Eugene A. Cafiero, 77; Headed Chrysler During a Tough Economic Time

Eugene A. Cafiero, 77, president of Chrysler Corp. in the 1970s during one of the company’s most difficult financial periods, died Dec. 8 of pancreatic cancer in Naples, Fla.

Cafiero became president of Chrysler in 1975, when the company was in financial distress and the American car industry was beginning to undergo dramatic changes. Under his watch, the company had two profitable years until a recession and the imposition of federal fuel-efficiency standards brought about sharp losses in 1978.

Cafiero left the company in 1979, and later was president of several companies, including DeLorean Motor Co.

Born in New York City, Cafiero graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in psychology. He entered the automobile industry with Ford in 1949, and was working for Briggs Manufacturing, a major supplier for Chrysler, when Chrysler bought it in 1953.