By Noah Patterson
Last month, on August 1st, the iconic Chrysler Corp. brand Mopar celebrated its 80-year anniversary. With humble beginnings as an ethylene-glycol-based anti-freeze company, Mopar has blossomed into a major parts-distributor and customer care provider for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).
As Mopar developed, their reach did as well. In the 1950s, Mopar began to stray away from just anti-freeze, opening its Mopar Parts Depot in Center Line, Michigan, a city near Detroit. Today this depot remains a major distribution hub for Mopar, shipping approximately 16.5 million auto parts annually.The 60s was another revolutionary decade for Mopar. After a group of engineers — the self-named Ramchargers, who worked in secret to push the boundaries of modern engineering — began developing faster engines for Chrysler's cars, a new racing era for Chrysler was born. Eventually, Mopar became so synonymous with the HEMI® engine that Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth muscle cars are commonly known as “Mopar” cars
Today, Mopar has connections with over 150 international markets and offers more than 500,000 products to its clients. The company also works with 50 international parts distributors and has over 3 million hits to its website every year.
Mopar — whose name is a combination of the words “motor” and “parts” — has also developed an education program known as the College Automotive Program. Mopar believes that educating students as new technologies become more prevalent is essential. Today, they partner with community colleges and dealerships on a two-year program and/or internship that gives students the tools they need to continue providing superior, state of the art service.
Another major Mopar development was the installation of its first “Mopar Express Lane” store in 2008. Today, over 1,750 stores exist in more than 20 countries to give customers oil changes, fast inspections, and more within FCA dealerships.
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