As promised, here’s another batch of long-lost Chrysler brands—from the familiar to the obscure. How many do you recognize? 

As noted in the first feature in this series, “The lost marques of Chrysler,” Chrysler easily has the most complicated brand history of any automaker. And now that the company has been combined with Fiat, it’s even more complicated. We’re not even prepared to dig into all the Fiat lineage yet; for now we’ll stick to this side of the family tree. Presented for your entertainment: five more Chrysler marques that now exist only in history.

When Walter P. Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation in 1924, he and his investors used as its basis the Maxwell Motor Co., makers of dull but well-regarded vehicles like the 1922 New Series Sedan shown here. With some sprucing up, the trusty old Maxwell became the four-cylinder Model 58 Chrysler in 1926, and with another update, was re-purposed again as the original 1928 Model Q Plymouth, Chrysler’s entry in the low-priced field.

Established in 1905, Commer was one of Britain’s oldest truck manufacturers. In 1926 the company was acquired by Humber, which became part of the Rootes Group in 1931. In 1967, the Rootes Group became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Chrysler Corporation. Among Commer’s best-known products was its Avenger bus series, shown here with striking Plaxton coachwork. One memorable Commer feature was its use of the Rootes TS3 engine, a three-cylinder two-stroke diesel with six opposed pistons acting through rocker arms—also known as the Commer Knocker. Commer folded in 1979.

Alden Sampson was one element in the United States Motor Co., an early (1910) automotive conglomerate that also included Maxwell, Brush, Columbia, and  Stoddard-Dayton. Trucks became the chief product of Alden Sampson as part of U.S. Motor, but it also built cars, including the 1911 Model 35 above. When U.S Motor collapsed, its former divisions were absorbed into Maxwell. All that remained of Alden Sampson was its new factory on Oakland Avenue, which eventually became part of the Chrysler Highland Park complex.

From 1955 to 1975 (and again in 1981 to 1983) the Imperial brand was spun off as a separate, stand-alone division of Chrysler, in much the same manner as Continental with Lincoln or the Statesman brand with Holden. Sales and service were provided by select Chrysler dealers, and the Imperial was treated to a unique chassis in 1957 that was wider and heavier than the standard Chrysler. In 1960 (LeBaron Southhampton sedan shown here) the Imperial division edged Lincoln in total sales with just over 17,000 units, a feat it would never repeat.

When Chrysler took full control of the Rootes Group in 1967 and created Chrysler Europe, one key marque in the Rootes portfolio was Sunbeam, English car producer since 1901. Of course, the Sunbeam model best known to Americans is the 1964-67 Tiger, an Alpine two-seater powered by a small-block Ford V8. Chrysler quickly pulled the plug on the Tiger, but an Alpine remained in the lineup through 1975. When Chrysler Europe was acquired by Peugeot, the Sunbeam brand was quietly allowed to expire.

 to be continued…