Chrysler Canada: Mopar® Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Simple Parts Line Evolved Into Global Service, Parts and Customer-care Brand

•	More than 120 countries
•	More than 500,000 parts and accessories
•	More than 1.9 million square metres (19 million square feet) of warehouse space
•	More than 45 commercial offices
•	More than 50 parts distribution centres
•	More than 20 customer-care call centres
•	More than 3,500 suppliers
•	More than 11,000 ship-to locations
•	More than 350,000 order lines daily
•	More than 400 Mopar clubs
•	Brand now encompasses entire customer after-sales experience for Chrysler Group LLC and Fiat S.p.A. Automotive Group customers
    
Mopar® or no car.

The Mopar brand proudly celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2012. 

Starting as the name of a single product — antifreeze — the Mopar brand evolved over 75 years, developing a strong identity that represents authentic parts and accessories, expert service, and convenient car care. Today, Mopar is moving full-speed ahead into the global marketplace and building on its reputation for top quality, trusted service and high performance.

“The Mopar brand has a proud 75-year heritage,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “The mission at Mopar is to fully support all of our brands by providing every single one of our customers with an exceptional after-sales experience.  We will do this by continuing to offer cutting-edge technology, innovative products, authentic, quality-tested parts, and high-quality customer service.”  

How it Began: MOtor PARts 
The Mopar brand was officially trademarked in 1937 at a meeting of the Chrysler Parts Corporation’s Activities Council in Highland Park, Mich. The committee mulled over a list of names for Chrysler’s antifreeze product and came up with “MoPar,” a contraction of the words MOtor and PARts. 

Mopar became a brand name for most Chrysler Corporation parts, and gradually evolved into the name of the parts business itself. The moniker was officially attached to a Chrysler parts organization in the late 1960s, when Chrysler created an aftermarket business unit named the Mopar Division. 

Mopar in the 1960s
In the 1960s, the brand took on an expanded meaning with the advent of high-performance “package cars,” based on the 1962 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Belvedere. These specially crafted race vehicles dominated the drag strip, garnering the brand enduring respect from grassroots racers and automotive enthusiasts. 

The 1960s also saw the introduction of Max Wedge and HEMI® Super Stock package cars, as well as altered-wheelbase “funny cars.” Racers and enthusiasts began to refer to these exciting new racecars as “Mopars,” and a new car culture began to emerge. 

The last package cars of the era appeared in 1968, when Chrysler built a series of Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda HEMI Super Stock cars. The legacy of these race vehicles is carried on today in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) competition and in the Super Stock/A-HEMI (SS/AH) class in the Mopar HEMI Challenge.
   
Mopar further served this new market for high-performance by introducing a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers, which was continuously expanded throughout the 1970s and 1980s as the Mopar “Direct Connection” line of parts. The brand’s performance parts business ultimately developed into the Mopar Performance Parts division in 1987, with the aim of enhancing speed and handling in vehicles for both road and racing use.

Mopar Today: A Global Brand Supporting Chrysler Group LLC and Fiat S.p.A.
With Chrysler Group LLC’s partnership with Fiat S.p.A., Mopar continues to expand its global footprint. In 2011, Mopar opened operations in Shanghai and Dubai along with Mopar Express Lanes in the Middle East. In 2012, Mopar opened operations in Brazil and Argentina. 

The brand started showcasing its vast product portfolio at international auto shows including Frankfurt, Geneva, Beijing and Bologna. And to support the North American launch of the new Dodge Dart, Mopar introduced more than 150 quality-tested accessories, the most in the compact-car segment.

The evolution of Mopar continues unabated, with a number of milestones and innovations achieved in recent years. In November 2008 Mopar reintroduced the “package car”— the 2009 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak, with the first of the race-ready vehicles delivered to Mopar drag-racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. Mopar also produced a 2010 version and then ramped up the program with more cylinders and more excitement with the introduction of the 2011 Mopar Challenger V10 Drag Pak, a 512 cubic-inch (8390 cc) monster.

The brand revealed a historic “first” in 2010 with the introduction of the Mopar ’10 Challenger, the first-ever Mopar version of a production Chrysler Group vehicle. The Mopar ’11 Charger followed for the 2011 model year, putting first-ever, limited-edition, Mopar-badged production vehicles on the showroom floor. The tradition continued in 2012 with the introduction of the Mopar ’12 300.

Over the years, Mopar expanded its service and parts offerings. With the introduction of Mopar Express Lane service, customers now have an option for fast, affordable and dependable routine vehicle service. And with extended customer-service hours on Saturday, needed repairs and service may be scheduled to fit in even the most hectic schedule. 

Today, competitive makes are also welcome for Mopar service at Chrysler Group dealers. The brand’s new partnership with Magneti Marelli, announced in April 2011, gives the Chrysler Group dealership network the ability to fully service competitive vehicles. The Italian aftermarket parts supplier is currently supplying Mopar and Chrysler Group U.S. dealers with brakes, shocks, struts, oil filters, air filters, fuel filters and cabin filters for competitive makes.

Through its long history, Mopar has always been on the leading edge of technical advancements, and the brand continues to blaze a trail on the technological front. Recent industry-first features from Mopar include in-vehicle wireless charging, smartphone vehicle-information applications, electronic owner manuals, in-vehicle Wi-Fi, and a new interactive vehicle-tracking device that sends the owner a text when his or her vehicle is driven too fast or too far by others.

After 75 years, Mopar continues to serve a vital role in the success of Chrysler Group, reflecting the brand’s strength and heritage. Mopar adds value to every Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. vehicle, with the shared goal of adding value to the company’s brands and satisfying customers.

For more information on Mopar news and products, please visit http://www.media.chrysler.com/newsroom.do?id=7&mid=6 .

About the Mopar Brand 
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand and distributes 280,000 parts and accessories.  With the creation of the Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. partnership, Mopar is extending its global reach, integrating service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Combined with Fiat S.p.A., Mopar’s global portfolio includes more than 500,000 parts and accessories, which are distributed in more than 120 countries. Mopar is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, SRT and Fiat vehicles.

Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, SRT and Fiat vehicles — a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. 

About Chrysler Canada Inc.
Founded as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925, Chrysler Canada Inc. is based in Windsor, Ontario, and celebrates its 87th anniversary in 2012. Chrysler Canada's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Dodge Grand Caravan, Jeep® Wrangler, Chrysler 300 and Ram trucks. 

Chrysler Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chrysler Group LLC, one of the world's leading automotive companies. Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat Group, produces Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck, SRT®, FIAT® and Mopar® vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler’s culture of innovation – first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925 – and Fiat’s complementary technology – from a company whose heritage dates back to 1899. Fiat will contribute world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-sized cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.

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