Chrysler 300

You see them driving down the street, you see the commercials on the air: the Chrysler 300 is the top of the line luxury car for that brand. While the commercials and dealers will tell you that the 300 is the latest in luxury performance vehicles, the badge dates back to the mid 1950s.

Starting in 1955 the 300 "letter series" was released. True luxury cars in a era of luxury, these cars were originally designed, built and released as a performance platform car to compete with the likes of Cadillac. The 1955 model was officially known as the C-300. The follow-up in 1956 was dubbed the 300B. Each subsequent model took on the next letter (skipping "I") and going all the way to L.

While that first 300 in 1955 was technically a luxury car, in reality it was a NASCAR racer which was sold for homologation purposes. Powered by a 331 cubic inch "Firepower" Hemi V8 monster engine, it is easy to see how this car was utilized on race tracks around the country. It featured twin four barrel carbs, solid lifters, a stiff racing suspension, and a high performance exhaust system. All anyone had to do was punch the gas pedal to understand the real reason it was built.The car featured the "Forward Look" styling of Virgil Exner who, believe it or not, scoured the parts bins for many of the final pieces to this car.

Sales of the homologation models actually exceeded expectations. So for the 1956 model the car was given not only a bit more high performance kick with an engine as large as a 354 cubic inch Hemi V8 but also got a bit of a face lift as well. This model looked a little less like a racer and a little more like a luxury family car. Even with a softer look, this became the first car to produce one horsepower per cubic inch as that 354 Hemi growled out 355 horses.

Changes both in styling and under the hood continued through the rest of the 1950s and into the 1960s. By the time the 1962 model seen here was released the 300 had lost its rather large fins for a more traditional look but had maintained its penchant for power. With a 413 cubic inch Hemi V8 with inline dual four barrel carbs, the 300H line was faster than its predecessors. The fact that Chrysler figured a way to shed 300 pounds helped.

This year also saw the introduction of a Sport Series version of the 300. While there were various trims including a four door and two door hardtop, these cars came minus some of the luxury features of the standard 300H (though they could be added on as options). Creating this "extra" line cost the 300H some of its exclusivity and this became the slowest selling of the 300 models.

This perhaps marked the beginning of the end of the 300 "letter series" as the last of their kind rolled off the lines in the 1965 model year. In 1970 a Hurst 300 high performance muscle car was introduced. Another 300 popped up in 1973. In 1999 Chrysler rolled out what it dubbed the 300M which lasted until 2004. For 2005 they rolled out the current Chrysler 300 series which continues to sell well today. While it maintained the high performance luxury of its ancestors it isn't the NASCAR racer at heart of the early 300 "letter series" cars.