1 of 520: Rare 1959 Chrysler 300E

Wow. Talk about stunning. Check out this rare (1 of 522) 1959 Chrysler 300E hardtop coupe in all of its subdued but brutish glory. Nicknamed the “Banker’s Hot Rod,” the legendary Chrysler “Letter Cars” were full-sized muscle cars that were promoted as a luxury grand tourer. 1959 would represent the last year of the 2nd generation 300 that smoothly showed off Virgil Exner’s finned “Forward Look.” The car left the factory on May 5, 1959 and has had the same owner since 1988. The car comes with all the build and restoration receipts, manuals, literature, service records, and even handwritten historical notes. Thanks again to Curvette for spotting this rare Chrysler that is at Panther Road Classics in Edmonds Washington, and featured here on craigslist. The asking price is $98,500.

It’s not mentioned when the 300 was restored, but it appears to have been a quality restoration. The Radiant Red paint looks perfect as does the chrome, glass, and trim. The cool, round red, white, and blue 300 badge can be seen on the modest side trim and wheel cover centers. I’ve always liked the understated ornamentation and trim on these 50’s-era 300’s. In a year of excess styling, there were no hood ornaments, sweeping side spears, or excess chrome trim to be found on the 300E. That’s what makes these beasts look so intimidating.

The 300’s gorgeous interior takes understated, tasteful luxury to another level. The natural tan leather seats are in great shape and the front seats have the adjustable swivel seat feature. The padded dash, instrument panel (with a speedometer that shows up to 150), and two-toned steering wheel all look very good. It has Constant-Control power steering and even the electric clock still works. If I were giving a grade, this 300’s interior would get an “A.”

For 1959, Chrysler replaced their legendary Hemi engine with their new Golden Lion wedge-head V8. This twin four-barrel carb, 413-cubic-inch engine could generate about 380 horsepower when new and it’s paired with a pushbutton 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The 300E was marketed as “America’s Most Powerful Car” and had no rivals here in the States. It was a pricey, prestigious car back in its day and only 627 total 1959 300E’s ever left the factory – 522 coupes and 125 convertibles. The seller states that an estimated 118 have survived, but I’m not sure where they got that information from. The 300 Letter Cars from the 1950’s have long been collectible and are usually in the $100,000+ price range in this kind of restored condition. This is the first ’59 300E featured here on Barn Finds and it’s a beauty.