1928 Chrysler Series 72

Chrysler had been a part of the Maxwell-Chalmers company since the early 1920s and worked to overcome the company's troubled operations. When production of the Chalmers automobile ended in late 1923, Walter began building the Chrysler 6-cylinder automobile in the Chalmers plant in Detroit. In January 1924, at the New York Auto Show in the Commodore Hotel, the Chrysler Model B-70 was introduced.

The Chrysler engine featured high compression, full-pressure lubrication, oil filtration, and a carburetor air filter. Some of its early innovations included rubber engine mounts to reduce vibration, and the first practical mass-produced four-wheel hydraulic braking system, which was completely engineered by Chrysler with patents given to Lockheed.

Chrysler acquired Maxwell Motors in the mid-1920s and further expanded the brand's line of vehicles with the introduction of the Plymouth and DeSoto lines. By 1928, the Chrysler Corporation has invested more than $22 million in development and growth. Chrysler was one of the few American companies to take an interest in international racing competitions, sending several cars to Le Mans, Goodwood, and other venues where they finished respectably. At Le Mans, two Chrysler Model 72 roadsters were raced by European distributors and placed 3rd and 4th behind the race-prepared Stutz and Bentley.

The Series 72 for 1928 was a sporty automobile that was positioned above the four-cylinder Series 52 and six-cylinder Series 62 and below the Series 80 and Series 80L six-cylinder models. Offered with an array of body styles, the Series 72 was priced between $1,500 to $1,800. Standard equipment included hydraulic brakes, rubber shock insulators on springs, a new oblong instrument panel, a three-speed manual transmission, and tubular axles.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2020