Chrysler Canada

Chrysler Canada Inc

Type	Wholly owned subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1925
Headquarters	Windsor, Ontario
Area served	Canada
Key people	Reid Bigland, President & CEO of Chrysler Canada
Products	Automobiles, Light Trucks, Vans, Light Commercial Vehicles
Parent	Chrysler Group LLC
Website	chryslercanada.ca

Chrysler Canada Incorporated is Chrysler's Canadian subsidiary. Incorporated in 1925, the Chrysler Corporation of Canada gained complete control of a Maxwell-Chalmers plant in Windsor Ontario that had been used to manufacture some Chrysler models in the previous year. Initially called Chrysler Canada, Ltd, the name of the company changed to DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc following the merger of the two parent companies. In August 2007, the company was renamed Chrysler Canada Incorporated when Cerberus Capital Management purchased 80.1% of its parent company Chrysler LLC.

Chrysler Canada has three manufacturing plants in operation in Canada, and built 535,878 cars and trucks in 2002. In 2007 the company sold 232,688 vehicles in the Canadian market. In 2011 Chrysler Canada is number two in sales volume in the Canadian market, slightly edging out Ford.^{[citation needed]} However, in the first two month of 2012, Chrysler took over the lead and became Canada's best selling car manufacturer.

History

"Plodge"

Plodge, a portmanteau of the names Plymouth and Dodge, is a name informally used to refer to vehicles Chrysler Canada built with a mix of U.S. Plymouth and Dodge parts for the Canadian and export markets. This practice allowed dealers in Canada to offer a wider array of vehicles at lower development cost in the relatively small Canadian market.^{[citation needed]} For example, a Plymouth with a Dodge grille and taillights became a Dodge without the expense of tooling a vehicle for the market. On the Dodge Dart introduced in 1960, only the interiors were shared; Canadian-market 1960-61 Darts had Plymouth dashboards. The 1965 to 1966 Dodge Monaco used a Dodge body, with a Plymouth Fury dashboard and interior trim.^{[citation needed]} Not all Canadian-market Chrysler-built vehicles were badge engineered in this manner, however; The DeSoto Diplomat, for example—a rebadged Dodge Dart—was never sold in Canada, where DeSotos were similar to the US models. The Canadian 1960 DeSoto Adventurer looked like the American 1960 DeSoto but used the upholstery and door panels from the 1960 Chrysler Saratoga.^{[citation needed]}

"Plodges" were also built in the United States for markets outside of North America. The first American-built export "Plodge" was built in the U.S. for the 1935 model year. Two years later, the American firm began building Plymouths with DeSoto-like grilles for export. The Canadian operation began building these export cars in 1939. Dodge Kingsways were sold not only in Canada but in export markets including Hawaii from 1946 to until 1959, when the territory became the 50th state.

The 1965 Canadian-market Valiant Custom 200 was a rebadged U.S. Dodge Dart.

The Valiant was sold by both Dodge and Plymouth dealers as a separate make, as had been the original plan in the United States. 1960 to 1962 Canadian Valiants were substantially the same as American models, with minor trim and mechanical equipment differences. 1963-64 Canadian Valiants had U.S. Valiant front sheetmetal on the U.S. Dart body. 1965 Canadian Valiants were available in the full range of sizes and models offered across the American Valiant and Dart models, but all Canadian-market cars used Dart instrument clusters and were badged "Valiant". For 1966, the Valiant Barracuda was the only offering in Canada on the U.S. Valiant's 106 in (269.2 cm) wheelbase, with no Valiant station wagons in Canada for 1966.^{[citation needed]}

"Plodge" vehicles include:

• DeSoto Diplomat: Dodge Dart body, DeSoto-like side trim
• Dodge Kingsway: Dodge body, Plymouth fenders and trim
• Dodge Mayfair: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
• Dodge Regent: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
• Dodge Crusader: Dodge Front Clip (grill minus six "teeth") Plymouth body
• Dodge Viscount: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
• Dodge Monaco 1965-1966: Used 1965-1966 Plymouth Fury dashboard
• Valiant 1960-1966: parts mix varied by model year
• Dodge Dart 1960-1961: Plymouth instrument panel

Once the Canada–United States Automotive Products Agreement (the "Auto Pact") took practical effect in 1967, virtually all differences ceased to exist between U.S. and Canadian Chrysler products. However, until the early 2000s the model distribution within and among marques was sometimes different in Canada than in the U.S. The Dodge and Plymouth Neon was sold in Canada as the Chrysler Neon; the Dodge Dynasty and Intrepid were likewise both badged and sold as Chrysler models in Canada. In 2003 this practice was stopped and the U.S. and Canadian marque and model ranges are fully aligned.

Historically, Chrysler Canada sold vehicles under the Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, DeSoto, Valiant, and Imperial marques. Presently there are four marques: Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Chrysler. Dodge is the mainstream car and van line, Jeep is the main SUV range, Chrysler is the premium line, and Ram is the range of trucks and truck-based SUVs.

Operations

Dealers

Chrysler Canada has a network of 500 dealers across Canada.^{[citation needed]} Almost all of these dealers carry all three brands of Chrysler Canada including Chrysler Dodge and Jeep.^{[citation needed]}

Manufacturing plants

Plant	Location	Year opened	Year closed	Notes
Brampton Assembly	2000 Williams Parkway East, Brampton, Ontario	1986		employes 2,750 and produces Chrysler 300/300C, Chrysler 300 Touring, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger
Windsor Assembly	2199 Chrysler Center, Windsor, Ontario	1928		employes 4,254 and produces Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan and the Volkswagen Routan
Etobicoke Casting	15 Browns Line, Etobicoke, Ontario	1942		Acquired in 1964; employes 300 and is a casting plant for die casting, pistons, engine and transmission parts; expanded in 1998

Chrysler Canada has other operations in Canada:

Offices

• Headquarters - employes 345 in Windsor, Ontario
• Automotive R&D Centre - employes 200 in Windsor, Ontario
• DC Transport - employes 326 in Windsor, Ontario
• National Fleet Office - employes 16 in Mississauga, Ontario
• Eastern Business Centre - employes 37 in Mississauga, Ontario
• Quebec Business Centre = employes 24 in Montreal, Quebec
• Western Business Centre - employes 26 in Calgary, Alberta
• Atlantic Sales Branch - Moncton, New Brunswick

Parts and distribution centres

• employs 190 in Mississauga, Ontario (Regional and National)
• employs 76 in Montreal, Quebec
• employs 26 in Red Deer, Alberta

External links

• Chrysler Canada