We can do it! Behind Lee’s New Chrysler buttons
1K views
Feb 4, 2025
The story of the ‘We can do it!’ buttons and energizing a demoralized company—bringing Chrysler back from the dead...
View Video Transcript
0:00
and what was the weekend do it badge
0:02
what was it for it was given out to
0:03
Chrysler employees by the new chrys
0:05
Flore Corporation this is not the
0:07
original one created in 1925 basically a
0:10
holding company over Maxwell and chers
0:12
which had been making Chrysler cars
0:14
since January 24 this is the new one
0:17
that occurred when Lea aoka was hired
0:19
out from Ford Chrysler had a few big
0:22
issues at that point they had debt and
0:25
they had indecisiveness and a loss of
0:28
confidence so coka came in and he tried
0:31
his best with the financial side he had
0:34
to do every last thing he could do
0:35
before he went to the government and
0:37
said look we need some loan guarantees
0:39
because we've got these great K cars
0:41
that were here when I showed up but
0:43
they're so close to coming out and they
0:45
will do so much to rescue this company
0:47
he just got to give us the chance that
0:50
worked for the government side
0:52
internally he brought a real new
0:55
excitement to the company so exciting
0:58
that people would actually put on these
0:59
pins I'm sorry that this one's not in As
1:01
Good shapee As it could be but you can
1:03
see it is meant to be a pin and people
1:07
did wear these I may or may not have
1:09
gotten this one from JP Jones but we can
1:12
do it and they really did do it first
1:16
they came out with the K cars and they
1:18
were really remarkable for the state of
1:20
American cars at that point and they
1:24
were a huge leap forward in packaging
1:27
and in what you got for the money
1:30
somehow it makes us feel better to look
1:32
down our nose at the old K cars and say
1:34
well those were just drunk they didn't
1:36
have V8s blah blah blah but the fact of
1:38
the matter is that the K car was the
1:41
kind of car that people actually buy it
1:43
was the Toyota Rav 4 of its day so it
1:46
was a big deal for Chrysler to get a car
1:49
like that that not only bested Chevrolet
1:51
and Ford but arguably bested many of the
1:54
imported cars as well if you wanted a
1:56
roomy comfortable car the K car was
1:59
actually a a great deal we all know what
2:01
came
2:02
next but just in case you
2:06
forgot we can do it brought in the
2:08
minivans and this is the book about
2:10
minivans this is a comparison of the
2:14
minivan size that they were projecting
2:16
at the time against a regular B van
2:18
commercial so did the little pins
2:20
actually help did it bring the minivans
2:23
that were at chryler long before Lea
2:25
coka showed up to fruition and the
2:27
answer is it played a part by boosting
2:29
Mor these little pins really help Christ
2:32
Lord turn the corner maybe it's worth
2:34
thinking about the question of whether
2:37
we can do it good Christ Lord going
2:40
alone at this point this is Dave signing
2:42
out
#Automotive Industry
#Chrysler
#Mini
#Motor Vehicles (By Brand)