It seems every manufacturer has had a fire that has destroyed the records.

First off, I don't think it is in the interest of the manufacturers to organize these records, as they are in the business of selling new cars.

But what if they exist? Sure, sometimes it's the format. Sometimes people raped and pillaged the bookcases. Sometimes things were thrown out because keeping old paperwork costs money (especially considering Chrysler's health in the 1970s was not great).

We know there are some records in Highland Park because Darryl Davis has compiled stats for the Maxies and Cross-Ram cars. And Galen has accumulated some of the production reports and made a business selling information (I'm sure someone here has some of the same paperwork; I, for one, have maybe 4 cars). And then Brandt Rosenbusch has some documents, although I am unsure what he has other than it may not go beyond 1967.

I've been to the GM Heritage Center and the level of info that exists varies by manufacturer, partly because each GM brand functioned as its own entity and partly because the info experienced the same things that I suggested happened to Chrysler's docs. Pontiac Historical Services has the invoices and some production paperwork that the GMHC doesn't have, and vice versa; they haven't combined their resources because they have been in court fighting each other, believe it or not, so the hobbyist loses.