RE: [Chrysler300] Pont-à-Mousson Black F Convertible

["'william ELDER' belder@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]" <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While we are speaking about rare one off 300s, here is a story that Don Rook told me years ago:

In my early years in the club, there were rumours about a second 300 Hurst convertible.  When Don lived in Pennsylvania, he was walking through a salvage yard, which he often did; looking for parts.  In this particular yard, which was located somewhere near the old Hurst headquarters, he came across the wreck of what appeared to be a 300 Hurst convertible.  This car had been in a massive front end collision and was never going to be salvageable.  Don’s thought was that he would buy the car, not because he wanted to clone it; but because if somewhere in the future a second 300 Hurst convertible made an appearance, he would have the evidence to dispute the authenticity of any such car.  In those days there were dishonest dealers who were cloning 300s to make a fast dollar.  Don knew the owner of the yard and he had done business with him many times before.  When he approached the yard owner, about buying the old Chrysler convertible in the back, the owner emphatically denied that there was any such car back there.  Don protested; but the owner said “Don, just forget that you ever saw that car.”  So, Don left; but he continued to wonder about the car and why the yard owner was so upset.  Eventually, Don heard a rumour that involved a married Hurst executive, a secretary, a wrecked company car and a scandal coverup.

Sometime went by and Don heard that the salvage yard was being sold to make room for some development.  All the cars were to be crushed.  Don went back to the yard and asked about the wrecked Chrysler.  After some more talking and price negotiation, the yard owner finally told him to get the car out of there and it had to be done, immediately.  Don had no way of moving the car back to his house right that second.  He did know an elderly lady near the yard, who had a garage that he could rent.  He paid the lady, in advance for the rental of her garage for a year.  The salvage yard wrecker towed the Chrysler, the short distance to her house and it was backed into her garage.  Some months later, Don made arrangements for some one to retrieve the car.  When he went to the house the lady had passed away, the house had been sold and there was no car in the garage.  End of story.

This is exactly how Don told it to me.  If he told any other club members and I can’t imagine that he didn’t, could you please let me know.  I didn’t dream it and I didn’t make it up.  Of course, it is many years later and no second 300 Hurst convertible has ever made an appearance, except for the made up one, that the owner has full disclosure on.

 

300ly

bill 

 

 

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of kmaniak@xxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: February 11, 2020 11:02 AM
To: nick@xxxxxxxx; chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Pont-à-Mousson Black F Convertible

 

  

Thank you for the update.  Nice to know that his white 300F special hardtop is still intact. 

 

Since all 300F specials were converted by Chrysler after the assembly line, there is no way to verify if any of the existing cars were converted by third party, except through documented history.  Whether the black 300F special convertible was Chrysler converted in 1960 or converted later by a third party, it is what it is now and just as distinctive in it's own right.

 

Chris the K MANIAC

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nick@xxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: 'Chrysler 300 List' <chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Feb 8, 2020 9:37 pm
Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] Pont-à-Mousson Black F Convertible

  

He displays the car with a sign on it stating the following:

 

1960 CHRYSLER 300 F SPECIAL

4-SPEED CONVERTIBLE

 

1 OF 2 EVER EQUIPPED WITH:

FRENCH PONT-A-MOUSSON TRANS. &

APPROX. 450 H.P. CROSS RAM INDUCTED 413 C.I. ENGINE

COMPLETE FRAME-OFF RESTORATION IN 2006

 

OWNER: DON PETTY

 

That sure sounds like a claim that it’s a factory 4-speed convertible. Or at the very least, very misleading. 

 

Nick.

 

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of John spiers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Friday, February 7, 2020 4:45 PM
To: Chrysler 300 List <chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Pont-à-Mousson Black F Convertible

 

  

FYI, 

 

I was at Don's house in 2014.  He had both the white 4-speed coupe and the black 4-speed convertible at that time.. 

 

He did not claim the convertible was an original 4sp car, only that when that he bought the car, it had all the rare 4speed parts in the trunk, including the bellhousing, transmission and headers. The parts possibly came from a Facel-Vega or maybe a factory-built 4-speed 300F otherwise lost.

 

Maybe not original, but I wouldn't mind owning it.

 

John Spiers 

 

 

On Fri, Feb 7, 2020 at 1:55 PM, kmaniak@xxxxxxx [Chrysler300]

<Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

  

A little history on Don Petty.  Over 30 years ago, Don Petty owned what I believe was the only other surviving 300F special of the original 7.  It was a white hardtop.  Now that the black 300F special convertible has appeared in his possession, the white 300F hardtop has since disappeared.  Coincidence?  I think not. 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Rinaldi awrdoc@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Chrysler 300 List <chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Feb 1, 2020 9:28 am
Subject: [Chrysler300] Pont-à-Mousson Black F Convertible

  


Hi To All,


 

In this month’s Hemmings Bible there is a 2 page spread re a 4 speed Pont-à-Mousson black F convertible. 

 

I searched the Hemmings site and found the full original article from 2017. 

 


A CHRYSLER 300F CONVERTIBLE PACKING A RARE FOUR-SPEED MANUAL GEARBOX


By Jeff Koch from the June 2017 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines


https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/headless-horsepower-1960-chrysler-300f/ 


The car was owned by Don Petty, brother of Lee Petty.  

 

Previously, there was a white F GT owned by Tom Turner?

 

Some say the Petty car was made up?

 

Whatever the case, the article is quite informative. 

 

Enjoy reading about the details of the GT 300 racing legends and how Chrysler got around the rules by hiding the fact that the GTs were “factory supported.”

 

Tony

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------
Posted by: "william ELDER" <belder@xxxxxxxxx>
------------------------------------

To send a message to this group, send an email to:
Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx or
go to https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/all/manage/edit

For list server instructions, go to http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm

For archives go to http://www.forwardlook.net/300-archive/search.htm#querylang
------------------------------------

Yahoo Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    Chrysler300-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    Chrysler300-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    Chrysler300-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo Groups is subject to:
    https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/