Mr. Norm’s History & Timeline

When you walked into the Dodge Dealership at Grand and Spaulding in the 1960's as a young kid and you got something you’d never experience at any other new car store, respect.

Mr. Norm would personally set you up with the ride of your dreams. And if Chrysler didn’t make it, Mr. Norm did. Not one performance Mopar was allowed to leave until Mr. Norm had your car fully dyno-tuned and performance prepped.

Through years of dedicated innovation, Norm Kraus became known as the "King of Hi Performance, Mr. Norm." Norm revolutionized how performance cars were sold and went so far as to create such vehicles as the prototype 383 Dart GTS and the famed M-Code 440 Dart, both of which were later put into production by Chrysler. Along with Gary Dyer, he pioneered "Funny Car" racing to keep his performance department on the leading edge without directly competing at the drag strip with his customers. With this kind of commitment to offering the most powerful Dodge’s in the country, it’s no surprise that the Mr. Norm legacy endures today.

1948

 

  • Norm Kraus began his automotive career selling used cars with brother Len from a gas station their father Harvey owned, located at the corner of Grand and Spaulding in Chicago.

     

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    1951

     

  • The business flourished and the lot next to the service station on Grand Avenue was purchased and converted into a used car lot, using the service station as a facility to do repairs.

     

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    1956

     

  • Noticing interest in stick shift and performance type cars, they focused on purchasing these types of vehicles for resale. It was at this time that the famous appellation "Mr Norm" first appeared, due to a space limitation in a newspaper ad. The name stuck and Norm Kraus became "Mr. Norm.

     

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    1962

     

  • After several years of solicitation by the local Dodge sales rep, the decision was made to become a new car dealer and Grand Spaulding Dodge opened in the fall of that year, named for the corner on which it was located. The focus of the dealership was high performance. Many industry professionals predicted lackluster success at best.

     

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    1963

     

  • A new Grand Spaulding Dodge showroom and service department was built to accommodate the new business. Tying in the performance theme that was established from the onset, the "Mr. Norm’s Sport Club" was started and the relationship with youthful performance purchasers was further developed. The first Clayton Chassis Dynamometer was installed in the service department and the dealership began selling "Mr. Norm's" racing apparel.

     

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    1964

     

  • Norm teamed up with Gary Dyer and began match racing with a factory altered wheel base Supercharged Hemi Dodge Coronet that changed the course of racing forever by laying the groundwork for what became the professional Funny Car Category. The Coronet turned an 8.63 e.t. at Lions Dragway in Southern California late in the year to become the fastest funny car in the country, making the front page of the Los Angeles Herald. Late in the year, Mr. Norm went to the fledgling SEMA Show in Anaheim, California and instituted a full-scale high performance parts department at the dealership.

     

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    1966

     

  • Grand Spaulding Dodge continued to grow at a meteoric rate and became the largest high performance Dodge dealership in the country. This was backed up by the largest parts and service departments dedicated to high performance in the country. That year marked the opening of Grand Spaulding Auto Leasing. Also, a second Clayton Chassis Dynamometer was added to handle the escalating demand for dyno tuning.

     

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    1967

     

  • Mr. Norm developed the first 383 Dart that became the prototype for the factory 383 Dart GTS. Grand Spaulding Dodge purchased additional property for expansion of the dealership.

     

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    1968

     

  • Mr. Norm developed the first 440 Dart GSS that became the prototype for the factory M Code 440 Dart GTS. The high performance parts department was expanded to double it’s original size and additional property on Grand Avenue was purchased to increase the size of the used car lot for the sale of high performance trade ins.

     

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    1969

     

  • Mr Norm’s Dodge Super Charger super fuel funny car wins the Coca-Cola "Cavalcade of Stars" Championship.

     

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    1970

     

  • Additional property was purchased on Grand Avenue and dedicated to the flourishing market for trucks and vans.

     

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    1971

     

  • Mr Norm developed the compact 340 6 Pack Demon, a high performance muscle car that offered a significantly lower insurance premium with no loss in performance.

     

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    1972

     

  • Mr. Norm created the Supercharged 340 Demon GSS, a super high performance muscle car that offered big block power in a small package. The dealership was enlarged again with the purchase of a two-story 60,000-sq. ft. building across the street from the original building. It featured a large 75 car indoor showroom as well as enlarged fleet and leasing departments. A new franchise was acquired, and Mr. Norm’s Kawasaki, a motorcycle dealership, was started. That year Grand Spaulding became the Number Three Dodge dealership in volume sales.

     

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    1973

     

  • Mr. Norm developed the conversion van concept as a substitute for the declining market share in muscle cars and scored another first. He opened a van department in the fleet office to supply the burgeoning van conversion business with vehicles. He purchased 280,000-sq. ft. of additional property to store the increasing automotive inventory. Grand Spaulding became the Number Two Dodge dealership in volume sales.

     

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    1974

     

  • Grand Spaulding Dodge became Number One, the largest volume Dodge dealership in the world.

     

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    1975

     

  • Grand Spaulding Dodge fleet department became so large that it supplied all of the Chicago Police Department cars, as well as the Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois Department of Transportation and many other municipalities. Also, special orders of police pursuit vehicles equipped with 440 Magnum V8 engines were dyno tuned for maximum power. Many of these vehicles were seen in the film the "Blues Brothers" starring Dan Akroyd and the late John Belushi.

     

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    1977

     

  • Mr. Norm sold his ownership in Grand Spaulding Dodge.

     

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    1989

     

  • Mr. Norm was inducted into the Mopar Hall of Fame.

     

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    1996

     

  • Mr. Norm was inducted into the A/FX Funny Car Hall of Fame

     

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    1997

     

  • Mr. Norm teams up with Larry Weiner and creates the Limited Edition Mr. Norm's SuperCharged 500 collectible sport trucks.
  • Mr. Norm receives a Lifetime Achievement Award by Mopar Action Magazine at the Mopar Nationals.
  • Mr. Norm appears at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas as a special guest celebrity.
  • Mr. Norm becomes a spokesman for Year One, the largest muscle car restoration supply company in the world. He is seen in ads by over one million people in the first printing.
  • Collectible die cast models of Mr. Norm funny cars become available
  • Oil painting by famed artist James Ibuski debuts at the Bakersfield Reunion featuring Mr. Norm's legendary '65 supercharged nitro burning altered wheelbase car. Each litho sequentially serial numbered and signed by Mr. Norm and the artist.

     

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    1998

     

  • Mr. Norm inducted in the Supercar Showdown Hall Of Fame in Columbus, Ohio.
  • Mr. Norm is featured on the TNN television program "My Classic Car."
  • Mr. Norm is the featured guest celebrity of the Chrysler's At Carlisle event.
  • Mr. Norm inducted in the Route 66 Cruizin Hall Of Fame in San Bernardino, California
  • Mr. Norm is the featured celebrity at the "My Classic Car Reunion" in Evansville, Indiana

     

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    1999

     

  • Mr. Norm's Sport Club returns. After a nearly 30 year hiatus, the Sport Club returns thanks to the dedicated efforts of Mopar enthusiast and collector Jim Bodanis. Launched at Chrysler's At Carlisle, the Sport Club is enthusiastically supported by hundreds of loyal Mr. Norm's fans from around the country and Canada right from the start.
  • Noted artist David Snyder debuts at 3300 W. Grand at the 1999 edition of Chrysler's At Carlisle. Serial numbered and signed by Mr. Norm and the artist, the lithograph features the legendary Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge dealership circa 1970 at the height of the muscle car era.
  • Mr. Norm makes a guest appearance at the Mopar Nationals and visits with fans and Sport Club Members at the Mr. Norm's Sport Club Tent. People posing with Norm for photos include none other than Bill "Maverick" Golden of the Dodge Little Red Wagon
  • Mr. Norm makes a guest appearance at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit
  • Mr. Norm is the guest celebrity at Moparfest in Ontario, Canada

     

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    2003

     

  • Mr. Norm's 68 Dart 440 GSS 1/18th die cast model is introduced through Supercar Collectables.
  • Mr. Norm introduces a full line of GSS street and race cars 1/18th die cast models through Supercar Collectables. See the Memorabilia Shop for further information

     

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    2004

     

  • Mr Norm introduces the Mr Norms Sport Club special event, for members and having club plaques for winners of A,B,E,. body cars and all around car of the show.

     

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    2005

     

  • Mr. Norm’s 1964 Super Stocker will be available in the spring of 2005, in limited edition from Supercar Collectibles. The second in the series of Funny Cars, it is a 1/18 scale diecast model of the first Mr. Norm’s race car, the beginning of the Funny Car Era.

     

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    2006

     

  • Mr Norm introduces the new Mr. Norm’s 1968 GSS Hemi Dart at the SEMA SHOW in the Mr. Gasket Company Exhibit. Limited to only 40 serial numbered vehicles, several are sold immediately and production starts in Florida.
  • Mr. Norm’s 1968 GSS Hemi Dart is displayed at the 2007 San Diego International Automobile Show in the SEMA SHOWCASE

     

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    2007

     

  • Mr. Norm is a guest celebrity at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, where his original Hemi Colt is displayed along with the first new 1968 GSS Hemi Dart.
  • Mr. Norm’s 1968 GSS Hemi Dart is displayed at the 2007 Chicago Automobile Show
  • Mr. Norm’s 1968 GSS Hemi Dart is displayed at the Chryslers At Carlisle in Carlisle, PA
  • Mr. Norm hosts 1st Annual Mr. Norm’s Day at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois
  • Mr. Norm’s 1968 GSS Hemi Dart is displayed at the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, OH
  • Mr. Norm introduces the new 2008 Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck at the SEMA SHOW in the SONY Exhibit. Production is limited to only 100 serial numbered vehicles.
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed in the Dodge Corporate Exhibit at the 2007 Arizona International Automobile Show in Phoenix, AZ
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed in the Dodge Corporate Exhibit at the 2007 Sacramento Automobile Show in Sacramento, CA

     

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    2008

     

  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed in the Dodge Corporate Exhibit at the 2008 San Diego International Automobile Show in San Diego, CA
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed at the 2008 La Jolla Motor Car Classic in La Jolla, CA
  • Mr. Norms’ Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed at the 2008 Grand National Roadster Show with the first production 1968 GSS Hemi Dart and a Mr. Norm’s 1968 GSS M-CODE 440 Dart
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck featured on KUSI TV San Diego Good Morning Show
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed in the Dodge Corporate Exhibit at the 2008 Extreme Sports Expo at the California Speedway in Fontana, CA
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck awarded 1st Place Truck Category in the 2008 Restyling Awards Competition
  • Mr. Norm is the Grand Marshall at the 2008 Automania Show in Sioux Falls, SD An incredible group of documented original Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge vehicles, a Mr. Norm’s GSS Hemi Dart, and a production Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck are highlight of the event, with nearly 100,000 people in attendance.
  • Mr. Norm hosts 2nd Annual Mr. Norm’s Day at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed with Mr. Norm at the Belvedere Chrysler Show
  • Mr. Norm’s Dodge Ram Super Truck is displayed with Mr. Norm at the Chryslers At Carlisle Show
  • Mr. Norm joins forces with Modern Muscle at the Mopar Nationals in the formation of Mr. Norm’s Garage. At the Mr. Norm’s Garage, the Mopar enthusiast can choose from a comprehensive array of Mr. Norm’s Signature Series Engines, Mr. Norms Suspension Systems and Components, along with a wide range of parts and accessories for both vintage and late model Mopars.
  • Mr. Norm and noted engine builder Bill Mitchell, president of World Products announced at the Mopar Nationals that they have teamed up to offer a new lineup of Mr. Norm’s Signature Series Hemi Engines. These engines will be offered in a variety of displacements in both vintage and modern engine configurations, and will be available directly from Mr. Norm’s Garage.
  • Mr. Norm debuts two 900 horsepower Supercharged Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challengers and a 900 horsepower Supercharged Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Cuda at the SEMA SHOW. On display in the following exhibits, Katzkin Leather, Hotchkis Performance and Corsa Performance, these vehicles showcase a wide range of parts and accessories, and demonstrate several different configurations for the new Mr. Norm’s Super Challenger and Super Cuda Limited Edition Vehicle Programs.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challengers and Super Cuda are displayed in the Dodge exhibit at the 2009 San Diego International Automobile Show in San Diego, California

     

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    2009

     

  • The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challenger and Super Cuda are displayed in a special Mr. Norm’s Exhibit at the 2009 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. In addition, a recreation of Mr. Norm’s original 1968 Grand Spaulding Dodge dealer demo, a bright red Hemi Coronet R/T convertible is debuted at this event.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challenger is displayed at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona in the Mr. Norm’s Garage Exhibit. In addition, Mr. Norm himself, along with Mike Staveski and Bill Sefton introduce the new Mr. Norm’s Legends Edition Challenger and Cuda vehicle program.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challenger is displayed in the Dodge Exhibit at the 2009 Chicago Automobile Show in Chicago, Illinois
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challenger is displayed in the Mr. Norm’s Garage Exhibit at the 2009 Detroit Autorama at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan
  • Five Mr. Norm’s 2008 and 2009 Super Challengers and Super Cudas are displayed in the Mr. Norm’s Garage Exhibit at the 2009 Mopars At The Strip at Las Vegas Speedway in Las Vegas, NV. The
  • Mr. Norm’s 1968 Grand Spaulding Dodge dealer demo Hemi Coronet R/T convertible is also displayed at this event.
  • Mr. Norm’s Garage announces another new model in the Mr. Norm’s Challenger and Cuda line with the introduction of the Mr. Norm’s 2009 426 Hemi Cuda and 2009 426 Hemi Challenger Convertibles.
  • The Mr. Norm’s Super Challenger and Super Cuda are chosen for the Chrysler Red Carpet Exhibit at the 5th Annual LX Spring Festival in Irvine California. In addition, Mr. Norm’s Garage exhibits at the event with two more Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challengers and another 2008 Super Cuda as the centerpiece of the display. The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challenger is displayed in the Dodge Exhibit at the 2009 Denver Automobile Show in Denver, Colorado.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2009 426 Hemi Challenger and 2009 426 Hemi Cuda Convertibles displayed in the Mopar Exhibit at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit, Michigan
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2009 Legends X Challenger Exhibition debuts at Chryslers at Carlisle
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2009 Dodge Ram Red Xpress Truck debuted in the Mr. Norm’s Garage Exhibit at the Mopar Nationals.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challenger and 2009 Legends X Challenger displayed at Monster Mopar Weekend in St. Louis.
  • Mr. Norm’s 2009 426 Hemi Challenger Convertible, 2009 426 Hemi Cuda Convertible, Mr. Norm’s 2009 Legends Edition Challenger and Mr. Norm’s 1968 Hemi Coronet “Dealer Demo” displayed at SEMA SHOW. Also, the Mr. Norm’s 1971 Demon Pro Touring debuts at this event.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 1971 Super Stock Demon debuts at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Rosemont, Illinois in the Mr. Norm’s Garage Exhibit. In addition, the following vehicles were also displayed in the Mr. Norm’s Garage Exhibit: Two Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challengers, the Mr. Norm’s 2009 426 Hemi Challenger Convertible and the Mr. Norm’s 2009 426 Hemi Cuda Convertible.
  • Two 2008 Mr. Norm’s Super Challengers, the 2009 Red Xpress Truck and the 1971 Demon Super Stock displayed at the John Force Show in Yorba Linda, California.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2009 Dodge Red Xpress Truck is displayed in the Dodge Corporate Exhibit at the 2010 San Diego International Automobile Show.
  • The Mr. Norm’s 2008 Super Challenger and 2008 Super Cuda are displayed at the 2010 San Diego International Automobile Show in the SEMA SHOWCASE.
  • The Mr. Norm’s Dodge Red Xpress Truck, the Mr. Norm’s 1971 Demon Super Stock and the 2009 Mr. Norm’s 426 Hemi Challenger Convertible are displayed in the Mr. Norm’s Special Exhibit at the 2010 Grand National Roadster Show.

     

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