Every time I stumble upon one of these Chrysler letter cars, such as this 1961 Model G, I’m amazed that high-end Chrysler pushed full-size performance to the extent that they did. I always think of Chrysler, in this era, as being more on par with Cadillac and Lincoln than the hot rod set. But here it sits, looking a bit like Christine once the fire was out. These are rare cars as this is one of only 1,600 assembled in ’61 and with that thought, let’s look it over and see what made letter cars, such as this hardtop, so special. Located in Houston, Texas, this “banker’s hot rod” is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $11,800 with the reserve not yet met.
So, fins were in, in ’61, and while not as outrageous as some that ChryCo conjured just a few short years earlier, these are still notable but not likely to be confused with an F/A-18 Hornet. What’s left of the Cinnamon finish doesn’t present very well though the body seems sound – possibly with some lower quarter patch-panel work having occurred. Some of the stainless steel trim is unattached but it’s included in the sale, along with replacement taillight lenses. Also included is, “a set of disassembled 300-branded hubcaps“.
The standard engine in the 300G was a 375 gross HP 413 CI “Golden Lion” V8 adorned with a pair of four-barrel carburetors sitting atop a long-tube, cross-ram intake manifold – it makes for quite a visual! The seller claims that the engine was rebuilt by a previous owner and it does show as having, at the least, some cosmetics performed on it. The elephant in the room, however, is the three-speed manual transmission, which according to Chrysler’s promotional material, was available over the standard equipment TorqueFlite three-speed automatic gearbox. If you examine the interior images you can see where the push button assembly for the automatic transmission, which is located to the left of the steering column, has been blanked off. The seller states that there were fewer than 50 300Gs so equipped. As to how all of this operates, nothing is suggested.
The most notable thing about the interior is…well, there are several things actually. This is a bucket seat/center console equipped car – standard 300G fare, and the upholstery is in very ratty shape. The dash pad is severely deteriorated but the cool space-age “AstraDome” instrument panel, which looks like Robby the Robot’s head, is still in place. The enter console was never employed as a location for a gear selector, which was facilitated by the aforementioned dashboard push-button control, so the manual gear shift lever protrudes up through the floor next to the console. The console’s center stack was armed with a tachometer and though it has been removed, it is part of the sale, along with numerous other parts like the door panels.
Rare and odd? You bet! It would seem that the original owner of this car was serious about performance and selected the manual transmission for that reason, I guess, it’s hard to know what went through someone’s mind 63 years ago when a car like this is involved. Regardless, this unicorn is deserving of a complete restoration and my guess is that it will be snapped up regardless of the reserve. What a conversation piece, right?
Make a cool Driver, too bad the interior is so chewed up
Love this! I had a red 1961 three-speed convertible with a bathtub drain installed in the top well because it leaked so much. 1974, I think I payed $500 .
A 300 or a New Yorker?
300.
With this car, there really isn’t any fear of losing much on your investment. I can only guess the seller’s reserve is around $65K-$70K, given what it needs to complete. These go for $135K+ restored, and are highly prized by collectors. With a 3-speed manual, probably a 10% premium over the automatic. By `61, you could special-order interior leather in more than just the “300” buckskin color. I’d re-do it in matching cinnamon color if I could find it.
This car was bid to 21k this past September on BAT. Just seven days later on BAT, a red ’61 that had been refreshed sold for 59k. This one is a cool car, especially with the stick, but from the pics I saw on BAT, it is in need of a lot of work. I’d imagine a realistic reserve is somewhere in the 30’s, max.
413 I had a great dislike for them in 1964 I was a senior in highschool had a 1958 impala 348 factory 3 speed loved the car it was quick I always thought until one day I pulled up to the light next to a new Plymouth fury 413 light turned all I saw was tail lights it was a automatic just before light turned green it stood up light turned it was gone
Hagerty’s #4 value (of which this car could only aspire to) is $22.6. They don’t list an add-on for the 3 speed manual, so that may or may not be a bonus.
Option 281 was a Borg Warner 3 speed manual and a very few got a 4 speed Pont-A-Mousson for Flying Mile record attempts. This IS a rare bird indeed.
Are you sure about that? I think the Pont-a-Moussons were only installed on the ‘60 300F Specials and ‘61 was the first year for the New Process A745 3 speed manual.
Very cool car, I like that people like myself still liked rowing through the gears, even though the Chrysler had a solid automatic. As dynos didn’t exist yet the engineers tuned those long intake runners by sound, what’s amazing is they worked pretty well, they produced a crazy amount of torque. Not a Mopar guy but do like those big wedge engines. This needs to be saved, but won’t come cheap.
Yes very rare Mopar.. those long intake tubes were made for bottom end pulling power. They also made in line 2-4 bbl for taking off the line fast. If I had this Chrysler I would do the whole interior and try to make it look new leave the outside alone looks cool to me..fix the tail light right side with the new lens. Put on any other trim that’s missing. And tried to find some neat Chrysler dog dish caps. And have fun going to the car shows. There’s something about leaving the paint the way it is on this car and the primer it looks cool. I might just change the rear end gears to 391s posi of course. That will be a badass smoking tires off the light. Well good luck to the next owner have fun with it. 🐻🇺🇸
It looks awful. The poor car has pretty well been destroyed by years of abuse and neglect. These letter cars are special machines and this one certainly deserves someone who will look after it well and restore it to its former beauty.
It definitely needs to be re-painted.
1961, The coolest year for Chrysler. I never had one but loved their looks. As for this unit. It’s as cool as it gets. Think of the chap that sat down at the salesmen desk, picked his color, this, and that and was crunching numbers to get that new car he wanted within the confines of his budget. Walah! you have your car. One can only wonder how many years this guy rolled through the gears to work, school and so on. Cars like this are so cool and it is great this one made it. An amazing time for automobiles. The customer could get whatever they wanted, however they wanted it, as long as they were not in a hurry. I believe it was 4 to 6 weeks on orders if you didn’t find an off the lot unit to suit you. A great car here and likely a greater story behind it.
This is obviously a rare find and an even rarer setup with the three speed transmission, stick shift.
I have never seen one before.
It will definitely need a lot of work from an experienced person, or persons.
I would love to see it when someone gets it back to original.
Just my oponion!
We have progressed backwards on car orders. I waited 14 months for my C8. But I wasn’t gonna pay a dealer over 100K for the one he put 500 miles on to resell as a used car. That activity is finally slowing down as Bowling Green is finally catching up with demand.
This car is pretty straight. I would strip the chrome, sand the imperfections out, respray it flat red, not shiny. It deserves a new interior, but with that elephant under the hood all you spend doing this would be worth it. Reattach the chrome, get some dog dish hubcaps, fix taillight…etc and then drive and enjoy it. At that point it is ready for someone to take it to an all original project when you’re ready to sell it. This car deserves this. Good luck to next owner!
I don’t know if that was a slip-up or not but this engine isn’t a “elephant”. Hemi engines were called that and this is a 413 WEDGE.
Back in the wrecking yard days, hemis were referred to as ” rod slingers ” I processed a few. The red rams and 57 to 59s were ok but the 426s all rolled in broke. I kept a speed shop dragster guy stocked with stuff.
I’ve only have seen the dome bash once before I was 18 and I thought that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in a car. I’m 78 now. If I was wealthy I would definitely buy this car and restore it like new. It needs that.
The Pont-ta-Munsen 4-speed was a 1962 option. Not 61
No, the french Pont-A-Mousson 4 speeds (all synchro), seen also on Facel Vega, was installed only on 1960 300F with the 405 HP engine (short rams). Testers at the time were very disappointed in 1961 to find this Chrysler 3-speed gearbox without synchronized 1st gear. One of the reasons was the price of the box ($500!) but also the lack of demand. As much as a Pont-A-Mousson brings added value, this box 3 brings none!
Kent – Not so.
The Pont-a-Mousson 4-speed option was first available in the 1960 “F” Models. There were several other differences as well, shorter intake runners, hotter cam profile, better flowing exhaust manifolds, etc.; rated HP was 400 instead of standard 375hp in the ’60-’61 cars.
Growing up in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon a neighbor found one of those ~7 four speed cars and brought it back to life….. it was amazing. His name was Merle Wolfer. Always a gentleman and he had an incredible collection of late 50’s Chryslers. A pair of 1-off Durham bodied cars as well (a “B” and “C”, IIRC)
Cheers, TB
I own a 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport Convertible with the same 3-speed manual transmission. But my car has no P.S. or P.B. or outside rear-view mirrors. It does have the “Sure-Grip” rear end and leather interior w/cloth inserts. It is in a nice driver quality. I have been told the only way to get the stick shift that year was only available in the “Sport” model.
Why is the idea of wanting a big, fast luxurious car hard to understand? Europe was always full of luxury GTs. Why should America be different? What an amazing car for high speed blasts on the interstate system of the time.
This sure would be pretty all finished up. Unfortunately, those of us without deep pockets need not bid. It’s times like this where the opportunity to buy something really unique and complete this deserving project makes me envious of the gentry for whom money is no object. I’d be happier than a pig in mud to pilot this rare beast to the next car show either as is or totally restored. I’m not picky. So I will just have to content myself with window shopping. I wonder what the seller really wants to get for this to sell? I’m going to watch to find out.
There is a great movie, I remember it involved oil fields, with a white
’57 300 bounding over dirt roads, and in at least one instance, a no road, the plot is long gone from my memory, but the image of that 300 doing things my ’56 Chevy would die from, remains.
Try “The Monolith Monsters”
those 413 / 426 wedge engines are bullet proof, back in the late sixties I got a hold of a 413, we bored it 60 over install a hot cam, TRW forged pistons, clevite rod and main bearings, three angle valve job and ported the heads, installed this engine into a 1935 Chevrolet along with a B+M manualized torque flight trans and a ford 9 inch rear end, no muscle car on the street could keep up with me, my favorite race was in 1973 against a turbo Porsche, he never knew what hit him, he had someone riding shotgun, it must have been funny when he tried to explain how some old car just kicked his high dollar rides ass.
As fascinating as a stick-shift Letter Car is, this particular one would need an investment equal to 3 times its purchase price to bring it back to its original glory. And as much as I’ve gotten used to the concept of patina, I hope the buyer will restore it to its original color since that’s a part of this car’s rarity.
If it’s a 3 on the floor, why are there automatic push buttons to the left of the steering wheel?
Angel Cadillac Diva, if you go to the eBay listing it has better and more pictures. The panel is there on the left side of the steering wheel for the push button automatic but there are no actual buttons. You can see the 3 pedals and gear shifter.
I think those chrome looking things are just covers?
I know for sure some other makes of vehicles, such as a 63 Chevy, radio delete, would have the holes cut out for a radio, then Chevrolet put a metal cover plate over the holes so if someone later wanted to put a radio in it, they could.
The holes would already be cut out for it?
Perhaps that is the suitation here, since they didn’t make very many? I would think it would be a lot of trouble to change everything just for a select few cars? This is a SWAG answer-SCIENTIFIC WILD ASS GUESS!
Just my oponion!
JUST ME, When I was back in high school, my Industrial Arts Teacher ordered a 1960 Dodge 2 door Hardtop with 413 LONG RAM MANIFOLD that looked like this. He took me for a ride one night in it. Needless to say at 16 years old I was in love. I never forgot that ride till this day. When I see one of these Mopars with this engine all I do is drool all over it ! Then go away crying that it is not setting in my garage. Well, I know that I still have THAT MOPAR BIG BLOCK LOVE. Back in 1965 I worked at local Chrysler Dealer. I ordered a new Sport Fury with a 426 Street Wedge Big Block with a 4 speed standard shift with 323 posi out back. I still have it and It still looks as good as the day I bought it. I know it will not ever be worth what these Chrysler 300 are, but I am very thankful that I still have it and still in one piece. I truly hope that someone gets this 300 and brings it back original. They are a real piece of automotive history. Best regards to the seller and the buyer alike.