The Mopar brand was official born on August 1, 1937, when the Chrysler Group formed the now-famous name of their “motor parts” division by combining the words Motor and parts – resulting in MoPar. The first MoPar product was antifreeze, but as Chrysler expanded the lineup of their in-house products for use in Chrysler Corporation vehicles, it slowed evolved into the parts-supplying company that we know today.
1930s – The Mopar brand, a contraction of the words Motor Parts, is born on August 1, 1937, as the name of a line of antifreeze products.
However, along the way, Mopar became far more than just the brand name for Chrysler Corp. replacement parts. Over time, Mopar began offering high performance components in addition to OEM replacement parts, and when “Mopar Performance” logos began showing up on high performance cars – Mopar became far more than just a parts supplier. The Mopar name quickly became associated with drag racing as Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler vehicles dominated the racing world, which only continued to build to glowing reputation of the Mopar brand.
1960s – The Mopar Omega M logo debuts, and racers like “Big Daddy” Don Garlits (above) help cement the brand’s winning legacy in drag racing. By decade’s end, Chrysler Group muscle-car vehicles are commonly referred to as “Mopar” cars.
“The Mopar brand holds an unparalleled place in the automotive world, possessing name recognition, scope of service and passionate enthusiasts unmatched by any other service and parts organization in the industry,” said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA – Global. “From humble beginnings as a simple name for antifreeze products, now the Mopar brand reaches customers in over 150 markets offering parts, service and innovative care throughout the whole customer journey.”
More recently, Mopar has evolved even further, becoming the first performance division from an American automaker to offer their own uniquely branded vehicles. In addition to the Mopar Drag Pak Challengers, which were built to battle the likes of the Ford Racing Cobra Jet Mustang, Mopar also began offering their factory Mopar vehicles in 2010 with the introduction of the Mopar 10 Challenger. Since then, Mopar has offered a specially modified vehicle each year, including the Chrysler 300, the Dodge Dart, the Dodge Charger and the Ram Rebel – with a total of 3,650 Mopar models sold since 2010.
Finally, in addition to the OEM replacement parts, the performance parts, the racing support programs, the factory drag racing program and the Mopar vehicles, the Mopar division has just recently rolled out a new lineup of modern crate engines including the 5.7L and 6.4L Hemi – allowing all sorts of Mopar owners to pack modern Hemi power into their vehicle with ease.
2008 – Paying homage to its performance heritage, Mopar introduces its first factory-built drag race “package car” in 40 years, the Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.
To celebrate the 80th birthday of Mopar, FCA offered up a huge collection of classic advertising materials, images and graphics of history Mopar moments and – of course – a look at every Mopar logo dating back to 1937. You can check out all of those Mopar images below.
Mopar Logo 1959-1963
Mopar Logo 1954-1958
Mopar Logo 1948-1953
Mopar logo 1937-1947
Mopar Logo 1964-1971
Mopar Logo 1972-1984
Mopar Logo 1985-1990
Mopar Logo 1991-1997
Mopar logo 1998-2001
Mopar logo 2002-Present
Mopar 80th Anniversary
1989 Mopar Performance Ad
1972 Mopar Ad
1964 Mopar Ran Out of Space Ad
1963 Mopar Wire & Cable Ad
1949 Mopar Radios
1949 Mopar Accessories
1946-1959 MoPar Manual
1930s – The Mopar brand, a contraction of the words Motor Parts, is born on August 1, 1937, as the name of a line of antifreeze products.
1940s – The Mopar name expands to encompass a full line of products for Chrysler Group vehicles.
1950s – The Center Line, Michigan, Mopar Parts Depot opens to supply products in a timely fashion to critical markets. The parts center still flourishes today, with more than 1,300 employees and more than 16.5 million parts shipped out annually from the Center Line complex.
Owners can choose from Chrysler for Owners, Drive Dodge, Jeep Vehicle Owners, Ram Toolbox, My FIAT and Mopar Owner’s Companion versions of the FCA Owner app. Each brand version also supports other 2011-2015 FCA brand models. All brand versions of the app are available free for download for both iOS and Android mobile devices, including phones and tablets, in both English and Spanish.
2012 – Mopar provides the first factory-connected tablet technology in the service lane via Mopar wiADVISOR.
2011 – The brand continues to expand globally, opening distribution operations in Shanghai (pictured) and Dubai, along with Mopar Express Lane facilities in the Middle East.
2008 – Paying homage to its performance heritage, Mopar introduces its first factory-built drag race “package car” in 40 years, the Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.
1970s – Mopar launches “Direct Connection,” a line focused on performance parts.
2012 – The Mopar brand celebrates 75 years and accelerates its transformation into a brand responsible for the “customer journey” of all FCA vehicles around globe.
1960s – The Mopar Omega M logo debuts, and racers like “Big Daddy” Don Garlits (above) help cement the brand’s winning legacy in drag racing. By decade’s end, Chrysler Group muscle-car vehicles are commonly referred to as “Mopar” cars.
2016 – The 1,000th Mopar Express Lane is opened in the U.S., with more than 1,750 Mopar Express Lane locations operational in more than 20 countries around the world.
2008 – Mopar Express Lane service offering quick oil changes and more launches at dealerships.
2017 – Mopar serves over 150 markets, offers more than 500,000 products and works to deliver a fully connected experience to customers around the globe.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
