OREANDA-NEWS. February 10, 2016. The old mantra “You can't know where you are going, unless you know where you’ve been” will have special significance for FCA Canada and its enthusiasts at this year’s 2016 Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS). Both a 1925 Chrysler B70 sedan and a Windsor, Ontario-built 1984 Dodge Caravan will be on display during the Toronto show’s public days.

The 1925 Chrysler B70 sedan will be showcased as part in the annual Art and the Automobile exhibit in the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC). The vehicle was sought by the exhibit to commemorate the recent 90th anniversary of FCA Canada (formerly, the Chrysler Corporation of Canada Limited), which was incorporated in Windsor, June 17, 1925; only 11 days after Walter P. Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation in Detroit, Michigan.
 
According to Brandt Rosenbusch, Manager of Historical Vehicles – FCA US: “This is the car that launched the Chrysler Corporation. Designed by three talented engineers, it was the first model to bear the 'Chrysler' name and made its public debut at the 1924 New York Automobile Show. The new Chrysler boasted a high-compression six-cylinder engine and Lockheed four-wheel hydraulic brakes – advanced engineering features unprecedented in a car in its mid-level price class.”
 
The 1925 Chrysler B70 sedan cost \\$1,350 (U.S.) when new, weighed 2,785 lbs. and made just 68 horsepower. This is the second year in a row that FCA has been asked to display a historic vehicle at the Art and the Automobile exhibit. Last year, a rare 1963 Chrysler Turbine car was on hand. All are part of the automaker’s classics collection housed at the private Walter P. Chrysler Museum, adjacent to the FCA North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
 
Meanwhile, at the FCA Canada display in the North Building of the MTCC, a 1984 Dodge Caravan will be displayed as part of a special tribute to the Company’s 30 years of minivan leadership.
 
“Chrysler Corporation introduced an entirely new vehicle segment in 1984 that revolutionized the automotive industry,” says Rosenbusch. “The ‘minivan,’ a unibody, front-wheel-drive compact van that easily fit into a garage and provided easy entry and exit for passengers and their packages, was an instant hit. This 1984 model is one of the first examples of the original ‘magic wagon,’ built in Windsor, Ontario, just as our minivans are today.”
 
Priced at \\$7,972 (U.S.) when new, this Dodge Caravan is powered by a 2.2-litre engine, produces 96 horsepower and wears wood paneling along its flanks, as was de rigueur at the time.
 
Today, FCA still calls Windsor, Ontario, the home of its minivans. To date, more than 14.3 million have been sold globally. Since its debut over 30 years ago, FCA minivans have led their segment in sales in Canada and have introduced 115 segment-first innovations, including 37 on the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan.
 
About FCA Canada
Founded as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925, FCA Canada Inc. is based in Windsor, Ontario, and celebrates its 91st anniversary in 2016. FCA Canada Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of FCA US LLC, a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA Canada has approximately 440 dealers and markets Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes Alfa Romeo models and Mopar products. In addition to its assembly facilities, which produce the Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan (Windsor), Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger (Brampton), FCA Canada operates an aluminum casting plant in Etobicoke, a research and development center in Windsor, and has sales offices and parts distribution centers throughout the country. 
 
FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FCAU” and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol “FCA.”