CHRYSLER

In the mid-fifties Detroit's big three were going in three different directions. GM introduced its lightweight V8 and put it into its Corvette, Ford introduced its 'personal car' the Thunderbird. Chrysler chose to go in a different direction and introduced the 300 series. The name was inspired by the Hemi engine producing 300 HP. The 300 was nothing like Detroit built previously, a luxuriously equipped high performance sedan. The Hemi V8 boasted a performance camshaft mated to stiff valve springs, solid lifters, forged crankshaft and dual 4-barrel carburetors, with a 150 MPH speedometer.
History has ignored any shortcomings of the largely average 300 produced from 1966-1971, focusing on the raw power and suave personality of the early letter series. Few American cars before or since have been able to offer so much speed and luxury wrapped in a shell of aesthetic excellence. From 1955 through 1959, the 300s were the uncompromised rulers of the American automotive kingdom—even the 1960-1965 models were superbly executed. Inspiring the successful 2005 Chrysler 300, the early letter series cars have shown that sometimes history is worth repeating.

Production: (1955 - 1955)

Estimate: $9400 - $133800