Elected Chairman of American Motors Corporation in 1967 after serving as Assistant Treasurer and as a Director

Introduced a series of compact and subcompact cars including the Gremlin, Hornet, Javelin and Pacer

Acquired the Jeep Corporation for AMC and was instrumental in the collaboration of American Motors and Renault

As the last remaining son of an American auto pioneer, Roy Chapin responded to his legacy by devoting his life to the industry he loved.

His father, Roy Chapin, Sr., was a key figure in the launch of Olds Motor Works and was a founder of the Hudson Motor Car Company. Although his father never encouraged a career in the automotive industry, Roy Chapin, Jr. went to work as a test driver for Hudson after graduating from Yale.

In 1954, Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator merged to form American Motors Corporation, where Chapin began his rapid advancement. His tenure as Chief Executive was marked by constant struggle to keep the No. 4 auto maker in the United States alive. He succeeded by establishing a diverse product line that included the acquisition of Jeep.

Upon his retirement, Chapin summed up his career in a newspaper interview: ” I love the business and never really considered doing anything else.”