Officially offered for sale on February 10, 1955, the first Chrysler 300 was athletic looking with 300 gross horsepower aboard, it was among the quickest cars of its time. It was able to achieve 60 mph in just 9.8 seconds, according to a test in Mechanix Illustrated by “Uncle Tom” McCahill. Uncle Tom also spurred the car up to a full 130 mph. Tom McCahill and others in the contemporary automotive press, used the term Beautiful Brutes” to describe Chrysler 300 series cars.
Besides being the most powerful production car of its time, the first Chrysler 300 was also among the best handling, thanks to a heavy-duty suspension. It can very well be considered an ancestor of the later muscle cars, though much more expensive, luxurious and exclusive.
The most prominent display of the first 300’s attributes did not come in any showroom, but on racetracks around the Southeast. Back in 1955, NASCAR stock cars were, in fact, stock production vehicles. Except for some crude safety equipment and numbers on the doors, they were almost indistinguishable from the cars the public could buy. With absolutely no financial support from Chrysler, Mercury Outboard founder Carl Kiekhaefer campaigned a fleet of white 300s during the 1955 NASCAR and AAA seasons with drivers like the Flock brothers (Tim, Fonty and Bob), Norm Nelson, Buck Baker, Speedy Thompson and Frank Mundy to name a few.
The Kiekhaefer 300s were spectacularly dominant and overwhelmed the factory-backed Chevrolets and Fords. Tim Flock took the driver’s championship while winning 18 races. He finished in the top five an astounding 32 times. His brother, Fonty, took another three victories, while Chrysler campaigner Lee Petty took home three trophies. Suddenly, the 300 had a glorious racing heritage in addition to its advertised Hundred Million Dollar Looks.
Considering the short model year for that first 300, 1,725 were sold at an expensive $4,109 base price.
This was the car to start the legacy. It had Virgil Exner’s distinctive styling and the 331hemi. The 1955 300 had a two door coupe body and clean, simple Chrysler Windsor side and rear quarter trim. Up front were two large Imperial “egg crate” grilles. This first of the letter series cars did not actually bear a letter. Chrysler’s original manuals named it the C-300, which was an appropriate name for the car. The “C-” designation was applied to all Chrysler models, and the 300 stood for the engine horsepower.
It was THE first modern American production car to achieve this output. Power came from an updated source already available; the fabled “Hemi”331 cubic inch hemispherical head engine, modified with a “full race” cam, larger dual exhaust, and topped off with 2 4-barrel carburetors. The suspension was made firmer, allowing it to handle far better than most cars. It was given a special performance PowerFlite transmission, while the inside remained pure luxury.
Notably, it was fast. The battle lines would be drawn, when it did 127.58 mph in the flying mile at Daytona, and averaged 92 mph in the Daytona Grand National stock car race. This car dominated the stock car circuit, earning the NASCAR and AAA championships its first year out.
The car was only available in three exterior colors: Black, Tango Red and Platinum, combined with a luxurious tan leather interior.
The Chrysler 300 "Letter Series" Are High-Performance Personal Luxury Cars That Were Built By Chrysler In The U.S. From 1955 To 1965. The C-300 Was Really A Race Car Aimed At The NASCAR Circuits And Known As The First Muscle Car.
In The Inaugural Year For This Model, There Were A Total Of 1725 Cars Produced Of Which Only 15% Are Believed To Be In Existence Today.
Features On This Most Stunning Automobile:
The design was simple but strong without much chrome on the sides, creating the illusion of fast forward movement. It was named the 300 because in 1955, when it was introduced, it came equipped with Carter 4 barrel carburetors, a solid lifter camshaft, and a larger exhaust that produced 300 horsepower, the first modern American production engine to accomplish that.
331 ci Hemi Engine With Two Four-Barrel Carburetors
Powerflite Automatic Transmission
Power Steering
Clock
AM Push Button Radio
Dual Chrome Outside Mirrors
Heater
Gorgeous Paint In Black
Saddle Beige Interior
All This Beauty Is Rolling On Wide White Wall Tires
Worldwide Door To Door Enclosed Transport And Low, Long Term Financing Available.
