To capitalize on the image of the 300 Letter Series, Chrysler introduced the 300 Sport Series in 1962. Less powerful and using a bench seat instead of buckets, the Sport Series opened the 300 brand up to a wider audience. The seller has a first-year edition that has been sitting for a few years, so it needs a tune-up and brake work. Located in Livermore, California, this Mopar land yacht is available here on craigslist for $8,900. Kudos to Jack M. for another trip down Memory Lane!
The 300 Sport Series in 1962 had a 383 cubic inch V8 as standard, while the 300 Letter Series employed a 413. We assume the 413 was optional in the lesser series as a 380-hp version of that motor is in the seller’s car (numbers-matching?). How well did the ploy of offering two 300 cars work out for Chrysler? Well, they sold just 435 300-H 2-door hardtops in 1962 compared to 11,341 of the same body style in the Sport Series. Plus, both offered convertibles, and the Sport also came as a 4-door hardtop.
We’re told that this ’62 300 is a barn find, but that term doesn’t necessarily imply a barn is involved. The car is a runner after sitting, but it’s not yet roadworthy. The odometer reads 38,000 miles, but a fair hunch would be that the dial is on its second time around. It has a push-button automatic transmission, which was Chrysler’s thing from the 1950s until 1964. The seller describes the car as a survivor, so we could assume the white paint is original, though some red primer appears here and there. And we wonder if the 300 has been lowered, given its stance.
The interior is okay, as the seats seem to have been redone. But the door panels and carpeting are worn out, and the Chrysler should spend some time in the upholstery shop having those things corrected. The 1962 Chryslers kept their angled dual headlights, but the 1950-ish tailfins were finally gone, literally shorn off. And check out the inside of the trunk – you could shove several folks in there to sneak into your local drive-in theater! (Are those even still around?)
Banker’s hot rod…nice find. The ploy of offering two “300” models sounds like what Mercedes Benz does with AMG…AMG trim packages versus AMG trim plus the the mechanical bits
These have one of the best dashes ever put in an automobile with that “space globe” cluster, and their radios are excellent sounding units as well. And the styling? A bit polarizing to be sure, especially the front, but as for me I like those canted headlights. Fun fact..early 383 engines were called “Golden Lion” by Chrysler.
This doesn’t appear to have power breaks. With a 413, it’s gonna take a lead foot or feet to stop this beast.
Not sure this is a 300. More likely a Newport with added “300” rear quarter medallions. Newport grille, Newport side trim spears, Newport interior and no “300” lettering on the trunk lid. A photo of the first 2 digits of the VIN would confirm.
I own a ’62 Chrysler 300 Sport Convertible with the 413 option and three speed manual transmission. No power steering or brakes nor outside rear view mirrors. It does have the “Sure-Grip” rear end and leather/cloth interior. Unfortunatley I never was able to locate production numbers with the stick shift.
380hp is wrong as it would have had the long ram manifold. More like 340hp with single 4 Bbl.
that 413 is bulletproof, many years ago I installed one in my street rod along with a beefed up B& M torque flight, no one not even the muscle cars could keep up with my 35 Chevrolet, most people thought back then it was a sacrilege to put a Mopar engine in a Chevrolet, I had the last laugh!
Is it me or does this have a Windsor Grill installed in it?
I noticed the same thing.
Agree….wrong grille for a 300……
Yes, a Windsor grille if Canadian, a Newport grille if from the USA.
I believe that the pushbuttons began in 1956. In 55 they had the shifter on the dashboard sticking out waiting to impale anyone on a hard stop (no seatbelts and a bench seat made the middle occupant a victim. They changed to the buttons precisely for safety reasons.
Love the front end but no power nothiing and no air or automatic is a real downer for me in a giant land yacht.
It does have an automatic transmission. But apparently, you’ll still get a good workout from the manual steering and breaks.
Seller too lazy to throw out the nasty black carpet in trunk . A potential buyer wants to see rust free sheet metal not something dog been sleeping on !
For a very short time in around 1973 I owned a 61 Chrysler, white like this one, and with the same space age instrument cluster. I think the fins were more radical the previous year.
The 60 had a high fin with a beautiful red plastic lens in the concave upper part of the fin. In 61 they moved the red lens down to the bottom of the fender and made it horizontal. Where the 60 red lens went, they put a chrome backup light fitting. 60 was much nicer, but in the typical US automaker tradition of taking something nice and ruining it in the name of change, Chrysler put on their 57/58 Ford hats and screwed the pooch. At least in 62 they had the good sense to dump the fins.
I think the Chrysler cars from 1956 thru 1960 were the pinnacle of styling that no other car companies could match. Too bad they didn’t put the same effort in the quality as well.
It has a Newport Grille, so either it is a Newport with side moulding from a base 300 or 300 that had the front end and grille replacing a damaged 300 front. Something is definitely wrong with this picture…….
I noticed the chrome strip on the side of this car goes to the front fenders, typical for a Newport. The rear does not have a chrome 300 on the trunk lid, which leads me to believe it’s a fake 300 or a badly doctored up rebuild of a real 300 using Newport parts because they couldn’t get actual 300 parts. I also note that most if not all 300’s came with bucket seats and a console in between. This further makes me believe it is a Newport being sold as a 300. I guess one would have to run the serial number to see what this car actually is.