The Short List: Top 5 Coolest Cars in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum

On Dec. 18, 2016, the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan, closed its doors forever. But before the lights were shut off and the locks changed, we took one last tour of this Mopar-lover’s paradise.

First opening to the public in October of 1999, this institution showcased a wide array of vehicular and engineering triumphs from the Pentastar brand’s tumultuous history. Patrons could learn about Chrysler’s early adoption of hydraulic brakes and its competition-crushing Hemi V8, revel in the military hardware they helped develop and see an array of different vehicles.

If you love cars, the museum’s closing should break your heart, but what makes this situation even more depressing is that FCA is shuttering the facility because they need more office space. Beautiful classic cars and important historic pieces are being stored to make room for cubicles and conference rooms, a seemingly dubious excuse! Heritage should be celebrated, not discarded like candy wrappers.

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You’ll never be able to experience the facility’s cars and trucks again, or at least all of them in one place. Fortunately, the company plans on keeping the collection’s 65 vehicles, with most of them going into storage. Certain models will be used for special events and displayed at various FCA facilities.

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To give you a taste of what was on display in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, we’ve compiled a video highlighting five of its coolest cars. This was a tough list to compile as there was no shortage of amazing models to choose from. For all the juicy details, just watch the video above. If you appreciate history, love vintage iron, or are simply a Mopar fanatic you’ll be glad you did.

If time and/or bandwidth are a concern, you’d be wise to click through the accompanying mega photo gallery above. It’ll give you a small taste of what was on display in the museum, though sadly it’s no substitute for the real thing.

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