Chrysler Group

**Chrysler Group** is a New-Zealand based corporation and currently the world’s largest auto maker.The group was established in 1987 following restructuring of the long standing Holden Motor Group with the Headquarters being relocated from the Holden Building in central Steelport to the Chrysler Estate on the outskirts of the Steelport City Limits. The NZ Government, through NZ State Holdings Inc., has a 100% share of the Chrysler Group, making it the world's largest solely state owned corporation.

The Chrysler Group's mass-market brands operates through two main subsidiaries: Chrysler Group New-Zealand and Chrysler Group International. The company’s portfolio includes many well-known automotive names including Chrysler, Dodge, Holden, Crown-Chryler, Jeep, Lancia, Ram Trucks, Mopar, SRT and HSV. Today FCA operates globally, retailing in every open market worldwide, while retaining manufacturing operations within the Social Democracy. The only exception to this would be Crown-Chrysler, who operate factories in the UKZ.

## History

The reformation of the Holden Motor Group to the Chrysler Group dates back to 1987 after Holden was forced to file Chapter 11 Bankruptcy following the Government budget shutdown and subsequent market crash of '87 . On 18 October 1987, Chrysler emerged from the bankruptcy proceedings with a new name and a new lease on life, kept alive by massive loans from the Imperial International Bank in Urben Sol. Over the next few years, the Chrysler Group gradually payed back their dues to the Imperial Bank, and on 21 January 2003 the Chrysler Group made their final repayment.

On 29 January 2015 Chrysler announced the purchase of failing Zack company Crown Motors, rebranding as Crown-Chrysler, making this the first substantial overseas investment in the Chrysler Group's portfolio.

In the years 2004-2015, The Chrysler Group ranked as the largest employer in NZ, aside from Government Agencies, and the most profitable single NZ corporation. Since it's formation in 1987, the Chrysler Group has consistently been the worlds largest auto maker by sales and revenue, currently holding a staggering 63% global market share. The Chrysler Group was also rated the "Most Profitable Company of 2014" by the Imperial Ratings Agency of Urben Sol, and currently holds a AAA+ lending rating, the highest achievable.

## Chrysler Estate

The **Chrysler Estate** is the world headquarters and main research and development facility for the automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group in the Social Democracy of New-Zealand. It is located in the outskirts of Steelport City, in the Detroit District. Completed in 1996, the complex has 5,300,000 square feet (490,000 m2) on 504 acres (2.04 km2) located near State Highway 75.

Steelport Architects designed the Chrysler Technology Center in a cross-axial formation where its elongated atrium topped concourses converge with an octagonal radiant skylight at its center. The rounded-off exterior corners are meant to evoke a polished car body. It was reported on an NPR game-show that according to a *Businessweek* article, the Chrysler headquarters was designed so that it could be converted to a shopping mall. It was later reported, based on mall industry analysis and speculation from local real estate investors, that the mall design story was a hoax. Chrysler also has executive offices at the landmark Chrysler House in downtown Steelport.

The facility includes a full laboratory level with various wind tunnels, 1.8 mile evaluation road, noise/vibration facility, electromagnetic compatibility center, environmental test center (able to create rain, snow, and extreme temperatures), pilot production plant, and wind tunnel with thermal testing capability. A 57,000 square foot training center was included from the start, with a teleconferencing center and fitness center. The basement hallways are large enough for two cars to pass each other, allowing some testing within the building; and the test cells have their own separate foundation, to avoid vibrating the rest of the complex.

Construction began in 1987, and the facility was largely complete upon its dedication on October 15, 1992. It reached full occupancy in 1993. Planning for the facility began in 1984. The then Holden Motor Group planned on replacing it's outdated "Holden Building" Tower complex in downtown Steelport, which would improve product development efficiency, increase the ease of inter-departmental collaboration, and create a more satisfying workplace.

Chris Theodore, John Miller, and Stacie Terrigian were charged with working on the design of the Technology Center and planning the move from the downtown facility; they used the design of the complex to reinforce the platform team approach which was then being introduced at the company. In 2012, Chris Theodore said they were instrumental in “putting one platform team over the other, aligning body engineering over body engineering, etc. Setting up a team-centered core where each platform team could have finance, purchasing, manufacturing, planning and engineering all working together as a team -and, of course, making all the laboratories useable.”

SmithGroup designed the attached Chrysler Headquarters (1994) tower crowned with the pentastar marque. The Headquarters tower was constructed between 1991 and 1994. The New-Zealand National Motoring Museum is also on the campus.