Re: [Chrysler300] 2015 Diamond Jubilee- 60 At The 60th

The steering wheel used in the manual trans. 300B was a carryover from earlier years. The clue is that it had the old ribbon and seal Chrysler logo in the center. No other Letter 300 ever had that logo on it. (except maybe on a tag under the hood). The 1953 was the last time it appeared on the exterior of any Chrysler until they brought it back on the Cirrus many years later. It had been featured from the beginning in 1924 until 1953. Most recently it was at the center of the winged logo.

Always like that logo. They again abandoned it with the current lineup. It's not likely to reappear, but who knows.

Don Warnaar

----- Original Message -----

From: Rich Barber

To: 'Carlton Schroeder' ; 'Doug Mayer' ; 'C Bilter'

Cc: bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; 'Chrysler 300 Club' ; 'Tony Rinaldi'

Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 1:57 AM

Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] 2015 Diamond Jubilee- 60 At The 60th

I recall that the steering columns for the stick '56's were from 1954 or
earlier Chryslers-which had the hardware for a column shift. I believe
those columns were also used in the '55 Windsors which came with standard
3-speed manual transmissions. I don't know whether '56 and later Windsors
also came standard with that little three-speed manual-which could not take
Chrysler hemi power.

I have enclosed a picture of a stick '56B interior. I've also read that the
lone stick '55 C-300 was built on demand by Carl Kiekhaefer who did not like
being out-dragged from the pits by stick shift Chev's, Fords, Pontiacs,
Mercuries, Buick Centuries and Olds 88's. With PowerFlite low only good for
about 55-60 MPH, his race car drivers also needed an additional cog in the
tranny. I believe the one-off was a modified truck transmission. Carl got
what he wanted with HD sticks and a 355 HP 354 CID engine for the '56B's.
Mostly for the tracks, I'd assume. We can celebrate the 355 HP 300B engine
as being the first US "stock" engine with at or over 1 HP per Cubic Inch
Displacement-not the injected 283/283 Mickey Mouse V8 from Chebby in 1957.

Remember-this was the start of the horsepower war-and it ain't over yet!
The 2014 Chrysler 300 SRT8 produces 470 HP from a naturally-aspirated 392
CID semi-hemi engine and is rev-limited to 175 MPH. Wouldn't have Tim,
Fonty, Warren, Buck and Vicki loved to get their teeth into one of the new
ones?

C300K'ly,

Rich Barber