The Chrysler Corporation has always been the weakest of the Big 3 US auto makers, and Beck’s It’s The Most Wonderful Time For A Beer Ugly Sweater as another Quora discussion noted, Chrysler’s ability to remain financially viable has been questioned every decade or so from its dawn in 1925 to today as the firm would swing from success to near bankruptcy. In the late 1970s, Chrysler ran into financial difficulties (again) with a portfolio overly reliant on large, gas-guzzling cars; in 1979, the Chrysler Corporation was bailed out by the US government with a $1.5 billion loan, and the company restructured operations to become financially viable by having its major brands – Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth – share automobile platform designs. Chrysler brand was the top of the line, and that brand retained a few unique designs not found in the other brands. Dodge was the mainstream brand, while Plymouth became the entry-price brand, simply badge-engineering Dodge or Mitsubishi designs with minimal value-add features. (Ram trucks remained uniquely Dodge products, and the Jeep brand, the remnant of acquiring AMC Motors, focused on SUV designs. AMC’s Eagle brand did not last long either.). The 1980s and 1990s designs, especially K-cars and minivans, helped the Chrysler Corporation regain profitability, but buyers would frequently look at both Plymouth and Dodge offerings at the same time.
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