Chrysler, which has today filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, was first organised as Chrysler Corporation in 1925.
It is now expected to undergo a major restructuring on every level, with a union with Fiat central to its plans for reviving its fortunes.
Click here to read about Chrysler's decision to file for bankruptcy protection
However, while today's announcement marks the biggest upheaval in the company's history, it is far from being the only one.
Walter Chrysler founded the company shortly after New York motor show organisers refused to let his prototype Chrysler Six be displayed in 1924; he was so incensed that he drove it into the lobby of the show halls and parked it up, for all to see.
On 6 June he put the car on sale, enjoying great success as it was the most affordable car powered by a six-cylinder engine at the time.
In 1934 the Airflow was launched, its striking appearance inspired by fighter plan manoeuvres. It lived up to that billing, setting speed records on Utah's salt flats, but sold poorly.
At this time technical innovations helped keep the company afloat. Among these was Fluid Drive, a forerunner to automatic transmission.
Walter Chrysler died in 1940, the same year as his company's luxury Town and Country brand was launched.
From 1942 car production was halted, with Chrysler concentrating its efforts on producing everything from tanks, aircraft engines and anti-aircraft guns.
Post-war, Chrysler again stood out for technical innovations that included air-cooled brakes, the Hemi V8 engine, a dashboard mounted record player and Hydraglide, a pioneering power steering system.
The oil crisis in the late 1970s resulted in a slump in car sales, and Chrysler received $1.5bn (£1 billion today) of loan guarantees from the US government to save it from collapse.
In late 1983, Chrysler launched the pioneering Dodge Caravan, and its sister the Plymouth Voyager, bringing the concept of the modern MPV to the US market for the first time, and even beating the Renault Espace to market.
In the early 1990s, under the creative leadership of product guru Bob Lutz, Chrysler experienced a flurry of creativity. In the period of a few short years, it launched the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler sports cars, and brought a distinctive 'cab-forward' design language to its everyday saloon range.
Chrysler continued to grow, and by 1998 it was part of the German based DaimlerChrysler (now Daimler AG) group.
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