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Posted by Paul Cook in Kempner, TX on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 15:32:04 :
In Reply to: chrysler bumpers posted by greg on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 09:58:41 :
In the ‘30’s, ‘40’s, and ‘50’s, most automobile manufacturers relied on other companies to produce many subassemblies and parts. Remember that it was the Dodge Brothers who had a major role in the production of Fords.
It was in the early ‘50’s that I reached the age where I was getting seriously interested in girls - but I was even more interested in CARS.
I grew up in Springfield, Ohio, where International Harvester Corporation built pickups, Travelalls, and medium trucks. Back then most pickup trucks were owned by farmers and contractors, so the only thing IHC had that interested me was a job to help me pay for my car. I was a MOPAR guy even then. I had a 1949 Chrysler New Yorker - straight eight, and Fluid Drive.
Another automobile related industry in Springfield was the Autolite plant where bumpers were made for Chrysler Corporation cars and trucks.
Chrysler vehicles had many parts and subassemblies from Autolite. The most obvious were the Autolite electrical systems. Not so obvious were the various trim items, and chrome-over-die-cast hood ornaments and taillight housings produced by Autolite.
All Chrysler vehicles had Autolite electrical systems to include spark plugs. They almost exclusively were delivered with Goodyear tires. At the same time, Fords had Champion spark plugs and Firestone tires. GM had Delco - later Delco-Remy - electrical systems, AC spark plugs, and US Royal or BF Goodrich tires. By the way, Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company) was in Dayton, Ohio, 25 miles from Springfield, and was founded by Charles F. Kettering who invented the electric starter that first appeared in Cadillacs.
Many of these suppliers of parts and subassemblies were independent corporations with plants all over the United States. The automobile industry flourished in many parts of the United States. Detroit was the home of most corporate headquarters, but “Detroit” should not be used to identify the US automobile industry. “Detroit” does not reflect all the hard working folks who have lost so much as a result of greed and endless bad decisions by “Detroit”.
Back on track… The high quality of the chrome plated bumpers produced by Autolite in plants like the one in Springfield have stood the tests of time and the environment. Of course Springfield is specifically mentioned in the movie.
If you want to see many of the parts actually being manufactured that were used on your old Dodge, Chrysler, Desoto, Plymouth, or Dodge truck, click on the “Autolite” link for a 23 minute movie. You will be amazed.
Youngsters who would rather be playing a game on their cell phone probably will not have the patience to watch the whole show, and they most likely would not recognize the original parts shown.
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