Chrysler Destroys Its Historical Archives; GM to Follow?

[PatS....]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorial-chrysler-destroys-its-historical-archives-gm-to-follow/

an excerpt:

"Chrysler was incorporated on June 6, 1925. Over the following decades, the automaker centralized and organized its archives, records dating back to the very beginnings of the American automobile industry. And then the company’s new owners decided history is bunk. Cerberus eliminated its archivist position. They stopped funding the documents’ maintenance. The company limited access to their archives and then stopped it altogether.

Worse was to follow.

With little notice and no planning, Cerberus literally abandoned the engineering library at the Chrysler Technical Center. The library was shuttered and the librarian laid off. And then the real crime: all the library’s books and materials were offered to anyone who could carry them away. I repeat: the documents were free for the taking. Within a week, a collection spanning decades was scattered to the winds; the books and other materials will never again be available in any coherent, comprehensive form."

Edited July 30, 2009 by PatS....

[PatS....]

Unbelievably stupid...it sorta makes your heart skip a beat...

Edited July 30, 2009 by PatS....

[RobertKB]

I think it is terribly short sighted. In the big scheme of things, the cost of maintaining that library is negligible. Any large company that has been around for a long time should take pride in its past. Canadian Pacific Railway here in Canada is a good example. They are suffering financially but they still find the funds to maintain and operate a 1930 CPR locomotive not just for the PR value but also as a link to the company's past. http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/General+Public/Steam+Train/default.htm

Union Pacific runs a steam locomotive as well. I am sure it is a loss factor for them also but they have pride in their heritage. http://www.upsteam.com/844history.html#844history

Sheer greed and stupidity led to the decision to get rid of Chrysler history. Likely they will next close their museum and sell off the cars. Corporations some times really piss me off.

Edited July 30, 2009 by RobertKB

[PatS....]

Proof that they haven't a hope of success because they obviously are simple bean counters, and not car guys.

Bean counters got them into this mess, and bean counters will throw the last shovelful of dirt on the grave and wonder how it happened.

THIS mindset that would allow something like this to happen is the mindset that will kill these companies off for good.

Any loyalty I had to this shell of a company is gone now.

Now, where's the closest Ford dealer....

[Californian]

Our family has had Chrysler products since the early fifties, when my dad traded the 47 Nash in on 51 Plymouth two door sedan that took the family to Disney Land from San Francisco the year after it opened ..

When I aquired/scored a 47 Plymouth 4 Door Deluxe back around 1969 , A little while later I wrote the Chysler Corp about the availabilty of an owners manual, and they sent me a brand new 46-48 Plymouth owners manual or NOS one if one wants to be P/C, in a manila envlope free of charge...my how things have changed....

It's a dam shame that so little regard to the history of Chrysler Corp is payed by those that have inhareted this great American company!

Just think for years stamped/cast many of the parts MoPar produced came with the DPCD symbol somewhere on that part or the part box it came in...

Tom (09)

[dezeldoc]

I wonder what ol' galen govier is gonna do now! after all he is THEE authority on chrysler muscle cars and had unrestricted access to the records.

[Young Ed]

I believe I read that the Chrysler musuem has already been transfered to some other sort of ownership so that it will be preserved.

[Frank M.]

Ed---I sure hope you are right. The least they could have done was offered it IN TOTO to someone. Im sure that the offer would have been taken up.

Norm----I dont think anything out side of that historical accumilation could even come close to substituting for it. Frank M.

[realgonekatt]

Chrysler? Chrysler? Oh you mean Fiat? Recon if Fiat has a well documented library?

[PatS....]

This was done well before Fiat took control. It was Cerberus. Let's see what Fiat does with what's left.

[RHDSP15C]

It's called the Tom Cat syndrome.

[rlovette]

To echo what Californian said---My dad wrote Chrysler in 1970 for more information on his '52 Desoto S-17 station wagon. They wrote back--with info. It'll be interesting to see what Fiat can do with what's left of Chrysler. I'm beginning to wonder if Ford might not be the only one of the three that survives long term.

[PatS....]

Seems to me that if the owner of a vintage Chrysler takes the time to write for info and the company responds with the info or as best they can, that is as good a quality PR as you can get.

The company can begin a positive relationship with a potential new car customer for the price of a stamp or the time to write an email. How much does even a local radio ad cost?? Much more than sending out the requested info.

I wrote Chrysler in 1970 for some info on a school project and they sent me a huge package with every sales brochure for every Chrysler Corp car for 1970 and a bound book of the history of the corp with some great pictures (I still have all of it plus the report I wrote)

Good long term PR for a very small investment.

[Young Ed]

Pat when my dad bought his 51 ply conv in 1966 the owners manual still had a little card to mail in for a shop manual. He figured he'd try it so he sent it in along with the $2 that was required. Few weeks later his shop manual came in the mail! Its getting pretty raged now but we still use it on occasion.

[James_Douglas]

This is but a long line of similar events that I have been gripping about for the last 20 years.

In the future say 500 years from now people will equate the late 20th Century wholesale destruction of the industrial age documentation as the modern equivalent of the burning of the ancient library at Alexandria.

NASA cannot find the blueprints to the lunar module and had to go to the Smithsonian with tape measures in hand.

After the turret blow up on the battleship 20 some years back they realized that they did not have the technical knowledge make that large of a cannon barrel anymore.

All the records to rebuild most of the analog testing equipment for most all industries has been trashed as companies were gobbled up in the 1970's to the 1990's.

Heck, even Chrysler Historical when I called them 10 years ago and wanted the exact specification on Fluid Drive Fluid could not fine any documentation.

This is just the most visible of a long line of technical destruction that has been going on for years.

What a shame.

James

[B-Watson]

This topic was covered on other lists and someone did the intelligent thing and asked someone who actually works there. It turns out the engineering documents had been transfered to the historical collection and not tossed out the door to anyone who walked by.

And there lies the problem with this article - it relies completely on hearsay and not one attempt made to verify or deny the story. Extremely poor reporting.

I wouldn't believe one word of anything that came from that web site or the organization that supports it if that was an example of their "reporting". It smacks of the muckraking reporting from 100 hundred years ago. The article is fit for the "National Enquirer", but not much else.

And do not expect any department to hang on to every document, formula, design, blueprint, etc. etc. that they created over the years. House cleaning of documents goes on all the time in companies and decisions are made as to how long a document should be kept and when, or if, it should be destroyed. Storage space costs money - heat in the winter, cool in the summer, keep it clear of bugs and rodents - not to mention the space itself which could be used for items needed to today to make money.

And if memory serves, the Chrysler archives is part of a non-profit organization and not owned by Chrysler LLC itself.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[PatS....]

As usual, Bill has it straight. The article I quoted and linked to was evidently NOT done by a real journalist.

NO facts were checked.

A quote from the man in charge at Walter P. Chrysler Museum denies the accuracy of the article and says all important historical documents were retained.

I usually don't believe unbelievable crap I read on the "internets", but this one got me good.

It should be coming out soon publicly from the Walter P. Chrysler Museum.

The good stuff is safe in their hands.

My apologies for posting unresearched bunk from a pretend "journalist"

[RobertKB]

We have been schooled by Bill. Thanks for providing the "facts". Hey, Pat, we have all been taken in at some point about something so don't feel bad.

[Don Coatney]

This topic was covered on other lists and someone did the intelligent thing and asked someone who actually works there. It turns out the engineering documents had been transfered to the historical collection and not tossed out the door to anyone who walked by.

And there lies the problem with this article - it relies completely on hearsay and not one attempt made to verify or deny the story. Extremely poor reporting.

I wouldn't believe one word of anything that came from that web site or the organization that supports it if that was an example of their "reporting". It smacks of the muckraking reporting from 100 hundred years ago. The article is fit for the "National Enquirer", but not much else.

And do not expect any department to hang on to every document, formula, design, blueprint, etc. etc. that they created over the years. House cleaning of documents goes on all the time in companies and decisions are made as to how long a document should be kept and when, or if, it should be destroyed. Storage space costs money - heat in the winter, cool in the summer, keep it clear of bugs and rodents - not to mention the space itself which could be used for items needed to today to make money.

And if memory serves, the Chrysler archives is part of a non-profit organization and not owned by Chrysler LLC itself.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

Once again you are the man with the facts. Thanks for posting.

[rlovette]

As someone who works in media, I find this is all too common--at all levels--local, state and national. It's become sort of a "hit and run" business--get something out there---with little or no time to check facts---and move on to the next story. Thanks to Bill and Pat for setting things straight.

[TodFitch]

Once again you are the man with the facts. Thanks for posting.

I think the kudos should go to Jim Benjaminson over on the POC forum who, as far as I can tell, is the one that actually made the fact checking call.

[realgonekatt]

I just saw the new Fiat on Top Gear and I gotta say, a very slick little car. supercharged banger and Mini-esque 60's swinger look. Might be the best thing to happen to chrysler in awhile. Just the facts mam'

[Don Coatney]

I think the kudos should go to Jim Benjaminson over on the POC forum who, as far as I can tell, is the one that actually made the fact checking call.

I wonder why Jim Benjaminson never visits or contributes to this forum? I am sure he is aware of it.

[Don Coatney]

Could be because he does not like talking about making modifications. He is the one who invited Dennis and I not to participate on the POC forum for discussing modifications to old Plymouth's several years ago.

I wonder how many here have bought his book? I have. I would think he would appriciate our business and here (on this forum) he could add to the threads that discuss non modified cars.

[Don Coatney]

What book? I do have a couple where he contributed information.

Follow this link.

http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/5175685/used/Plymouth' date='%201946-1959[/url']