Hemmings Classic Car – October 2019

Hemmingsclassiccar october 2019 I Hemmings.com

chrysler

class

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theChrysler’sbean-counters.Accoun-

tantspointedtothecompetition’shigh-

poweredeffortsandtoldtheengineers,

“See?ChevyandFordcandowedge-

styleperformancecylinderheads.Why

can’tyou?”AndsotheoriginalHemi

diedattheendofthe 1958 modelyear.

Butthe 300 livedon,usingaChrysler

derivativeofthe“GoldenLion”V-8

(knownastheB-block)developedfor

therestofMotherMopar’sdivisions:

the413-cu.in.V-8inthe300Eretained

a380-hpratingfor1959.

Model-year 1960 sawplentyof

change:The300Fwasrestyledwith

morepronouncedfinsandatrap-

ezoidalgrille,itnowsatonChrysler’s

advancedunit-bodyplatform,and

thecarburetorsmovedfrombetween

thecylinderbankstoresidingatopa

pairofuncompromisingram-tuned

intakemanifolds.Uncompromis-

ing?Yes:Thebrakeboosterhadto

bemovedtotheinnerfenderwellto

makeroomforthoseextraordinary

runners,carburetor,andaircleaner.

(Therewasalsoaspecial-order400-hp

version,featuringshorterintakerun-

nersandotherchanges.)

The300Gfor 1961 wasacarry-

over year mechanically, though it

introduced the now-legendary canted

headlight treatment that followed the

line of the inverted trapezoid grille;

Letter Car production resided at 1,617

units for the year. The 1962 300H

was again largely similar save for the

clipped rear-quarter fins that had fallen

out of fashion.

Now, 1962 was slightly chaotic

over at Chrysler. With De Soto recently

buried,Chrysler’slineupwasexpandedto

helpregainsomeofthegroundthatthe

departed marque had covered. The divi-

sion wanted to rename its Windsor series,

and rather than come up with a new

name, they adapted one that already had

some cache with the public: “300.” More

correctly,itwasthe 300 SportSeries,dif-

ferentfromthe 300 LetterCars.TheSport

Series used the 300 moniker, but left out

some of the Letter Car’s content, although

most of it was still available on the order

sheet. You could even get, heaven forfend,

a four-door 300 starting in 1962.

1961 300G