Re: IML: Chrysler Pentastar

["Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

Actually, the pentastar was not designed originally to replace any car line
symbols, be they Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler or Imperial.   The pentastar was
designed as a corporate symbol to replace the Forward Look's double
boomerang.  Although the Forward Look era was noted for great styling
strides at the beginning, by 1962 the styling was dated and the build
quality (or lack thereof) of the company's offerings left a poor impression
of the company in the public's mind.  Thus a new coporate symbol was needed
to mark both the rebirth of the company and as a symbol for all products and
services offered by Chrysler Corporation all over the world.

The Chrysler's seal and ribbon was never used for the corporate symbol.
Then, as now, it is used only for Chrysler brand vehicles.  In the late
1950's the Chrysler seal and ribbon was replaced by a lion and crowns.   And
that stuck around until the Chrysler got a new coat of arms with the 1973
models.   The Cordoba got a 'coin' emblem for 1976 and the LeBaron adopted
the Imperial eagle for 1978.

The Plymouth ship became very abstract for the 1957 models, showing
basically a view of the ship straight at the bow with the sails at full
mast.  For 1959 the symbol became a vertical arrow in a circle.  If you look
at it for no more than a second, it appears to be stick version of the ship
looking at the bow.   And that symbol lasted into the early 1980's.

The Valiant used a two-tone "V" from 1960 through 1965 in the U.S. (1966 in
Canada) being replaced by the Plymouth 'ship'.  During the Exner era, every
car line had it own emblem.

Although the Dodge ram was dropped in 1955 (it was first introduced in 1932)
the Dodge coat of arms that was adoped in 1940 lasted through 1957.  It was
replaced briefly by a knight's head with lance for 1958-59.  The 1960-61
models used a sword placed horisontally in an oval and was replaced by the
'fratzog'  (a three-pointed star made up of three, three-pointed stars) for
1962.  The fratzog lasted through 1975 when Dodge began to bring back the
coat of arms.  The ram began reappearing on Dodge trucks in the mid-1970's
with the introduction of the Big Horn line of highway tractors.

The new 1960 Dodge Dart used a vertical emblem with two long triangles
giving the centre section the look of a dart.   The Lancer had a symbol with
three vertical lancers.  Both were gone by 1963.  And DeSoto briefly had a
horizontal arrow with the head of Hernando in 1959-60 which replaced the
DeSoto coat of arms.

But through all the changes in emblems during the Exner era, the Imperial
hung on to its eagle, although it became less ornate by 1962 when the hood
ornament adopted the basic style used through to the end in 1975.

And then came the financial crunch in 1979-80.   Just as Chrysler management
decided a new corporate symbol was need in 1963 to eradicate the memory of
the Forward Look with its fins and quality issues, Chrysler management in
1980 decided the pentastar would be used on all corporate vehicles to give
the public a unified impression of Chrysler.   Thus the pentastar replaced
all other brand symbols during 1981-82.   Of course by then cars, trucks and
finance were just about all Chrysler had to sell.    Boats, outboard
engines, air conditioning, chemicals, tanks, and missiles were all gone,
sold to raise the cash to survive

The first car to adopt a unique emblem after 1981 was the new 1988 Eagle.
In the late 1990's Dodge adopted a new ram symbol for cars and trucks,
Chrysler brought back the seal and ribbon, and Plymouth adopted a new,
up-to-date Mayflower.

Bill
Vancouver, BC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Douglas Nieblas" <doug58imp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 10:12 AM
Subject: IML: Chrysler Pentastar


> The Pentastar was adopted by Chrysler in 1963 because the corporate
"brains"
> felt that the Chrysler ribbon was outdated. Also axed was the Plymouth
ship
> in 1959 and the Dodge ram in the mid-fifties. The name Ram was continued
on
> the pick-ups. Though Dodge, Plymouth, and Imperial would adopt other
emblems
> throughout the 60's and 70's, by the 80's the Pentastar was used across
the
> board. Even the 1990's Imperials used an emblem bordered with a pentagon.
It
> was a relief when later in the 90's that Chrysler decided to resurrect
their
> old logos. Unfortunately, Imperial was not around to celebrate the
> automotive renaissance that followed.
>                                                                       Doug
>                                                                      '58
> Crown coupe
>
> >From: Elijah Scott <imperial1971@xxxxxxxxx>
> >Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: Re: IML: Re 69 Imperial badging
> >Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 05:44:48 -0800 (PST)
> >
> >Frederick Joslin <fljoslin@xxxxxxxx> wrote:  Part of the reason that I
> >initially asked about the emblems on the  fenders is that my 1969 LeBaron
2
> >door has the eagle emblem and  immediately below that the "Imperial"
script
> >and then about 12" below  that there is a chrysler pentastar emblem about
> >3/4" in diameter. The  chrysler emblem seems very "un-Imperial".
> >   The eagle and Imperial script are correct for your '69  LeBaron two
door
> >-- see  http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1969/Effie/index.htm for another
'69
> >  LeBaron two door with the same badging, as well as the advertisements
at
> >http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1969/Ads/Weeds.jpg (showing the  pentastar
> >on the passenger side) and
> >http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1969/Ads/Gold.jpg.
> >
> >   As Bill and Chris have already noted, the pentastar was a standard
> >feature on all Chrysler Corporation products of the era.
> >
> >   How about some pictures of your car for the website, Fred?  Feel  free
> >to contact me privately at Imperial1971@xxxxxxxxx if you would  like for
me
> >to set up a page for your car!
> >
> >   Thanks,
> >
> >   Elijah
> >
> >
> >
> >http://www.imperialclub.com/~imperial71/
> >http://www.imperialclub.com/~imperial71/bookshelf.htm
> >1965 Imperial LeBaron
> >1967 Chrysler Newport Custom Sedan
> >1970 Imperial LeBaron
> >1971 Imperial LeBaron
> >
> >---------------------------------
> >  Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.
>
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>
>
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