Photos by Richard Lentinello.
It was called the “gentleman’s fast car,” and rightly so. It was big, and had a handsome, muscular-looking shape and a powerful V-8 engine that made it run rings around nearly everything else on the road. And with a well-appointed interior covered in soft leather, it provided a comfortable and secure driving experience that was exceptional in its day.
This was one of the first cars styled by Chrysler’s newest hire, Virgil Exner. It was the beginning of his new “Forward Look” designs, and the first model of the new 300 letter series lineup. In an interview years ago, Exner said: “We wanted to give the ‘Forward Look’ cars an appearance of fleetness; the eager, poised-for-action look we feel is the natural and functional shape of automobiles.”
The C-300 was only available as a two-door hardtop coupe, of which just 1,725 were produced. It weighed in at a stout 4,005 pounds, and its price tag was equally heavy at $4,109.
Its name was derived from its Hemi V-8 engine’s rating of 300 horsepower. Displacing 331.1 cubic inches with a compression ratio of 8.5:1, it was fitted with a pair of Carter WFB 550-cfm four-barrel carburetors; a high-lift, solid-lifter camshaft; and a fairly large-diameter exhaust system with free-flow mufflers. Riding on a heavy-duty suspension, it handled like a giant sports car–so well, in fact, that at Daytona in 1955, Tim Flock took first place on both the road course and in the flying mile in a C-300. The C-300s easily dominated NASCAR that year and in 1956, winning the championship hands-down both years.
Today’s collectors and enthusiasts are attracted to C-300s not only because of their high-performance attributes, but for their outstanding design. Those two big eggcrate-style Imperial grilles, which are made of heavy cast metal, give the large Chrysler a unique elegance. Add to it a low, wide stance, perfectly proportioned hardtop shape and those great-looking taillamps, and you have a highly distinctive Fifties-era automobile of unsurpassed character, expression and purpose.
The C-300’s uniqueness is carried through on the interior as well, thanks to a truly great-looking instrument panel. The focal point is the two attractive five-inch round gauges–one of which is a 150 MPH speedometer–set in a black painted metal panel surrounded by chrome trim; this black panel extends to the center of the dash and incorporates additional dials and switches. And just to the right of the big gauges resides a short shifter to engage the two-speed automatic transmission.
This particular C-300 was restored by former owner John DeTulio of North Haven, Connecticut, who told us: “The attractive, well-detailed dashboard and interior are two of the car’s main strong points, plus the fact that it is pretty quick for its age and weight. Because N.O.S. parts for this car are very hard to find, and replacing them is very expensive, driving the car is risky. But if you are considering buying a C-300, make sure that the numbers match and the car is complete, and that you obtain the proper documents from Chrysler to verify that the car is correct.”
This article originally appeared in the December, 2013 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
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