Chrysler as an automotive nameplate was established in this country 100 years ago.

The first car of that name, the Chrysler Six Model B-70, was unveiled in January 1924, by Walter P. Chrysler and his Maxwell Motor Co. Mr. Chrysler continued to build cars of the Chrysler name, though waiting into the next year before reorganizing his company into the Chrysler Corporation in June 1925, the year in which the Chrysler brand is expected to base its centennial references.

Two significant innovations of the first Chrysler automobile in 1924 were a powerful, high-compression engine and the first use of four-wheel hydraulic brakes in a moderately priced vehicle ($1,565). Features also included replaceable oil and air filters, shock absorbers and an internally-lit dashboard with temperature gauge.

With the Chrysler car well-received since its debut, the year 1928 served as a springboard to corporate success when the company purchased Dodge Brothers and introduced two new products – Plymouth for the low-end market and DeSoto as a medium-price choice.

One of the original Chrysler dealerships in Denver sat at 1000 Broadway, Cullen-Thompson Chrysler, which operated from 1925 to 1963. The near-40-year reign of Cullen-Thompson as Colorado’s premier Chrysler dealership came to an end when F.C. Cullen sold to Fo Farland and Temple Buell Jr. Cullen’s partner, Ward J. Thompson, had passed away in 1954.

I (Bud Wells) was inside the famed dealership in Denver with my father, Dale Wells, in 1945 at 8 years of age, and again in 1953 at age 16 with an older brother, Armor.

My family’s association with Chrysler dated back to 1935 when my father was awarded franchises for Chrysler and Plymouth automobiles at Wray, Colo. Dad also acquired Ford and Mercury franchises for Wray in 1939. My oldest brother, Gene Wells, operated a Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth operation at Holyoke, Colo., from 1952 to 1988.