Chrysler was incorporated on June 6, 1925.Chrysler's future has been in question, but the brand CEO says new vehicles are on the way. Chris Feuell has heard speculation about the future of Chrysler before. The CEO of the brand that is on the edge of its 100th anniversary has been asked about this periodically since she took the helm in 2021. Chrysler, which once stood on its own as a member of the Detroit Three, is one of numerous brands within Stellantis. Feuell’s response to that speculation is forward-looking even as it acknowledges a reality. “The question about Chrysler’s future and viability is one that seems to come up in various news articles on a weekly basis,” she said. “That has not come up once in my conversations with Antonio or others in the leadership team. I understand the curiosity regarding: Can a company really sustain 14 brands? It’s lot of mouths to feed, and that is true, but for Chrysler there is a belief in our positioning strategy.” “Antonio” is Antonio Filosa, the newly named Stellantis CEO, who was still chief operating officer for the Americas and chief quality officer at the company when Feuell spoke to the Free Press on May 23. Will the Chrysler 300 inspire a new vehicle? Chrysler’s legacy is real, but the brand name today is limited to minivans, a segment that the company started with the 1984 model year. Feuell, who noted a lack of investment in the brand for two decades, reiterated that Chrysler will launch a crossover vehicle, but that’s now set for 2027 (it’s expected to be shown in 2026) rather than this year. The Pacifica minivan is also due for a refresh early next year. A vehicle “inspired by” the futuristic-looking Halcyon concept car, unveiled early last year, is planned, although Feuell didn’t offer a date. The vehicle would be an answer to the customers and dealers who want to see a return of the discontinued 300 sedan, but it’s not clear that’s what the vehicle would be called. “I believe the car segment is ripe for growth and resurgence,” Feuell said. She described a “high level of confidence in our road map and ability to launch these products.” Plans for the entire portfolio to go all electric have been scrapped in favor of “multienergy” options. The crossover will launch as a hybrid with the capability to go electric, she said. But Chrysler’s automotive heritage also warrants attention, according to Feuell. “There are very few brands or companies that have had the strength or horsepower to last 100 years,” she said. In the months ahead, a number of celebrations are planned for the Chrysler 100th, including an event with journalists at Belle Isle that promises to highlight more than 20 historic Chrysler concept and production vehicles. And significantly for Chrysler fans, the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Pennsylvania July 11-13 is expected to showcase a narrated parade of Chrysler-related vehicles, memorabilia, including Walter P. Chrysler’s toolbox, and meet-and-greets with Frank Rhodes, who is Chrysler’s great-grandson, and other automotive notables. Rhodes has long been an advocate for preserving the brand and boosting its profile. He was concerned about its future prior to the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot maker PSA Group that created Stellantis in 2021, and he’s remained so. A commitment from Filosa He caused a stir last year with a proposal to save Chrysler and Dodge with U.S. ownership, prompting a statement of commitment from the company. More recently, following a Free Press article by auto reviewer Mark Phelan suggesting the next Stellantis CEO consider axing Chrysler, Rhodes reached out to express his concerns to Filosa. Rhodes was pleased to share that the response he received from Filosa noted that “Chris and I are just as committed to Chrysler's future as you are, and we have great plans in place to support Chrysler’s future. Stay tuned!” Rhodes recalled what his grandmother, Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, told him before she died in 1979 that he should do what he can to “keep the engine running.” It’s a request he’s tried to honor. Rhodes, a furniture-maker in Maryland, has long argued that Chrysler should be able to thrive with the right investment and vehicle offerings. It was overshadowed, for instance, when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, then-led by Sergio Marchionne, elevated brands like Alfa Romeo and Fiat instead. Rhodes said he understands the leaders of what by then had become an international company had that right, but “Chrysler’s been here a long time” even though it’s “burned through” a few of its “nine lives.” Those would probably include a 2008 bankruptcy and 1979 government bailout. But Chrysler also has quite a heritage from its incorporation "from the assets of the Maxwell Motor Co." on June 6, 1925. Among its innovations and vehicles, the company highlighted a few this year ahead of the New York International Auto Show, including: 1924 Chrysler Six, “a light, powerful vehicle equipped with a groundbreaking L-head six-cylinder engine and four-wheel hydraulic brakes — an uncommon feature in the 1920s.”1934 Chrysler Airflow, “the first production vehicle designed in a wind tunnel, in a new facility built by Chrysler at its Highland Park, Michigan, headquarters. Wind tunnel testing inspired the Airflow’s modified teardrop shape and resulted in a vehicle that represented future design and engineering advances.”The Hemi engine, which dates to 1951 and the Chrysler Firepower V-8. The Chrysler 300 in 1955 was “one of the first muscle cars … The hardtop contained a 300-horsepower HEMI V-8, with solid valve lifters and dual four-barrel carburetors, the most powerful full-size car in the world.” Chrysler’s innovations over the years are the kinds of things that Bill Adams Jr., president of the WPC Club (named for Walter P. Chrysler) noted when he was asked about the company’s significance. He pointed to Chrysler’s role as an engineering company focused on innovation. Chrysler has faced many odds over the years. In response, “they’ve made bold moves in the industry, and it has worked out for them,” Adams said, suggesting that Chrysler is once again at such a juncture. The WPC Club has about 4,000 members/enthusiasts. Adams, who's based in Oakdale, California, called it a social club interested in preserving the history of the many brands associated with Chrysler over the years. "If Chrysler doesn't make it, the legacy's going to be left to us enthusiasts to keep it alive," he said. Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.