So long Pentastar, it's been a good run.

Quietly yesterday, FCA has gotten rid of the Pentastar logo that has been on Chrysler vehicles since 1963.

Even if you weren't a fan of Chrysler, it kinda sucks. It would be like Ford or Chevy getting rid of their well known logo.

http://bestride.com/blog/chryslers-pentastar-a-51-year-heritage-that-ends-today/9238/

Wow. I wonder why. There have been a few other things that have been decided that made me think the eye-talians don't care much for the history behind Chrysler.

I just thought. I wonder if they'll chop the top of the building off...
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/677009main_building.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3Dbq3mtoeU/Uam5_ErQq6I/AAAAAAAA2L4/niOvQr3apkw/s400/Chrysler+Headquarters+Building.jpg

Now that sucks. It's almost as dumb as when Nissan decided to kill off the Datsun name many years back. Take a well known brand name/symbol, yank it and replace it with... what? Something where you have to rebuild the brand?

Chrysler themselves have been slowly phasing out the pentastar... consider it a good shove out the door.

Curmudgeon wrote: Now that sucks. It's almost as dumb as when Nissan decided to kill off the Datsun name many years back. Take a well known brand name/symbol, yank it and replace it with... what? Something where you have to rebuild the brand?

Agreed.

Maybe they'll go back to the logos on the cloud cars. Cheap booze seals are a sign of quality, right?

Woody wrote:

Curmudgeon wrote: Now that sucks. It's almost as dumb as when Nissan decided to kill off the Datsun name many years back. Take a well known brand name/symbol, yank it and replace it with... what? Something where you have to rebuild the brand?

Agreed.

IIRC, the Datsun name was only used here in the States in the beginning, as Nissan didn't want to lose face if the cars weren't well received.

I'm pretty sure there isn't a single pentastar on my moms T&C and it's an 05.

sadly, things change

prolly won't matter to most of the general population anyway

Grizz wrote: I'm pretty sure there isn't a single pentastar on my moms T&C and it's an 05.

Check the VIN tag and all the Glass, there's Pentastars all over it.

Curmudgeon wrote: Now that sucks. It's almost as dumb as when Nissan decided to kill off the Datsun name many years back. Take a well known brand name/symbol, yank it and replace it with... what? Something where you have to rebuild the brand?

a foreign mechanic friend of mine, opined that the Nissan name came about to save the reputation of the Datsun name … it seems that at that time the Dastsun/Nissan vehicles weren't quite as good/well made as they had been

mad_machine wrote: Chrysler themselves have been slowly phasing out the pentastar... consider it a good shove out the door.

still begs the question … why ? what was wrong with the symbol ?

Ten bucks says some church lady thought it was a pentagram and wrote a letter, condemning them for their satanic minivan.

wbjones wrote:

Curmudgeon wrote: Now that sucks. It's almost as dumb as when Nissan decided to kill off the Datsun name many years back. Take a well known brand name/symbol, yank it and replace it with... what? Something where you have to rebuild the brand?

a foreign mechanic friend of mine, opined that the Nissan name came about to save the reputation of the Datsun name … it seems that at that time the Dastsun/Nissan vehicles weren't quite as good/well made as they had been

Do you remember when they put both names on truck tailgates?

Thanks, Marchionne. Another awesome move you made there

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spitfirebill wrote:

wbjones wrote:

Curmudgeon wrote: Now that sucks. It's almost as dumb as when Nissan decided to kill off the Datsun name many years back. Take a well known brand name/symbol, yank it and replace it with... what? Something where you have to rebuild the brand?

a foreign mechanic friend of mine, opined that the Nissan name came about to save the reputation of the Datsun name … it seems that at that time the Dastsun/Nissan vehicles weren't quite as good/well made as they had been

Do you remember when they put both names on truck tailgates?

I had a Datsun Nissan Stanza, so they put both on more than just trucks.

This is a good move. Get rid of the bad reminders of the past and move forward. I think starting the "ram" brand was stupid. Whoever is advising these guys on brand strategy is making bank right now. I need a piece of that pie.

When I worked at Chrysler the "decision" was made to remove the Pentastar from the corporation. That was back in 1996!!! The marketing guys were trying to just use the brand names un-unified by the Pentastar. Then they tried to change back to this thing.

Back then, one of the issues driving the decision communicated to us engineers, was confusion with the PENTAGON in foreign markets so some less auto industry knowledgeable customers thought it had something to do with USA military. Rumor around the office were that it was to separate the brands to make it easier to shut down one or two nameplates as the general public would no longer see them as connected to one company the other brands wouldn't be hurt if one of them was closed.

Most engineers didn't care either way but many unionized designers would figure out ways to add them back onto parts. Even going so far as to hold back a legitimate design change request, as cost to us, so they could sneak it in after initial production started.

Then this came and reinforced the above medallion thing:

There was a short period where the marketing guys tried to revive the Pentastar but I guess it is gone, Again.

The foreign market idea makes some sense. As for here I would think the people that would shy away from the Pentastar would run faster from their memories of rusting deteriorating Fiats.

moparman76_69 wrote: Thanks, Marchionne. Another awesome move you made there

Meh, just what happens when you run your company into the ground repeatedly and get bought out by foreign competitors.

View from a 24 year old:

I always associated the pentastar with K-cars and the original Minivans. I always viewed it as a very 80's look. Frankly, that is not a good association.

Now, Fiat? Guess what... I've forgotten that they rusted, because I've rarely seen one. When I do see them, I have to take a second look to see if it is an Alfa, Fiat, or Triumph.

To me, and most of my generation, dropping the pentastar is a good thing.

In reply to yamaha:

I have no rebuttal.