What Is Mopar?
Mark SimpsonDescription
The term Mopar was first used by the Chrysler Corporation in the mid-1920s and became an actual brand in the late 1930s. The name is derived from the words “motor” and “parts,” and was used to brand its parts division, which often used the same parts on makes and models of various years.
Walter P. Chrysler took a controlling interest in the Maxwell Motor Company, and by 1925 he phased out the Maxwell in favor of his new company the Chrysler Corporation. By 1928 he had started the DeSoto and Plymouth lines and purchased the Dodge Brothers Automobile Company and renamed it simply Dodge. As mentioned, the parts division of the Chrysler Corporation was branded MoPar, although in Canada parts were sold for years under the Chryco and AutoPar brand names.
Over time, the term Mopar became a far more inclusive name and referred to any vehicle build by the Chrysler Corporation, including a few brands it acquired over the years like Jeep, Willy’s, AMC, Eagle, Imperial, Ram, and some claim Packard, Studebaker, Rambler, and a few others.
Today the Chrysler Corporation is part of Stellantis, a Dutch-based auto manufacturing company that includes brands like Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Vauxhall, and others. Of course, these other brands are not under the Chrysler umbrella, but we’ve heard Fiat owners claim their cars are also Mopars.
Is there a Mopar make? There have been a few limited-production customs built using the Mopar brand over the years, but there is no dedicated Mopar production line, and the brand still exists today primarily as a performance parts and accessory division of the Chrysler brand. Regardless of what the name is or stands for, there is no denying the pride and loyalty of the diehard Mopar enthusiast.