On June 6th, 1925, Walter P. Chrysler officially founded the Chrysler Corporation, and it quickly became one of America’s foremost automakers. Securing a reputation for reliability and innovation during some of America’s darkest hours, over the past 90 years Chrysler has solidified its position as one of America’s “Big Three” automakers.

From the highest highs and lowest lows, we’re going to take a trip down Memory Lane as we identify some of Chrysler’s most important products, decade by decade. Hold onto your bowler cap, because we’re starting at the beginning, during the era of Prohibition and the Great Gatsby.

Walter Chrysler with a Chrysler Six

1920s: The first-ever Chrysler-branded product, the 1924 Chrysler Six, was actually born as a part of Maxwell Motors and offered premium features at a not-so-premium price. Starting at $1,565, the Chrysler Six was comparatively light and powerful for the time with luxuries like four-wheel hydraulic brakes, aluminum pistons, replaceable fuel and oil filters, shock absorbers, and a tubular front axle.

By the late 1920s, Chrysler was its own independent brand, and the earliest vehicles received identifiers relating to their top speed. The Chrysler 58 topped out at 58 MPH, while the Chrysler 72 ran out of steam at 72 MPH. While that may barely qualify as highway speeds today, the most popular car of the time, the Ford Model T, was limited to just 45 MPH from the factory. Chrysler was a revelation in speed and performance at the time. The Chrysler Imperial name was also used for the first time in 1926, and in 1928 the Plymouth brand was introduced to offer more price-conscious models, just in time for the the Great Depression.

1930s: If there is any decade that helped define Chrysler as an automaker, it was the 1930s. A number of amazing innovations would come from Chrysler engineers, but none have remained as iconic as the forward-thinking Chrysler Airflow. Debuting in 1934 and inspired by the Army Air Corp planes of the 1920s, the Chrysler Airflow was the result of wind tunnel testing that led to its unmistakable teardrop shape.

The Chrysler Airflow was the first car to use a wind tunnel to influence its design.

Designed by Carl Breer at a time when boxy brick-like cars still dominated roadways, the Airflow was a glimpse into the future. Though it ultimately failed to impress with its sales, it was a feat of engineering that would inevitably inspire the post-war cars of the 1950s and 60s across all automakers. It was ahead of its time in every way, though it would be more than a decade before the country could recognize its brilliance.

The Chrysler Thunderbolt was revolutionary for many reasons, including its retractable hardtop.

1940s: Before America was dragged into World War II, Chrysler continued to innovate with cars like the Chrysler Thunderbolt, which wore an all-aluminum body, had a retractable hardtop roof, and fully-enclosed wheelwells. Under the hood was a 143 horsepower straight-eight engine, though there would be little time to celebrate these accomplishments. In 1940, Walter P. Chrysler would pass away.

Chrysler soon joined other major automakers in supporting the American war efforts during World War II. Among Chrysler’s more famous contributions to the Arsenal of Democracy was the M-4 Sherman tank “Sea Mule” marine tugs, and the Chrysler-Bell air raid sirens that would eventually by powered by the FirePower V8, one of the earliest HEMI motors. Seriously.

1950s: If there was any engine that defined the 1950s for Chrysler, it was the aforementioned FirePower V8, finding its way into the Chrysler Saratoga, New Yorker and Imperial. In 1955 the Chrysler 300 would become the first-ever muscle car with the installation of the 392 HEMI V8, boasting a then-unheard-of 300 horsepower, with Virgil Exner’s famous “Forward Look” design language wrapped around it.

The Chrysler 300 holds the title as the first American muscle car, introducing the world to the venerated HEMI V8.

In 1958, a Chrysler 300-D set a land speed record at 156 MPH, and NASCAR driver Tim Flock racing a 300 for the Kiekhaefer Mercury Outboard Racing team would win 20 of its 40 competitions. Even today, the early Chrysler 300s remain among the most desirable collector cars on the market. This was, after all, the car that set America on the path for performance, though this wouldn’t be the last time Chrysler created a whole new market segment by accident.

This is just Part 1 of our look at 90 years of Chrysler vehicles, stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!