit in 1970. His obituary in The New York Times stated that his colleagues considered him "a master producer of automobiles and plants in which to build them." [3]
Walter Percy Chrysler was an American industrial pioneer in the automotive industry, American automotive industry executive and the founder and namesake of American Chrysler Corporation.
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca was an American automobile executive best known for the development of the Ford Mustang, Continental Mark III, and Ford Pinto cars while at the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s, and for reviving the Chrysler Corporation as its CEO during the 1980s. He was president of Chrysler from 1978 to 1991 and chairman and CEO from 1979 until his retirement at the end of 1992. He was one of the few executives to preside over the operations of two of the United States' Big Three automakers.
William L. Mitchell was an American automobile designer. Mitchell worked briefly as an advertising illustrator and as the official illustrator of the Automobile Racing Club of America before being recruited by Harley Earl to join the Art and Color Section of General Motors in 1935.
Virgil Max "Ex" Exner Sr. was an automobile designer for several American automobile companies, most notably Chrysler and Studebaker.
Robert Anthony Lutz is a Swiss-American automotive executive. He served as a top leader of all of the United States Big Three automobile manufacturers, having been in succession executive vice president of Ford Motor Company, president and then vice chairman of Chrysler Corporation, and vice chairman of General Motors.
Roy Dikeman Chapin Sr. was an American industrialist and a co-founder of Hudson Motor Company, the predecessor of American Motors Corporation. He also served as the United States secretary of commerce from August 8, 1932, to March 3, 1933, during the final months of the administration of President Herbert Hoover.
Douglas Andrew Fraser was a Scottish–American union leader. He was president of the United Auto Workers from 1977 to 1983 and an adjunct professor of labor relations at Wayne State University for many years.
John North Willys was an American automotive pioneer and diplomat. His company, Willys-Overland Motors, became the second largest carmaker in the United States after Henry Ford.
Ralph Victor Gilles is a Canadian-American automobile designer and executive, and current Chief Design Officer of Stellantis NV. His career started in 1992, where he joined Chrysler. During his time at Chrysler, he was responsible for designing the North American Car of the Year-winning 2005 Chrysler 300, as well as led the design team that created the 2013 SRT Dodge Viper. Gilles was the president and CEO of Chrysler's SRT brand and senior vice president of design at Chrysler before being promoted to head of design for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in April 2015. Following FCA's merger with PSA Group forming the Stellantis group in 2021, he was appointed the Chief Design Officer of the newly merged company.
Sergio Marchionne was an Italian-Canadian businessman, widely known for his turnarounds of the automakers Fiat and Chrysler, his business acumen and his outspoken and often frank approach, especially when dealing with unpalatable issues related to his companies and the automotive industry.
Robert Beverley Evans Sr. was an automobile industry executive, a prominent Republican, an industrialist, a socialite, and an avid sportsperson. He founded Evans Industries. Evans also became chairman of American Motors Corporation (AMC).
In the United States, the automotive industry began in the 1890s and, as a result of the size of the domestic market and the use of mass production, rapidly evolved into the largest in the world. The United States was the first country in the world to have a mass market for vehicle production and sales and is a pioneer of the automotive industry and mass market production process. During the 20th century, global competitors emerged, especially in the second half of the century primarily across European and Asian markets, such as Germany, France, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. is currently second among the largest manufacturers in the world by volume.
Harry George Garland was founder and president of Garland Manufacturing Company in Detroit, Michigan, a company that he founded in 1935. As a result of his contributions to the production of equipment for the armed forces during World War II, he was recognized as one of the leaders of wartime Michigan. He sold Garland Manufacturing in 1947 and turned to a career of rescuing financially distressed companies, often as a court-appointed bankruptcy receiver. His receiverships included the Anker-Holth Manufacturing Co., Richmond & Backus Co., D. J. Healy Shops, Rocky River Paper Mill, and the F.L. Jacobs Company. Mr. Garland also served on the Macomb County, Michigan Board of Supervisors for almost 20 years. The Garland Lodge and Resort in Lewiston, Michigan, is named after him.
The Chrysler Auto Strike began in October 1939 at the Dodge Main Plant in Detroit, Michigan, as a struggle between the Chrysler Auto manufacturer and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW).
Kaufman Thuma Keller, commonly known as K. T. Keller, was an American corporate executive who served as the president of Chrysler Corporation from 1935 to 1950 and as its chairman of the board from 1950 to 1956. He is also known for proposing the creation of the Detroit Arsenal.
Lester Lum "Tex" Colbert was an American automobile executive who was president, chairman, and chief executive of the Chrysler Corporation.
Lynn Alfred Townsend was an American automobile executive who was president, chairman, and chief executive of the Chrysler Corporation.
John Joseph Riccardo was an American automobile executive who was president, chairman, and chief executive of the Chrysler Corporation.
Virgil Edward Boyd was an American automobile executive who was president of the Chrysler Corporation from 1966 to 1970 and vice chairman from 1970 to 1972.