ORIGINAL: Albeeno
To say that Chrysler started paying homage to previous model years' vehicles first, is probably accurate. I won't dispute that. But I think we all know who made the phrase "retro" a household name.
To quote you Albeeno... I guess it would be Chrysler?
OR, by definition...
The word "retro" derives from the Latin prefix retro, meaning "backwards" or "in past times" -- particularly as seen in the words retrograde, implying a movement toward the past instead of a progress toward the future, and retrospective, referring to a nostalgic (or critical) eye toward the past.
Which would mean... you guessed it... those dang Latins.