Vehicle Description
1961 Chrysler Convertible Chrysler 300 Series. Highlights 1 of only
337 Convertibles Power for the 300G was derived from the 375
horsepower 413 cubic inch V8 with a cross-ram intake that propelled
the 300G from 0-60 mph in only eight seconds. Only 337 300G
convertibles were built for 1961 and of those only 124 are
accounted for today. 413 CI Wedge engine Three-speed Torqueflite
automatic transmission Rebuilt engine and transmission Cross-Ram
intake Two 4-Barrel carburetors Swivel Seats Bucket leather seats
in the rear Power seats Power convertible top Power windows Dome
style instrument panel Push button automatic transmission Coil
spring independent front suspension Live rear axle 4-wheel
hydraulic drum brakes History of Chrysler 300 letter series The
Chrysler 300 "letter series" were high-performance luxury cars
built in very limited numbers by the Chrysler Corporation in the
United States between 1955 and 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 the vehicles that really rekindled interest in
performance among major American manufacturers after World War II,
and thus can be considered the muscle car's ancestors, though much
more expensive and exclusive. The 1961 300G 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 an angled fashion, inward at the bottom, in a manner reminiscent
of 1958 to 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. Mechanically, the cross-ram "short ram" and "long
ram" engines remained the same, although the expensive French
manual transmission was dropped, replaced.
