Stellantis Canada (formerly, FCA Canada, Inc. and Chrysler Canada) is the wholly owned
subsidiary
A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...
of
Stellantis
Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The comp ...
through its
North American division operating in Canada. Incorporated in 1925, the Chrysler Corporation of Canada acquired a Maxwell-Chalmers plant in Windsor, Ontario that had been used to manufacture some Chrysler models in the previous year. Initially called Chrysler Canada, Ltd, the name of the company changed to
DaimlerChrysler
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacture ...
Canada Inc. following the merger of the two parent automotive conglomerates. In August 2007, the company was renamed Chrysler Canada Incorporated when
Cerberus Capital Management
Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is an American private equity firm,Leaders Magazine"Providing Economic Opportunity: An Interview with The Honorable Dan Quayle, Chairman, Cerberus Global Investments, LLC". specializing in distressed investing. ...
purchased 80.1% of its parent company
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
.
FCA Canada has three manufacturing plants in operation in Canada, and built 535,878 cars and trucks in 2002. In 2007, the company sold 232,688 vehicles in the Canadian market. In 2012, Stellantis Canada sales were 243,845, a 6% increase over 2011; this put the company into the #2 sales slot for Canada.
History
FCA Canada was established in mid-June 1925, with 181 employees.
7,857 vehicles were produced in the first year.
"Plodge"
Plodge, a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words[Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...](_blank)
and
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
parts for the Canadian and
export
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...
markets. This practice allowed dealers in Canada to offer a wider array of vehicles at lower development cost in the relatively small Canadian market. For example, a Plymouth with a Dodge grille and taillights became a Dodge without the expense of tooling a vehicle for the market. On the
Dodge Dart
Dodge Dart is a line of automobiles marketed by Dodge from the 1959 to 1976 model years in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets.
The Dart name originally appeared on a 1956 Chrysler show car featuring ...
introduced in 1960, only the interiors were shared; Canadian-market 1960-61 Darts had Plymouth dashboards. The 1965 to 1966
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco is an automobile that was marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation. Introduced as the flagship of the Dodge product line, the Monaco was introduced for 1965 to replace the Custom 880, later then later joining as a su ...
used a Dodge body, with a
Plymouth Fury
The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belved ...
dashboard and interior trim. Not all Canadian-market Chrysler-built vehicles were
badge engineered
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...
in this manner, however; the
DeSoto Diplomat
The DeSoto Diplomat is an automobile produced by DeSoto from 1946 to 1962 for sale in export markets other than the United States and Canada.
The export DeSoto based on the Plymouth was first introduced in 1937 and was built in Detroit. Chrysl ...
, for example—a rebadged Dodge Dart—was never sold in Canada, where DeSotos were similar to the US models. The Canadian 1960
DeSoto Adventurer
The DeSoto Adventurer is a full-sized automobile that was produced by DeSoto from 1956 through the 1960 model year. Introduced as a four-seat high-performance sports coupe concept car, the Adventurer ended up being DeSoto's special, limited-prod ...
looked like the American 1960 DeSoto but used the upholstery and door panels from the 1960
Chrysler Saratoga
The Chrysler Saratoga is an automobile built by Chrysler. The nameplate was used from 1939 to 1952 and from 1957 to 1960 in the U.S. market, in Canada through 1965, and in Europe from 1989 to 1995. In the beginning, it was introduced as a sport l ...
.
The
Valiant was sold by both Dodge and Plymouth dealers as a separate make, as had been the original plan in the United States. 1960 to 1962 Canadian Valiants were substantially the same as American models, with minor trim and mechanical equipment differences. 1963-64 Canadian Valiants had U.S. Valiant front sheetmetal on the U.S. Dart body. 1965 Canadian Valiants were available in the full range of sizes and models offered across the American Valiant and Dart models, but all Canadian-market cars used Dart instrument clusters and were badged "Valiant". For 1966, the
Valiant Barracuda was the only offering in Canada on the U.S. Valiant's wheelbase, with no Valiant station wagons in Canada for 1966.
"Plodge" vehicles include:
*
DeSoto Diplomat
The DeSoto Diplomat is an automobile produced by DeSoto from 1946 to 1962 for sale in export markets other than the United States and Canada.
The export DeSoto based on the Plymouth was first introduced in 1937 and was built in Detroit. Chrysl ...
: Dodge Dart body, DeSoto-like side trim
*
Dodge Kingsway
The Dodge Kingsway is an automobile built by Dodge for export markets. The Kingsway name was adopted for the 1940 models. Before that, the export models based on Plymouth models had no unique model names.
Kingsways were rebadged Plymouth vehicles, ...
: Dodge body, Plymouth fenders and trim
*
Dodge Mayfair
The Dodge Mayfair was an automobile built by Chrysler Corporation of Canada Ltd. This vehicle was produced solely for the Canadian market from 1953 to 1959. Its American equivalent was the Plymouth Belvedere. It was based on the Plymouth.
The ...
: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
*
Dodge Regent
The Dodge Regent is an automobile that was built by Dodge Canada. The low-priced line built with a front end similar to the U.S. market Dodge attached to a Plymouth body.
The first Dodge Regent appeared for 1951, basically a Plymouth Cranbro ...
: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
*
Dodge Crusader
The Dodge Crusader is an automobile built by Dodge Canada. Initially introduced in 1951, the original Crusader was a rebadged Plymouth Cambridge fitted with a long-block flathead-six engine. For 1954, the Crusader nameplate was switched to a r ...
: Dodge Front Clip (grille minus six "teeth") Plymouth body
*
Dodge Viscount
The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belve ...
: Dodge front clip, Plymouth body
*
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco is an automobile that was marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation. Introduced as the flagship of the Dodge product line, the Monaco was introduced for 1965 to replace the Custom 880, later then later joining as a su ...
1965-1966: Used 1965-1966
Plymouth Fury
The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belved ...
dashboard
*
Valiant 1960-1966: parts mix varied by model year
*
Dodge Dart
Dodge Dart is a line of automobiles marketed by Dodge from the 1959 to 1976 model years in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets.
The Dart name originally appeared on a 1956 Chrysler show car featuring ...
1960-1961: Plymouth instrument panel
Once the
Canada–United States Automotive Products Agreement
The Canada—United States Automotive Products Agreement, commonly known as the Auto Pact or APTA, was a trade agreement between Canada and the United States. It was signed by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and President Lyndon B. Johnson in Ja ...
(the "Auto Pact") took practical effect in 1967, virtually all differences ceased to exist between U.S. and Canadian Chrysler products. However, until the early 2000s the model distribution within and among marques was sometimes different in Canada than in the U.S. The Dodge and Plymouth
Neon
Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...
was sold in Canada as the Chrysler Neon; the Dodge
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
and
Intrepid were likewise both badged and sold as Chrysler models in Canada. In 2003 this practice was stopped and the U.S. and Canadian marque and model ranges are fully aligned.
Historically, Stellantis Canada sold vehicles under the Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, DeSoto, Valiant, and Imperial
marques. Presently there are four marques: Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Chrysler. Dodge is the mainstream car and van line, Jeep is the main SUV range, Chrysler is the premium line, and Ram is the range of trucks and truck-based SUVs.
Operations
Manufacturing plants
Stellantis Canada has other operations in Canada:
Offices
* One Riverside Drive headquarters - employs 345 in
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
* Automotive Research and Development Centre - employs 200 in
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
* DC Transport - employs 326 in
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
* National Fleet Office - employs 16 in
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
* Eastern Business Centre - employs 37 in Mississauga, Ontario
* Quebec Business Centre - employs 24 in
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...
* Western Business Centre - employs 26 in
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,30 ...
* Atlantic Sales Branch -
Moncton, New Brunswick
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces. The city has earned the nickname "Hub City" because of ...
Parts and distribution centres
* employs 190 in Mississauga, Ontario (regional and national)
* employs 76 in Montreal, Quebec (closing in fall 2022)
* employs 26 in
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta, and key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and education. ...
* Moncton, New Brunswick (closed 2008)
References
External links
*
Mopar CanadaThe Chrysler Canada Story(serialized history book)
{{Authority control
Car manufacturers of Canada
Chrysler
Fiat
Stellantis
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1925
Companies based in Windsor, Ontario
Canadian subsidiaries of foreign companies
1925 establishments in Ontario