While most folks tend to credit the Pontiac GTO for starting the muscle car movement, those honors should really go to the Chrysler 300 Series beginning in 1955. They were built as an extension of the luxurious New Yorker, so you got performance combined with a high level of trim. The third year of the 300 was in 1957 and lettered sequentially from year to year (thus, this one is the 300C). We’re told this one-owner car runs and drives after a 50-year hiatus, but more work will still need to be done. Located in Woodinville, Washington, this 375 hp hot rod is available here on eBay where the bidding stands at $6,984 with an unmet reserve. Another great find brought to us by T.J.!
The Letter Series 300s were built through 1965 and were initially billed as “America’s Most Powerful Car.” Production numbers from one year to the next were relatively small, so a 300C owner was part of a limited community. The autos made their mark in racing in the mid-1950s by winning a bunch of NASCAR events. The 300C shares the “Forward Look” styling of the rest of Chrysler’s products that set them apart from the rest of the industry upon their introduction. A 392 cubic inch Firedome V8 was standard with dual-quad carburetors that output nearly one horse per cube. 1,918 coupes and 484 drop-top Chrysler 300Cs were produced in 1957, all with torsion bar front suspension.
As the story goes, this Chrysler was purchased new in Washington State and appears to have lived there all its life. For reasons unknown, it was parked in 1972 with 59,000 miles but has recently been brought back to life, at least in terms of being drivable around the property. The engine and automatic transmission are numbers matching and the car has almost every option except factory air conditioning, which would have cost $5,000 in today’s dollars (my, how things have changed).
The owner likely didn’t care for the factory Gauguin Red paint and had it redone in some variation of green and gold at one point. But the red is still much more prevalent when you pop open the hood or trunk. There is some rust in the rocker panels and by the headlights on the driver’s side front fender, but we’re told the floors and trunk are fine. Everything seems to work as it should including the power windows, radio, and so forth. The dual air cleaners took flight some years ago, but the rest of the automobile is said to be complete. Would you restore it to its original red or drive it the way it is (when roadworthy)? There can’t be more than a few dozen (or hundred) of these grand machines still running around.
This was the car that Carl Kiekhaefer told NASCAR officials to cram it with walnuts, and never raced cars again. In Fall of ’57, he ordered 4 300Cs equipped like this, had his mechanics beef up the frame, Imperial suspension, special manifolds, for the NASCAR circuit, riding high on his 300B wins. He got in an argument about something with officials, and withdrew the cars without turning a lap, and concentrated on the boat business ever since.
Like all these cars from that period, one can’t compare to today. 1st, big was considered safer, and it was, 2nd, with mostly 2 lanes, power was needed to pass slow moving vehicles in a short distance. The answer then? Hemi motors with Niagara Falls down the intake. We’ve certainly come full circle on that. It was a remarkable car for the time, could be a nice amateur restoration, if that still exists, good luck on the air cleaners, and any other specific parts, but someone has them, I’m sure. What a car this was.
good luck with the right carbs too. Chrysler for 57′ was exclusively AFB for all single or dual quad setups. These WCFB carbs are most likely 55’s. Everybody dropped the cast iron base carbs in favor of Carters AFB. Much better piece.
Carl was an ornery guy who knew exactly what he was after and had the means to do it as well as F.U. money to drop everything and walk away. Kiekhafer was a good fit with the Chrysler engineers and it’s too bad the relationship didn’t last longer. Bill France had a way of alienating just about everyone and Carl went back to Mercury Outboard.
I heard he could be rough, but I used to deliver( or pickup, I forget) in Fond du Lac, and by then he was long gone, but workers said, he cherished his employees and was a fair man to work for. Truck drivers said, if he came on the dock, he’d buy every driver lunch.
He was the original Rick Hendrick, except he didn’t have NASCAR in his wallet.
Preach it. Hendrick has been NASCAR’s house team for nearly 30 years.
The air cleaner tops can be found on other models and will pass for the orginals….the base can be easily made and is hidden – not orginal but an easy pass at a car show….
Great car I had a 1957 New Yorker with a 392 hemie and 2 fours wish I still had it
One rarely sees a 300 of this vintage in this condition! This might be perfect for someone with good wrenching experience. There are some good vendors that cater to the 300 crowd, so getting parts is not as bad as one would think.
Four eyes and two fins… when I was a kid these were “old man’s car’s.”
Seems I have grown into them.
Funny how that works.
Now this is THE 300 I would love to own. Beautiful cars then, beautiful cars now.
I would love to watch a 1957 Chrysler 300 racing at Goodwood revival against Ferraris, Aston Martins -you name it.
Glad to see one of the muscle cars of the fifties. Fast, Fins and looks like it’s meant to fly.
There’s a reason why there aren’t that many left, a reason which I suspect has a direct contribution to the way the shell looks now. With all the money Chrysler burned to take the lead in styling and performance in ’57 (which they did, actually), corners had to be cut somewhere…and those corners were cut in the quality-control department. Many Chrysler products were quickly criticized for having poor trim fittings and questionable upholstery materials that faded quickly. Plus, one powertrain option that could have been revolutionary proved disastrous: A $400 Bendix fuel-injection system, which made tune-ups tricky and unclogging of the injectors a very frequent task…but that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst came in corrosion resistance, or to be precise, lack thereof: Chryslers of ’57 and ’58–in fact, every Highland Park offering of those years from Plymouth to Imperial–rusted with a vengeance. There is no doubt in my mind that this car fell victim to that, its bout with cancer being far, far more extensive than the article reported from the listing. I’m willing to bet that it was while dealing with that, that its prior owners decided it a good opportunity to change the color. I think I would advise a potential buyer to insist on being present for a careful, thorough inspection of the car, to determine the aftermath of the cancer surgery.
No question, those vintage 300s were hairy beasts in their prime, performance-wise. Endurance-wise, on the other hand, was something else.
Depends where the car was, here in New England , everything rusts away . Other places , not so much
These are really cool cars. I had a 58 Fury and an Imperial. The big difference between these and others of this time is mechanics. It may have improve but years back there was NOTHING for these. modified 396 chevy water pumps, that crap brake system, and yes RUST. I knew plenty with these and they usually had every parts car that could have been absorbed in the 60s and 70s. The Swedish invasion of the late 80s put these on the map. The problem “to me” with Chrysler products of this era is they are not really drivable today. With that I mean, I can get in my 59 Impala and go to Seattle, the same with any other of my late 50s early 60s Fords and GMs. You cannot really do that in one of these anymore. I am sure many will disagree but I was stranded more than I care to remember with my late 50s Chrysler crew and parts are …well not at Nappa or Advance.
Chris, since you are expecting many to disagree, I will. I have owned my ’57 New Yorker convert since ’78, have driven it from Boston to Detroit to WPC Club meets twice, to Macungie PA at least three times, and have never come home on the hook.
I guess I have trust issues from past experiences. I am more of a 65 and up when it come to Chryslers for daily things as I use my old things daily in all weather.
There was a great movie, back in ’57, that featured the lead driving in the Texas oil fields in a white one, bounding over the open land at great speeds. Impressed me more than the plot of which I have no memory at all. But that car was to die for!
I have a 1955 Newport Windsor Deluxe, that has a transplant 354 Imperial engin, and would have no problem driving from C.C. Ma. to Washington. I have owned this car for 30 years and from April to December I drive it weekly. I saved it from the bone-yard—Solid and dependable–it is a two door coupe. The best part is I can do the repairs when needed, which is not very often. When let loose it does not shift into high until 70 mph and for a big auto it does like to run
They don’t call the stovebolts for nothing……
All the negative comments are ignoring the “ELEPHANT ” in the room!
Its A HEMI!
I love these Chrysler “forward look” cars. The fins gracefully rise to the end. Not like some other cars of the same era that looks like they were grafted on.
The frenched in license plate in the trunk was always fascinating to me. Had Chrysler put the plate on the bumper instead, it would have given the car a whole different look. This is better.
One question, though. In the interior photo there are two buttons on the floor. One has to be for the headlights, but what’s the other one for?
Probably for the search-tune radio. Like a GM Wonderbar w/floor switch.
Angel, the other floor button is for the radio search as someone said, my 62 Imperial had one and it worked after the motor in the radio was replaced by a stepper motor out of an old Epsom printer that my tech guy found worked okay.
Car built 1962, Epson printer built 2008, go figure!
Could have been for windshield washer pump
In this case it should be a radio station seek button, so drivers could change radio stations without taking there hands off the wheel. But that’s not always the case up to 1960 some car manufacturers installed different types of starting buttons or switches on the floors or the dash of some cars. Todays cars with there push to start buttons are not a new idea.
Thank you, Joseph, I forgot about the radio seek. I have seen them before.
I remember a lot of my fathers early 50s Chevys you turned the key then press a button on the dash to start.
In addition to a search feature for radio stations, the second floor pedal could be for a windshield washer. My dad had a ’57 DeSoto and it had a foot pedal operated windshield washer.
IF it is an original WA car, it stands a better chance than most of having decent metal underneath. If it wasn’t stored outside for years, rust should be minimal. People seem to overlook cars from the PNW when looking for “rust-free” cars–they shouldn’t. Of course being a Mopar of this vintage already gives it two strikes!
Totally agree. One of my cars is a 66 Biscayne in Ca now via Idaho then Washington and I bought in Oregon. Zero rust anywhere.
Great place to buy a car generally.
One of my favorite body styles. That thing would scorch my Pontiacs 389 even with Tri power. Seller is honest about rusty rockers which should be considered.
I spy at least 2 1960 Darts in the background?
No here is one that I am sure at least one other person has heard. My love for the old Mopar is ordering on insane. I always loved and still do the look and power of these grand machines. That being said I was told at one time that the corrosion problems with the 57 and 58 Chrysler products was due to the fact that they bought metal which included steel from the buildings, when Nagasaki and Hiroshima were bombed. I was told that the make up of the steel was changed and was far less corrosion resistance, because of it being part of a nuclear attack. That made sense to me although it made no sense to me because I didn’t think recycled steel was that much and use in the 50s . I am interested to see if anybody has ever heard this. I have carried it with me for years.
Bob, I certainly am no history buff but this explanation brings a few thoughts to mind. One what would be the radioactivity of steel that had been exposed to a nuclear event so recently? Two, why would American steel companies in the 1950’s need to recycle steel? 3, shipping steel from Japan to the USA? Seems like a very poor beginning to what would be meant to be a cost reduction exercise?
Not sure if you guys remember the early 60’s when Japanese cars started to be sold in Australia where I live, and around the World, the quality if the steel wasn’t all that good, the early Nissans and Toyota’s had a bad habit of snapping bolts and screws when working on them, this was put down to the poor quality of the recycled steel used in Japan during manufacture. Over time the quality got better and I remember all you had to do when removing a screw or bolt was to crack it with a spanner or socket and you could undo it with your fingers. The worst were the English with Whitworth threads, you had to use a socket or wrench all the way out, the fit was terrible, cross threading was a way of life back in those days.
Thank you spellcheck.
I’d bring the original color back to it.
The interior is wrong for this 300 “C” I never seen a “C” with Newyorker interior The “C” had 4 bucket seats wit a counsel
All cars and trucks get that fender headlight rust…..even those from Texas !
Performance wise couldn’t hold a candle to Christina.
I’ve always loved the Chrysler letter cars and have owned several thru the years …1957 being one of my favorite years, but not this one!
Nice examples can be had in the $50-$75K range and it would take substantially more than that to put this one back in shape !!