Chrysler 300 Letter Series 1955-1965

[Commodore GS/E]

The front of the first gen looks a bit like the Volvo Amazon. Only a little bit, though.

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Chrysler 300 Letter Series 1955-1965

The Chrysler 300 "letter series" were high-performance luxury cars built in very limited numbers by the Chrysler Corporation in the U.S. from 1955–1965. Each year's model used a new letter of the alphabet as a suffix (skipping "i"), reaching 300L by 1965, after which the model was dropped.

The 300 "letter series" cars were among the vehicles that focused on performance built by domestic U.S. manufacturers after World War II, and thus can be considered one of the muscle car's ancestors, though much more expensive and exclusive.

Chrysler has recently started using these designations again for sporting high performance-luxury sedans, using 300M from 1999, and continuing the 300 series with a new V8-powered 300C, the top model of a relaunched Chrysler 300 line, a new rear-wheel drive car launched in 2004 for the 2005 model year. Unlike the first series, the second does not have 300 hp (220 kW) engines, except for Chrysler's current top-line 300C models.

1955 C-300

This first of the letter series cars didn't actually bear a letter; it can retroactively be considered the '300A'. The 'C-' designation was applied to all Chrysler models, however for marketing purposes the numerical series skipped more than 225 numbers forward in sequence in order to further reinforce the 300's bhp rating. The 300 originally stood for the 300 hp (220 kW) engine. The C-300 was really a racecar aimed at the NASCAR circuits that was sold for the road for homologation purposes, with Chrysler's most powerful engine, the 331 cu in (5.4 L) FirePower "Hemi" V8, due to the hemisperic shape of the combustion chambers, fitted with twin 4-barrel carburetors, a race-profiled camshaft setup, solid valve lifters, stiffer suspension and a performance exhaust system. By 1956 this would be the first American production car to top 355 hp (265 kW), and the letter series was for many years the most powerful car produced in the United States.

The car's "Forward Look" styling can be attributed as much to the Chrysler parts bin as designer Virgil Exner. The front clip, including the grille, was taken from the Imperial of the same year, but the rest of the car did not look like an Imperial. The midsection was from a New Yorker hardtop, with a Windsor rear quarter. Exner also included base-model Chrysler bumpers and removed many exterior elements such as back-up lights, hood ornament, side trim, and exterior mirrors. An electric clock and two-speed windshield wipers were standard. There were few options available including selection of three exterior colors (red, white and black) and only one color of tan leather interior. Power windows and power seat were available but air conditioning was not available in 1955. At least one known 1955 C-300 had A/C as a special order for a Chrysler executive.

Measured at 127.58 mph (205.32 km/h) in the Flying Mile, and doing well in NASCAR, the C-300 aroused a lot of interest that was not reflected in its modest sales figure of 1,725 built.

When the C300 competed in NASCAR, it was painted to advertise that it was the "world's fastest stock car".

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1955 Chrysler C-300 #2

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1955 Chrysler C-300 #3

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1955 Chrysler C-300 #4

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1955 Chrysler C-300 #5

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1956 300B

The 1956 300B 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 (254 or 265 kW). Only 1,102 were sold. Performance was a little better than the previous year's, being measured at almost 140 mph (225 km/h). A 6.17 ratio rear end was also added to the options. Front leg room was 44.6 inches. New was the Highway Hi-Fi phonograph player.

With the optional 355 hp 354 cu.in engine, the 300B became the first American car to produce 1 horsepower per cubic inch, besting Chevrolet with their fuel-injected 283 cu in (4.6 L) by one year.

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1956 Chrysler 300B #2

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1956 Chrysler 300B #3

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1957 300C

The 1957 300C 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 (280 kW), or as a very limited edition 390 hp (290 kW) version (18 built). A convertible model was available for the first time. The car had a number of red, white, and blue '300C' medallions on the sides, hood, trunk and interior. 1,918 coupes and 484 convertibles were built. A/C was $495.

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1957 Chrysler 300C #2

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1957 Chrysler 300C #3

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1957 Chrysler 300C #4

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1957 Chrysler 300C #5

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1957 Chrysler 300C #6