Mopar is a term created by the American automobile manufacturer Chrysler that refers to their parts, service, and customer care division. It was conceived to represent a blend of the words ‘motor’ and ‘parts’. Over the years, this division has done interesting projects when it comes to designing and building customized vehicles.
The original Chrysler Corporation was founded in 1925, while the Mopar division was first introduced as a brand in 1937. This company has had its fair share of ups and downs. They ultimately got bought by Fiat, who then formed a new holding company called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Modern Chrysler vehicles are of outstanding quality and are quite affordable, especially if you choose a lease deal.
While there is no denying the presence of Chrysler in the American automotive industry, Mopar has also proved to be a powerful brand. There is no other parts division in this industry that has made such a huge name for themselves as Mopar. Here’s how Chrysler managed to market and establish Mopar as the brand it is today.
The Conception of Mopar
Several years after the Chrysler Corporation Parts Division was set up, a marketing team at the company received a task to come up with an interesting name that could be used to introduce a new line of antifreeze products. They came up with an incredibly simple idea, to create a brand named Mopar that would serve as Chrysler’s division for parts and service.
This was at a time when the automotive parts industry already had established major players. Nevertheless, Chrysler managed to create a simple term that was easy to remember and stuck in consumers’ minds. They first introduced this term during a parade for the Shriner’s convention in 1937. The marketing team came up with an idea to create a huge camel made out of auto parts that would be called Mr. Mopar.
Despite having such a great idea, it took a while before Chrysler could solidify the place of their parts division in the industry. Before they achieved success, they experienced some huge setbacks during the 1940s.
Mopar During and After the War Years
Even though Chrysler saw success throughout the 1930s, they were forced to temporarily put a halt on their production and instead focus on making military parts, vehicles, and even weapons. Once World War II was over, the company could once again focus on its original plan.
Shortly afterward, an idea came about to move the parts division into a new building and try to grow this brand. In an effort to solidify their name and make it synonymous with quality, a training program was created in 1947 that helped Chrysler technicians develop extraordinary skills.
Although the Mopar brand was steadily growing after the war, the executives at Chrysler still weren’t convinced that it could reel in a lot of money. That’s because this company wasn’t at all focused on having a presence in the aftermarket. In the automotive industry, the aftermarket refers to the secondary market that involves the production, distribution, and installation of auto parts.
They soon discovered that having a strong presence in the aftermarket could be the key to sales stability and increased profit. During this time, Chrysler learned an incredibly important lesson about their customers. The average person is more likely to buy auto parts and repair their old vehicle instead of buying a new car.
Mopar in the Following Decades
Throughout the 1960s, the Chrysler Corporation was facing a huge problem. The company scrapped the idea of using its own distribution channels and instead decided to start using wholesale suppliers after World War II. This is a decision that they’d come to regret soon, as the wholesalers were beating their prices.
In 1964, it was decided that Chrysler won’t work with wholesalers in the future but would instead go back to their depot system. While they were implementing this depot system, the success of Mopar continued to grow. The automotive industry had entered the muscle car era. High-performance auto parts from Mopar became sought after.
During the 1970s, Mopar came out with a brilliant idea to offer a dedicated parts delivery system. They became the first auto parts brand to do this. Two decades after this, Mopar revamped their delivery system. Their sales grew tremendously due to rapid technological advancements happening at the time. Due to modern technology, the company was now able to meet supply and demand at a completely new level.
Mopar in the 21st Century
Mopar has remained an iconic brand in the automotive industry in the 21st century. In 2017, they marked their 80th anniversary and showed that they have no plans on slowing down in the future. Mopar launched a very successful project in 2008 when they revealed their Mopar Express Lane project. They introduced a business model that was based around fast oil change and light service.
Mopar essentially reimagined how the average service visit to an automotive dealership would look like. With the Mopar Express Lane project, people no longer had to schedule appointments or wait for hours to get their cars serviced. In only 8 years, the brand managed to open more than a thousand Express Lane locations in the United States.
They have also become a brand that constantly innovates and introduces new ideas to the car industry. For instance, Mopar was the first company that introduced in-vehicle wireless charging and smartphone vehicle-information apps. Mopar has also been active in drag racing events for decades. Their sponsorship of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals is the longest-running sponsorship in drag racing.
Even though they do most of their business in the United States, this brand has a strong impact on the global automotive market. Mopar currently offers services to customers in over 150 markets. By 2016, there were over 1,750 Mopar Express Lane locations in more than 20 countries across the globe. What initially started as a small project within the Chrysler Corporation has turned into one of the most recognized brands in the auto parts industry.
