Vehicle Description
1957 Chrysler 300C
The 1957 Chrysler 300C is one of the two or three truly iconic cars
from the 1950s. It was also the first "muscle" car in many ways but
with luxury touches at a high level never delivered by the muscle
cars of later decades. These cars dominated NASCAR racing in the
era and the 300C swept a flying mile competition on Daytona Beach
with a speed of 134 miles per hour. At the same time, they were
considered good drivers thanks to Chryslers innovative torsion bar
front suspension and longer wheelbase. The owner says this car
still drives beautifully.
This 300C hardtop sedan is only one of 1,918 produced in 1957
making it very rare. It is in beautiful condition thanks to a
restoration by famed Albany restorer Bob Ensign. The coupe body is
striking because it is longer, lower and wider plus you can't miss
those unforgettable fins. This design forced the other automakers
in Detroit to completely revamp their 1959 models to catch up.
In white with a white leather interior this car does standout. New
wide, white wall radial tires installed during restoration add both
to the cars handling and enhances the powerful design. The wheels
are Kelsey Hayes wire wheels while the famed torsion bars in front
and the shocks gas pressure which really helps deliver a ride in
keeping with the fabulous power.
The 1957 models saw the famed Hemi V8 392 cubic inch ohv engine
produce a remarkable 375 horsepower at a time when most competing
sedans produced 200 hp or less. Of course, a 9.21:1 compression
ratio contributed to the horsepower, but few contemporary engines
were designed to handle that high compression. Helping with this
stunning performance are two four-barrel carburetors. This 300C has
the three speed Torquefilite Automatic transmission with that
unusual Chrysler design, dashboard mounted shifter buttons. When
you look at this cars performance and handling it is easy to see
why Chrysler had such a strong reputation for engineering.
The interior is in first class shape with that memorable dashboard
which includes an AM radio and power windows, rare at the time.
In looking at the bold design of the 300C, with its stunning
performance and its advanced suspension it is easy to see why this
was the most famous American performance vehicle of its era. Thanks
to limited production numbers, these cars, like this one in such
excellent condition, have become highly collectable.
