The 1961 Chrysler 300G is a rare classic, with only around 1,616 of these luxurious and potent vehicles rolling off the line. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder PRA4SNW for spotting this stunning example because it raises the rarity stakes far higher courtesy of the first owner’s decision to order the car with a manual transmission. It presents beautifully, seeming to need nothing but a new home. The seller has listed the Chrysler here at Hemmings in Crownsville, Maryland. They set their price at $68,500 for a classic that perfectly combines looks and power.
Chrysler’s “Letter Series” models have become legends within the classic market. The company wanted to inject excitement and exclusivity into its model range, and cars like this 1961 300G achieved that goal. The low production tally guaranteed that owners would rarely chance upon an identical vehicle, which is always desirable when paying a premium price. This classic is 1-of-240 Hardtop Coupes ordered in Formal Black. It only recently returned to home soil after spending approximately nine years in Kuwait. That makes it well-traveled and is good news for potential buyers. Kuwait possesses the type of dry climate that is ideal for steel preservation, making this car’s rust-free status unsurprising. The paint shines richly, and the panels are laser-straight. There is little to criticize about its presentation, with the dark paint shade complemented by dazzling trim, crystal clear glass, and wide whitewalls.
Apart from exclusivity, one of the strongest selling points of Chrysler’s “Letter Series” was the power and performance on offer. The 300G was no exception, with its 413ci V8 inhaling deeply through a pair of Carter four-barrel carburetors to generate 375hp and 495 ft/lbs of torque. Power assistance for the steering and brakes was standard fare, as was the legendary and bulletproof three-speed TorqueFlite transmission. However, buyer wishing to extract the most from their new toy could tick Code 281 on their Order Form to swap the TorqueFlite for a three-speed stick shift. Chrysler has never furnished exact figures to my knowledge, but it is widely accepted that less than fifty buyers chose that option. Combined with the paint shade, that makes this car a rare beast. It is disappointing that the seller doesn’t indicate whether the car is numbers-matching, nor do they provide insight into its mechanical health. However, I see nothing causing concern, and I would expect any 300G within this price bracket to have no issues or needs.
Chrysler left nothing on the table when it equipped the 300G’s interior. From leather trim to bucket seats, a full-length console, power windows, and a beautiful wheel with translucent sections, it made a bold visual statement that guaranteed that even the most mundane journey would feel like a special occasion. However, the “AstraDome” gauge cluster could be the star of the show. The country was in the grip of “space race fever” when this classic left the line, and the gauge cluster looked like it belonged in something headed for the moon, not cruising the freeway. The interior of our feature car is as impressive as the exterior. There is no visible wear, and nothing has waved the white flag in the face of the Kuwaiti sun.
Nailing down precise figures is difficult, but it appears that less than fifty examples of the 1961 Chrysler 300G in either body style left the factory with a manual transmission. While most buyers preferred the luxury of a self-shifter, a few wanted to maximize the potential offered by the wonderful V8 under the hood. The seller’s price is justified for a car of this caliber, although it is worth noting that values dropped during the past year. Whether the trend will reverse is impossible to say, but history suggests it will. If you crave a Mopar classic combining luxury, performance, and rarity, this 300G could be the ideal candidate.
This is just beautiful. Barn Finds had a ’61 300 with a manual trans back in Nov. Of last year that was in absolute deplorable condition. I always thought the gear shift not being in the console was kind of strange looking to me. But I guess that was where the engineers could only place it. But back to this one, its beautiful. Love how the back seats are with the console in between. And the 413 with those long runners were always impressive to me. Very nice Chrysler.
What you said, Driveinstile.
Adding to the beauty is the beast under the hood with the CrossRam induction. A HS girlfriends dad had one very much like this but with a slush box tho to a 16 yr old testosterone infused boy the acceleration was “way BITCHIN”..!
As you said, a beautiful car and remarkably well done.
Wow! After taking a time machine back to 1961, exactly what I would love to be driving when pulling into the country club lot for my morning tee time!
Wind out the HD 3 speed, 3.21 gears ⚙️ Too cool 😎 for sure. Nice find ❄️
Pont a Mousson was the transmission, found in the Facel Vega also.
No, not a Pont-a-Mousson as that was a 4-speed offered in the ’60 300F. The ’61 300Gs had a Chrysler heavy-duty 3-speed.
Ya gotta love this manual trans. setup. Back then there were still a lot of old guys that didn’t trust automatic transmissions and wanted a manual. So if you bought a new Chrysler Winsor or Newport and wanted a stick shift this was the setup you got. With the astrodome gauge cluster there was no room on the steering column for a shift lever. They used this setup until 1964 on the Chryslers and Dodge 880’s. In ’65 they moved it back up on the column. I don’t know when the last 3-on-the-tree Chrysler was made, ’69-’70 maybe?
I have bad memories of the 413 in highschool in 1964 I had a 1958 Impala ht 348 3 speed stick came up against a new Plymouth at a light it had a duel 4 barrel 413 all I saw was his tail lights I didn’t stand a chance
I learn something every day. For some reason I believed the ’66 Charger to be the first full length console. This car hits every button from aesthetics to mechanical ingenuity. In 1961 this had to be a very formidable personal luxury coupe. The letter cars really stood for something then – not just a marketing technique. I can see myself at speed…..
Why do I feel this car is somewhat ugly and yet incredibly beautiful?
Beautiful. I believe these came with a Frenc h transmission. Saw one back in early 80s at Carlisle
No Pont-a-Mousson on this one. That was used in the 300F Specials. ‘61 was the first year of the Chrysler built A-745 three speed.
For that $$$ I’d be looking for a C2 ‘Vette.
Interesting car. I might have wanted the three-speed transmission when this car was new, and I was younger, but not so much now. This car would have had a torque-flite transmission that was built to handle that 413 engine so the performance would have been as good as that three speed manual. I don’t think Chrysler had a transmission with syncro first gear so that makes it less desirable to me, although the rarity of it might make the value more to some collectors. It’s a beautiful car and won’t be cheap, so I’m not worried that it will go to someone who can’t afford to maintain it.
I own a ’62 Chrysler 300 Sport Convertible with the 3 speed stick. My car has no P.S., P.B. nor outside rearview mirrors. It does have the 413 and sure-grip plus leather interior. I also was never able to find out production numbers however one stated less than six were made.
I was a youngster with the chrysler dealer in town the owners son ordered one with standard shift and ran it at the local dragstrip and he had a pile of trophies and end of year they put it on the lot and it sold right away