Walter P. Chrysler founded Chrysler Corporation in 1925 after a spectacular turnaround at Maxwell Motor Company. From its very first car, Chrysler set standards for engineering innovation — the original 1924 model featured a high-compression engine that was years ahead of the competition. The brand became one of the Big Three American automakers, producing legendary nameplates including the 300 and Imperial. Chrysler merged with Fiat in 2009 to form what is now Stellantis.