The Pontiac GTO was not the first muscle car, but it was the first mid-size muscle car. The real honors go to the Chrysler 300 “Letter Series” machines from 1955 to 1965. Based on the snappy New Yorker, these vehicles combined performance with a degree of luxury in a limited production package. The 300 Letter Series inspired the 300 Sport Series in 1962, designed to appeal to the less adventurous. This ’62 300 appears to be one of these latter vehicles, as the seller makes no claim of it being the rarer choice. Located in Ridgecrest, California, this running Mopar project is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $6,800.
After the collapse of DeSoto in 1961, Chrysler did some consolidating in its senior car roster, and the 300 Sport Series was born. The new model was intended to appeal to buyers with a smaller budget than the Letter Series would afford. It was offered in a wider range of body styles, too, and 25,000 copies were sold in 1962, the first outing. That was at least 10-fold to the number of Letter Series sales that occurred. Unlike the letter cars, the Sports had a 383 cubic inch V8 instead of the more potent 413.
As the story goes, this Chrysler had been sitting for 20 years when the seller took the bull by the horns and got it running again. The indicated mileage is 20,000, but 120,000 would be more plausible. The work the seller has done to get the car rolling again includes a new ignition, new Flowmaster exhaust, some electrical work (but some gauges are in-op), and new wheels (older tires). 300 Letter Series cars came with bucket seats and a console, while the “regular” 300s had a bench. The lack of a console in this auto further points to it being the lesser series.
The car is priced to sell with only a bill of sale. The seller is working on getting a registration and a title, and the price will go up when/if that happens. Perhaps some CA DMV back registration fees may be at play there. But for now, the big machine moves and drives and will do 70 mph on the highway. With more work, you could be bound for Cars & Coffee in a few weeks. BTW, thanks for another cool tip, T.J.!
I like this model,year, etc. Ad says it does burn outs….humm…….no title…no thanks.
Thank you T.J.
Man, somebody drives this thing at 70 on a modern road? Truly terrifying. Probably not even worth it to turn into a letter series tribute.
My thought was “70?” It’ll go a lot faster than that.
With decent tires and functional brakes this car would be quite comfortable to drive at 70+. It’s not a Model T.
Worth it for the dashboard alone.
Sweet. Wish it was closer…
Electric windows, quite rare in the early 60s. I hope someone saves it.
Muscle car is a specific definition of a midsized car with the engine that was only previously available in a full size car A full size car with a large engine is. by definition not a muscle car
I don’t disagree, but it can be a matter of personal belief. The late 40s Hudsons with the straight 8 that won at Daytona, or the early 50s Olds with their big V8 that also won Nascar could be considered to be muscle. How about a Stutz Bearcat? You may be right about the definition, but it could also be considered recency bias. I equate it to claims about “When Harry Met Sally” being the first ‘rom-com’ (Bill Simmons and The Rewatchables crew for example). What would they call “It Happened One Night” or “The Philadelphia Story” or “Bringing Up Baby” or “Adam’s Rib” or “What’s Up Doc” or…..see what I mean? Recency bias.
California registration fees and/or any “back” fees due, apply only if the vehicle is being re-registered in California.
If the car is trailered/shipped out of state, no back fees are due. But, the wheels cannot touch the road in transit, ie., (expired plates and registration).
If someone has placed the vehicle in “Non-Op (not operable) status, a small fee is paid annually (used to be $6) to keep the registration active in the DMV system and if someone wants to register the vehicle in California, no back fees and penalties accrue. In Non-Op status, again, the wheels cannot touch the road nor can the vehicle be parked on any roadways.
Not a bad system actually. The old parked vehicle does not fall out of the “DMV system” saving a vehicle inspection by the highway patrol to verify the VIN, a DMV search, and a pile of paperwork to complete.
On top of that, it’s a great selling feature for California registered vehicles.
Here in Colorado, they decided to adopt the California model in the last few years. Before that, it was quite simple: You paid yearly to register your vehicle if you were using it. If it sat in the garage, no fees, no issues.
If you worked on the car for a couple of years and wanted to put it back on the road: Start paying Registration from that day forward, no back fees.
Your vehicle never dropped out of the system.
IE: Taxation with representation.
Now we have the new California model. I learned this the hard way when I went to register A vehicle that I have owned in Colorado 40+ years that sat in my garage for 10 years. DMV Wanted full registration fee for each of those past 10 years when the car was off the road. Never was I notified in any way of this change in Colorado law.
IE: Taxation without representation.
Colorado offers non-op Status like California does but they decided to go one step further: You still get to pay for registration fees every year in non op status But they keep your vehicle in the ‘system’ , What a great deal……….. :(
Wasn’t aware of the new law. I have a 66 Olds 442 in my yard in Evans, For like 8 yrs. Non running non operational. Not surprised colorado is not the same 40 yrs.ago when I moved here just a few yrs. after I got out of the service.
I own a ‘62 300 Sport myself. Seems to be a love it or hate it design. I happen to love it, the finless lines have their own elegance, and the hardtop greenhouse is outstanding. I even dig the slanted headlights, though that seems to be the one thing that turns people off.
These are not an inexpensive car to own. Parts can be difficult to come by, but not impossible. A lot of common problem areas that are more laborsome than typical GM stuff. But when sorted, These are fantastic cars with all of that great Chrysler engineering of the time.
This car looks to be very straight and possibly even rust free. But it does look like there is a long way to go $$ To truly having this one fully functioning and roadworthy. These ‘62s do not have much demand nor do they bring big $$$. Labor of love here, or save your money and just buy a nice one for under 20 K.
Can you imagine this thing with a modern drivetrain and interior work? Labor of love, sure, but it’d be fun!
Since we went there, I would argue the first Buick Century was the first muscle car. The smaller body with the big straight 8.
These performance boats were designed to keep up in sales with Mercury Marauders, Pontiac Grand Prix, and other 5 to 6 thousand pound cruisers. Great car seller!