Re: 1948 Merger Talks

Posted by Mr.Pushbutton  On 2008/4/24 7:50:43

Durant was basically a good time Charlie, as the industry grew, and his assembled brands grew in sales and profits continued to increase (due mainly to the brain work of division heads like Charles Nash, Walter P. Chrysler, K.T. Keller and others) everything was OK. When the post WWI recession came along Durant couldn't manage during times when the cash wasn't flowing. He had been ousted once, got back in control and lost control again in the very early 20s, when the DuPonts installed Alfred Sloan, who did know how to manage cash during hard times, and who understood that you just couldn't keep acquiring companies and taking on debt.
Durant tried with his own Durant motors, but lacked the breath of product and the manufacturing and sales outlets that GM and Ford (and many independents) had. His Star car was based on a Zeder-Breer-Skelton design that was slated initially to be the first car to bear the name "Chrysler"; this was planned while Walter P. Chrysler was working as a trouble shooter bailing out Willys-Overland. That car was built as the Star in the Elizabeth, NJ plant that W-O had bought from the Duesenberg bros.
The Briscoe "combine" was to become United Motors; their brand portfolio was to be Maxwell-Briscoe, Columbia & Electric vehicle, Stoddard-Dayton, Brush and Alden-Sampson.
Only Maxwell survived the shake out of that combine, and Chrysler was born from the conversion of Maxwell into the Chrysler Corporation.