Contact: Lori McTavish

Chrysler 300 History--12 Fast Facts

September 15, 2005, Auburn Hills, Mich. -

1. The first 300 was introduced in 1955 and made possible by:

The availability of Chrysler’s superb overhead valve “HEMI®” V-8 (so-called because its use of hemispherical combustion chambers to deliver extraordinary combustion efficiency and power for its size) introduced for model year 1951 The availability of Chrysler’s excellent TorqueFlite® fully automatic The dramatic styling of the 1955 executed by Virgil Exner The wish to enliven Chrysler brand image by offering “a gentleman’s sport .”

2. The first 300 (known within Chrysler Engineering as the C-300) gained its name from the 300 hp output of its specially modified HEMI V-8, the most power then available in an American production car. It came with stiff, sport- tuned suspension, leather upholstery and was only available as a coupe in white, black and Tango red. Since factory price was $4109 (Chevrolet sold some 700 195 hp Corvettes in 1955 for about $3069), the 300 was dubbed “The Banker’s Hotrod.”

3. The 300 set flying mile and road course records at Daytona Beach, Florida in 1955.

4. The ’56 offered a standard transmission, which was available through 1961 models with the exception of the 1959 model year. Few buyers ordered the standard shift.

5. The 1956 300 was designated the 300B, inaugurating what became known as the “Letter series” 300s. The series continued without a break until the 1965 300L (there was no 300 I). Between 1962 and 1971 Chrysler traded on the 300 mystique by building the 300 Sport series (with no letter designation). These were mid-price Chryslers that were not performance cars. After a five-year break Chrysler offered another performance 300, the 1970 300 Hurst, sometimes confused with the 1962 300H.

The 300 Hurst was a 300 shipped to Hurst, the performance products company, for enhancement. In 1979 the name “300 Special Edition” was revived to designate a performance option for the Chrysler Cordoba. The letter car series resumed for model year 1999 with the appearance of the front-wheel drive V-6 300M. For model year 2005 the 300 returned as a new series of rear wheel drive Chryslers. The letter series continued with the use of a new 5.7L HEMI V-8. To commemorate the return to RWD with a HEMI V-8 this edition of the series was named the 300C, after the groundbreaking 1957.

6. In 1955 and 1956 Chrysler 300s dominated NASCAR competition, after which Karl Kiekhaefer, who sponsored the fabulously successful Mercury Outboard team of 300s, withdrew from competition, fearing a backlash from race fans irritated by the team’s dominance.

7. In 1957 the 300 C debuted with graceful new styling by Exner that featured dramatic tailfins. The HEMI had been upgraded to 392 cubic inches displacement, generating 375 hp with a special order option that delivered 390. For the first time a 300 convertible was available. After test driving a ’57 300, one automotive journalist dubbed it “The Beautiful Brute,” a nickname that stuck.

8. Convertibles continued to be offered after 1957, with the exception of 1963. Only 2,588 convertibles were built, compared to 14,268 300s, by the time the initial run of letter cars ended in 1965.

9. In 1959 Chrysler replaced the HEMI with a 413 cubic inch displacement wedge head .

10. This engine was given a distinctive cross ram induction system in 1960 which boosted power at lower speeds. The 413 engine was used to the end of the initial letter series run, the 1965 300L. 11. The letter series resumed for MY 1999 with the 300M, a modern reinterpretation of the 300 offered in a front- wheel-drive sedan with a new aluminum V-6 engine with 24 valves, overhead cam, and fuel-injection. This engine produced 253 hp, from only 215 cubic inches displacement, and transmitted power through a 4-speed AutoStik high- performance .

12. The introduction of the 2005 300 marked a return to rear-wheel drive and included the 300C, equipped with a 5.7L HEMI V-8 rated at 345 hp. The new 300 series was named Car of the Year by Motor Trend Magazine.

-###- Additional information and news from Stellantis are available at: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com