Preparations started 3 years in advance for this special Joint 300 Clubs' Chrysler 300 60th Anniversary Meet being held in conjunction the large Macungie, PA show.
Chrysler 300s are the featured Marque.
We need to prepare a history of the Chrysler 300 Marque from the first C-300 thru the current 300 offerings. Before distributing that history for review by everyone, please take time to review the following info that will be on placards for 300 Letter Car examples under the main tent.
All constructive remarks will be appreciated. Remember, these are meant to be short synopses. Each will have a large letter associated with the table and short description.
You have 18 months to get your 300s ready to bring to this Meet-Of-A-Lifetime on August 5-9, 2015. We are looking for 60 300s to attend. Sorry, Macungie rules
will not allow 300-Ms of new 300s.
1955 C-300 Overview
|
Production
|
1,725
Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
331
cu in (5.4 L) 300 hp V8
|
|
Transmission
|
PowerFlite
2-Speed Automatic
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
126
in
|
|
Length
|
218.8
in
|
|
Width
|
79.1
in
|
The Chrysler letter cars were born when they
married the “Hemi” engine with Virgil Exner’s radically re-designed line
creating what became known as “The Forward Look”.
The design was simple but strong without much
chrome on the sides, creating the illusion of fast forward movement. It was
named the 300 because in 1955, when it was introduced, it came equipped with
Carter 4 barrel carburetors, a solid lifter camshaft, and a larger exhaust that
produced 300 horsepower, the first modern American production engine to accomplish
that.
The New Yorker would contribute its two-door
body, the Imperial, its two-piece grill with Windsor rear quarters. Exner also
included base-model Chrysler bumpers and removed many exterior elements such as
back-up lights, hood ornament, side trim, and exterior mirrors.
Measured at 127.58 mph (205.32 km/h) in the
Flying Mile, and doing well in NASCAR. When the C300 competed in NASCAR, it was
painted to advertise that it was the “world’s fastest stock car”.
1956 300-B Overview
|
Production
|
1,102
Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
354
cu in 340 hp (Opt 355 hp) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
2
& 3-Speed Auto/3 Sp Manual
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
126
in
|
|
Length
|
218.8
in
|
|
Width
|
79.1
in
|
In 1956, the 300-B was released and all future
models would be labeled with a
sequential letter after the 300.
The 300-B was fairly similar externally,
distinguished by a new tailfin treatment, but with larger engines, two models
of 354 cu in (5.8 L) Hemi V8 with either 340 or 355 hp. With the optional 355
hp 354-cu.in engine, the 300B became the first American car to produce 1
horsepower per cubic inch.
Performance of the new 300-B improved as it
averaged over 90 mph in the Daytona Grand National and hit a new flying mile
record, 139.373 miles per hour in the Flying Mile at Daytona Beach.
1957 300-C Overview
|
Production
|
1,918
Coup; 484 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
392
cu in (6.4 L) 375 hp V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Speed
TorqueFlite A488 Auto
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
126
in
|
|
Length
|
219.2
in
|
|
Width
|
78.8
in
|
The 1957 300-C is generally considered the
classic year of the 300 “letter series”. New styling was brought in, with a
yawning wide front grille and fins; the Hemi engine was upgraded to 392 cu in
(6.4 L) with 375 hp, or as a very limited edition 390 hp version (18 built). A
convertible model was available for the first time. The car had a number of
red, white, and blue ‘300-C’ medallions on the sides, hood, trunk and interior.
With the introduction of the 1957 300-C, 300
Letter Cars became known as the
“Beautiful Brutes.”
The 1957 300-C did not compete in NASCAR track
events, but with its 375HP hemi engine, again won the Daytona Beach flying
mile, making the Chrysler 300 the fastest American car for the third straight
year.
1958 300-D Overview
|
Production
|
618
Coup; 191 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
392
cu in (6.4 L) 380 hp V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Speed
TorqueFlite A488 Auto
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
126
in
|
|
Length
|
220.0
in
|
|
Width
|
78.8
in
|
The 1958 model year was to be the last use of
the old Fire Power Hemi in the 300. The engine was still 392 cu in (6.4 L), but
tuned to 380 hp as standard.
Thirty-five cars were built with fuel
injection and delivered 390 hp, but the fuel
injection system was troublesome and most cars soon had it replaced with the
standard twin-quad carburetor setup.
A
300-D was driven to 156.387 mph (251.680 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats
that year, and at Daytona, one was driven to an et of 16 seconds with a 94mph
trap speed.
1959 300-E Overview
|
Production
|
550
Coup; 140 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
413
cu in 380 hp (6.8 L) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Speed
TorqueFlite A488 Auto
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
126
in
|
|
Length
|
220.0
in
|
|
Width
|
79.5
in
|
The big news for 1959 was the new Golden Lion
V8 that replaced the heavy and
expensive Hemi V8. The new Golden Lion V8 sported Chrysler’s new wedge-shaped
combustion chamber design. The new 413 “Wedge” V8 continued to use dual
four-barrel carburetors. Acceleration was fast at a claimed 8.3 second 0-60
time.
The
appearance of the 300-E was similar to the previous model. The most significant
change was the use of narrow horizontal red bars highlighted by four chrome
bars in place of the older egg crate grille. Red bars were also used in the
narrow air scoops for the front brakes that were positioned below the
headlights. Also new were the “300” letters located on the lower, driver side
portion of the hood. At the rear were new taillights and a larger bumper with
recessed back-up lights.
1960 300-F Overview
|
Production
|
964
Coup; 248 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
413
cu in 375 hp (Opt 400 hp) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Sp
TorqueFlite/Racing 4 Sp Man
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
126
in
|
|
Length
|
218.8
in
|
|
Width
|
79.4
in
|
The bodywork was also redone for 1960, using
Chrysler’s new lightweight unibody construction and given sharper-edged styling
with outward-tilting fins that were visually separated from sides.
The 300-F introduced a new; higher power 413
cu in (6.8 L) Wedge engine delivering 375 hp (280 kW) in standard form. A new,
and completely unique “Cross Ram” manifold was used, placing the carbs on each
side of the engine. The design was to have a “supercharging” effect in the
heart of the rpm range. Low range performance was helped with the design, but
at the cost of performance over 4,000 RPM. To solve that problem, engineers
removed a section of the inner walls to create the 400 HP versions. The “short”
rams looked just like the longer version, but were in effect half the length.
Only 15 of these “short ram” cars were built, mostly for Daytona or Flying Mile
racecars and were dubbed “Specials”. Six of them captured the first 6 places at
the Flying Mile event, with speeds ranging from 140mph-145mph. The short ram
option also included the French made Pont-a-Mousson 4 speed manual
transmission, which was made for the Facel Vega, a Chrysler powered French
luxury car.
1961 300-G Overview
|
Production
|
1,280
Coup; 337 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
413
cu in 375 hp (Opt 400 hp) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Sp
TorqueFlite/Racing 3 Sp Man
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
126
in
|
|
Length
|
219.8
in
|
|
Width
|
79.4
in
|
The 1961 300-G saw another restyle. The
grille, formerly wider at the bottom than the top, was inverted; the quad
headlights, formerly side-by-side, were arranged in angled fashion, inward at
the bottom, in a manner reminiscent of 1958-1960 Lincolns.
Small parking lamps below the headlights were
likewise slanted and V-shaped, and the front bumper was canted up at each end,
scoop-like. At the rear, the taillights were moved from the fins to the tail
below them and the fins were made sharper pointed. Power windows were standard.
Mechanically, the cross-ram “short ram” and “long ram” engines remained the
same, although the expensive French manual transmission was dropped, and
replaced by a more reliable and still expensive Chrysler racing
manual transmission (referred to as ‘option code 281’).
1962 300-H Overview
|
Production
|
435
Coup; 123 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
413
cu in 380 hp (Opt 405 hp) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Sp
TorqueFlite/Racing 3 Sp Man
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
122
in
|
|
Length
|
214.9
in
|
|
Width
|
79.4
in
|
From 1962s 300-H, the fins were gone. New
management at Chrysler decided that it was time to remove Virgil Exner’s
styling cues from the lineup.
The 300-H also now shared the smaller platform
of the Newport line.
Both 413’s received a 5HP boost, and the
300-pound weight savings of the smaller wheelbase gave the 300-H the best power
to weight ratio of any of the letter cars.
Under the hood of the 300-H the standard cross
ram intake was gone, and there was a return to the inline dual 4-barrel carb
setup of the 300-E. With a slight power boost and a 300 lb (140 kg) lighter
body, the 300-H was faster than the 300-G.
1963 300-J Overview
|
Production
|
400
Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
413
cu in 390 hp (6.8 L) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Sp
TorqueFlite/Racing 3 Sp Man
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
122
in
|
|
Length
|
215.3
in
|
|
Width
|
79.1
in
|
Further restyling for the 1963 300-J (the
letter “I” was skipped because people would confuse it for the numeral “1”.)
left the car with a smoother, more angular 1960s look. (Shared with the Newport
and New Yorker series, this body design was the last one styled during Virgil
Exner’s term as Chrysler’s styling chief.)
The
letter-series convertible was dropped, leaving the hardtop. The only engine
available was the 413 cu in (6.8 L) ram-induction V8, with an increase of 10 hp
from 1962. A redesigned and more sumptuous interior featured an oddly squared
steering wheel. The 300-J was faster than the standard 300-H of the year before,
with a 142 mph (229 km/h) top speed, 8.0 seconds 0-60 mph, and a standing
quarter mile time of 15.8 seconds with a terminal velocity of 89 mph.
1964 300-K Overview
|
Production
|
3,022
Coup; 625 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
413
cu in 360 hp (Opt 390 hp) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Sp
TorqueFlite/4 Sp Manual
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
122
in
|
|
Length
|
214.9
in
|
|
Width
|
79.4
in
|
The convertible returned for the 1964 300-K.
The “cross-ram” engine became an extra-cost
option available on the 300-K only. A 413 cu in (6.8 L) Wedge with a single
Carter AFB 3614S 4-barrel carburetor, a regular
intake manifold, and 360 hp was the new standard engine.
Leather upholstery was no longer standard
either.
All
this reduced the baseline price by over a thousand dollars, and sales responded
with the largest total ever.
1965 300-L Overview
|
Production
|
2,405
Coup; 440 Conv Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & 2-Dr Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
413
cu in 360 hp (6.8 L) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Sp
TorqueFlite/4 Sp Manual
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
122
in
|
|
Length
|
215.3
in
|
|
Width
|
79.1
in
|
The 1965 300-L was the final year of the
traditional letter series. A complete restyle, with crisp lines, slab sides and
a tall “greenhouse”—styling cues introduced by Elwood Engel when he succeeded
Virgil Exner as Chrysler’s styling boss—brought a sleek mid-1960s linear look
to the cars.
Dropped was the panoramic windshield that had
disappeared from other Chrysler models in 1961.
The
cross-ram engine was no longer available; the 413 cu in (6.8 L) engine with
regular carburetion and inlet manifold was the only one supplied.
1970 Hurst 300 Overview
|
Production
|
501Produced
|
|
Body and
Chassis
|
|
Body Style
|
2-Door
Hardtop & One Convertible
|
|
Powertrain
|
|
Engine
|
440
cu in 375 hp (7.2 L) V8
|
|
Transmission
|
3-Sp
TorqueFlite/4 Sp Manual
|
|
Dimensions
|
|
Wheelbase
|
124
in
|
|
Length
|
224.7
in
|
|
Width
|
79.1
in
|
The 1970 Hurst 300 lacks the single-letter
suffix of its forbears and appeared five years after the last Letter Series
Chrysler, the 300-L. It was a high-performance variant of the luxury 300, built
with the input of aftermarket parts manufacturer Hurst Performance. Only 501
units are believed to have been built.
The Hurst 300s were
all 2-door and shared a white and gold paint scheme similar to the Oldsmobile
and Pontiac Hurst models of the day. The scooped hood and trunklid (with a
molded spoiler) are both fiberglass. All Hurst 300s had satin tan leather
interiors that were straight out of the Imperial and could be had with column-
or
console-mounted 727 Torqueflite automatics. All came with the 375 hp 440 cu in
(7.2 L) 4-barrel TNT V8 engine.
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