Nov. 5, 2015 - Amazon Web Services

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www.oldcarsweekly.com
®
Weekly News & Marketplace
November 5, 2015
INSIDE
INS
SIDE
12 1932 Buick:
As good as it gets
16 1931 Plymouth:
An unlikely star
35 Fab ’50s:
1950 photo gallery
ADVERTISEMENT INDEX
Carlisle Productions ............. 2
Continental Western ............. 3
Troby’s Memory Lane........... 5
Raleigh Classic ..................... 6
Raleigh Classic ..................... 7
Jim’s Classic Garage............ 9
Colonel Crawford High School
Boster Club .................. 10
S&M Electro-Tech .............. 10
Stauer ................................. 11
NATMUS.............................. 13
Old Cars Weekly ................. 25
Krause Publications ........... 42
EXPRESS
LETTER
PERFECT
SALUTE TO
CHRYSLER’S
‘LETTER CARS’:
1955-65
PAGE 19
• NEWLY ADDED — 2-Day Car Show Friday and Saturday (13TH and 14TH) •
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AT
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Old Cars Weekly News & Marketplace EXPRESS / November 5, 2015
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WHAT’S INSIDE
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ONLINE EDITOR
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Brian Earnest
([email protected])
Page 12
Page 16
8 Around the Hobby
News and notes from the collector car world
12 Buick Beauty
1932 Buick is a near-perfect specimen
16 Preserving a Plymouth
1931 Plymouth coupe has never looked better
19 Letter Perfect
Tracing the evolution of Chrysler’s splendid ‘Letter’ cars from 1955-’65
33 1950 Flashback
The fabulous American cars of the 1950 model year
48 Old Cars Events Calendar
Shows, auctions and cruises from coast to coast
52 Classified Ads
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4
Troby’s Memory Lane
Where Dreams Become Reality
South Hackensack, NJ 07606 - 201-981-6420 or 201-457-7900 •• EMAIL: [email protected]
More Photos & Information: www.hemmings.com/dealers •• Select Trobys Memory Lane ••
1936 PACKARD 1401
CONVERTIBLE COUPE
1940 CADILLAC
FLEETWOOD 60
SPECIAL TOURING
SEDAN
Extremely RARE.
Ingenious Torpedo
body, Harley Earl
design. Cadillac
Flathead V-8 w/ 3 spd.
manual. In Sable Black
W/ Medium Tan broadcloth interior. Dual side mounts.
A brilliant example of packard engineering and styling. this
vehicle has received a nut and bolt frame off restoration that is
excellent throughout.
1941 CADILLAC
SERIES 62
CONVERTIBLE
One of the most
sought after in
Cadillac history.
Absolutely
stunning, no
disappointments.
AACA, CCCA
Award winner.
1957 CADILLAC
ELDORADO
BROUGHAM
Total production was
offered for sale to
only 400 customers.
Extensive array of
options and equipment.
Factory air cond., memory seat, power side windows and vent
windows, guidematic control for the headlights, standard radio,
power locks, automatic trunk pull down and famous steel roof.
1957 CADILLAC
ELDORADO
BROUGHAM
Outstanding 1
of 400 manufactured in 1957.
Recent 3 year
resto. 4 Door
pillarless HDTP
design, brushed
stainless steel roof. Excellent candidate for any collection!
1947 CADILLAC
SERIES 62
CONVERTIBLE
Recipient of
frame off
restoration.
Vehicle was
part of affluent
collection.
1947 CADILLAC
SERIES 62
CONVERTIBLE
346 ci flathead
V8, HydraMatic trans,
last owner 25
years, excellent
throughout,
excellent touring
vehicle.
1979 ROLLS ROYCE SILVER WRAITH
Same owner 34 years, probably one the the best orig.cars in the
U.S.! V-8, Auto. Perfectly serviced and maintained in a heated garage.
1949 CADILLAC
SERIES 62
CONVERTIBLE
First year for
overhead valve
V8, stunning,
MotorTrend
car of the year.
Only 8,000 total
production.
ALWAYS LOOKING TO BUY VEHICLES!
November 5, 2015 / Old Cars Weekly News & Marketplace EXPRESS
5
1979 LINCOLN
1963 FORD
Same Family Ownership Since New
Rare 4 Speed - Show Quality
1951 CHRYSLER
14K Actual Miles
1984 CHEVROLET
One Owner 2,566 Miles
1955 OLDSMOBILE HOLIDAY
Local Car – Immaculate
AROUND THE HOBBY
News and notes from the collector car world
550 vehicles lined up for GAA Classic
GAA Classic Cars will host its next
collector car auction Nov. 5-7 at The
Palace in Greensboro, N.C.
More than 550 vehicles are expected to cross the block, including a 1970
Plymouth ’Cuda coupe; 1963 Cadillac
Fleetwood Eldorado; 1939 Ford roadster; 1939 Ford coupe; 1941 Lincoln
Continental convertible; 1957 Chevrolet
Bel Air hardtop; 1963 “split window”
Corvette and a wide assortment of muscle cars from the 1960s and ’70s.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Thursday and
8 a.m. Friday and Saturday with bidding
beginning at 10 a.m.
For information, visit www.gaaclas
siccars.com or call 855-862-2257.
OOO
Worldwide to offer stellar
Ron Brown Estate collection
Worldwide Auctioneers will offer
101 vehicles and memorabilia from the
Ron Brown Estate Collection on Oct.
23-24 in Fredericksburg, Texas.
The spectacular collection includes
at 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda coupe;
1969 Camaro RS/SS Indy Pace Car;
matching 1956 Chevrolet Nomad
wagon and Bel Air convertible; 1968
Shelby GT500KR fastback; 1963 Corvette “split window” coupe; plus trucks,
resto-mods, 4x4s, motorcycles, prewar
cars and more.
Thursday is preview day with viewing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bidding on
memorabilia will begin at 5 p.m. on
Friday. Vehicles will begin crossing the
block at 11 a.m. Saturday.
For information, visit www.world
wide-auctioneers.com or call 260-9256789.
OOO
Mecum Auctions Gone Farmin’
Iowa Premier sale set for Nov. 5-7
Mecum’s Gone Farmin’ Iowa Premier
returns to the Mississippi Valley Fair
Center in Davenport, Iowa, Nov. 5-7.
This event is set to feature more than
400 antique tractors from across the
country.
The Iowa Premier will showcase a
variety of private collections, including
The Richard Lear John Deere 30 Series
Standard Collection, The Allis-Chalmers Wheatland Collection, seven John
8
Greenwich
Concours founder
Wennerstrom
passes away
Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
co-founder Bruce Wennerstrom
passed away Wednesday, Sept. 30.
His family issued the following statement following his passing:
“It is with great sadness that we
tell you that Bruce Wennerstrom, the
co-founder and chairman of Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, passed
away this morning. We wish to thank
the many friends, physicians, and
others who provided Bruce with
great care, love, and support. Bruce
and his wife Genia, who died in
2011, founded the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in 1996. Bruce and
Genia were also the owners and directors of the Madison Avenue Sports
Car Driving and Chowder Society,
a club of automobile enthusiasts established in 1957 that meets monthly
at Sardi’s Restaurant in New York
City. The two shared a broad interest
in cars and motorsports and thought
their hometown of Greenwich was
Deere tractors from The Richard Fowler
Collection, and two large collections offered with no reserves — 31 John Deere
tractors from the Jeff Hammen Collection and The Oliver Collection comprising of 26 tractors.
This event will also debut the first
Gone Farmin’ live big-screen auction,
featuring the August Krehmeyer Estate
Sale of more than 100 tractors from
Haxtun, Colo. Bids will be taken on-site
in Davenport, online and on the phone.
The auction will also include an assemblage of more than 200 signs and
relics from the Norm and Martha Huff
Lifelong Collection.
For more information, visit www.
mecum.com or call 262-275-5050.
OOO
the ideal location for a true worldclass concours. The Wennerstroms
were successful in creating an event
that is now recognized as one of the
top shows in the country.
“The Wennerstrom family has
been an integral part of the organization, management and execution
of the Greenwich Concours since
its creation twenty years ago. Both
the Greenwich Concours and the
Madison Avenue Sports Driving and
Chowder Society will continue to
be operated by their children, Nord,
Leif, Kirk, and Bria, as well as their
daughters-in-law, Mary and April.
“The family will announce plans
for a memorial tribute in the near
future. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to
AmeriCares (www.americares.org),
the charitable beneficiary of the
Greenwich Concours.”
Museum adds rare ’54 Skylark
The Sloan Museum in Flint, Mich.,
has added a 1954 Buick Skylark convertible to its collection of more than
100 vehicles. There were only 836 Skylarks made in 1954, all made in Flint,
and there are probably fewer than 100
survive today. The vehicle is now on
display at the Buick Gallery, located at
303 Walnut Street, Flint. The Gallery is
the exhibition space for the Automotive
Collection of Sloan Longway, which rotates vehicles on display each spring.
The car has just over 19,000 original
miles and came to Sloan Longway from
Dr. Donna Deming of New Mexico. The
Arctic White and Matador Red beauty
comes as car #101 in the museum’s collection.
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1931 FORD
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OBO
1969 FORD
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OBO
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I
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Comes factory sealed in its original packaging in order
to retain its status as a highly collectable item.
The most ravishing model of this species
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launched in 1936. It was a limited production Diecast metal body features doors, hood
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cabriolet, in total less than 30 were made,
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As
Good
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1932 Buick is on top
of the world after
years in Purgatory
As It
Q By Brian Earnest
Every once in a while in life, a guy has to open his wallet
or checkbook and really let it snap. And it’s those “damn the
torpedoes,” “it’s only money, you can’t take it with you,” and
“you only live once” moments that can really reveal how much
somebody loves their old car.
Chuck and Dianne Nixon had one of those “now or never”
moments a few years ago when they had to decide what to do
with a 1932 Buick sedan they had grown smitten with after
they discovered it. The car had been sitting for decades, abandoned and alone in a Connecticut warehouse, and it needed
a full restoration. The Nixons couldn’t be sure what the total
financial hit would be, when the car would be done, or if it
would be remotely worth all the time and money it would take
12
to give the car a high-quality remake.
In the end, though, the couple “swallowed hard and said
OK,” according to Chuck, and thus began a three-and-a-halfyear odyssey that ultimately produced a breathtaking result
— a concours-quality specimen and surely one of the nicest,
most-elegant prewar Buicks on the globe.
“Someday when I’m retired and wondering where all my
money went, I’ll just look at the car and say, ‘Wow, there it
is!’” Chuck Nixon joked. “But in no way could we be any
happier with the car and the result. It’s been great.” The spectacular Model 32-67 sedan has appeared at the Meadowbrook
Concours (now called the Concours d’Elegance of America),
the Keels and Wheels Concours in Houston and Santa Fe Concours. It has won an AACA Senior Grand National Award and
Senior Gold award from the Buick Club of America, which
also honored the car with the Nicola Bulgari “Spirit of Buick”
award in 2009. The car is also pictured on the 2013 Old Cars
Weekly calendar.
Not too bad for a car that nobody seemed to know existed
for perhaps 40 years or more.
That Chuck Nixon would be the one to orchestrate the
comeback of such a car is almost as unlikely. He had a 1929
Model A Huckster truck — which he eventually sold and
bought back — years ago, and number of other cars, including his current 1965 Corvette, 1966 Chevelle SS convertible
and two 1973 Rivieras, but nothing similar to the ’32 Buick.
“We had joined the Model A Club and decided we needed a
sedan because the truck is tight and not great for taking people
around,” Nixon chuckled. “I eventually saw a ’32 Buick that
was an unrestored ‘barn find’ at a swap meet, and I thought to
myself, ‘That is one elegant car!” I’m an architect by trade,
and I just loved and appreciated the lines of it … But the guy
wanted way too much money for it and I didn’t buy it, but it
got me interested.”
The Nixons had a friend on the East Coast they knew
through their Model A connections and one day the man
called with some information about a ’32 Buick that had been
found in Connecticut. The car had been purchased by Academy Classic Automobiles in Bristol, Conn., and was available
either for purchase “as is” or as a restoration project through
the shop. “It turns out the car had been found in a warehouse
and it had been sitting in there for years,” Nixon said. “The
owner passed away and the widow didn’t know about the car.
It had no history, no paperwork … She
just wanted to get rid of it. So the restorer
took it and got it running, but that was
about it.
“My friend showed me pictures of it
and assured me it was complete, which
is kind of rare to find these original and
complete, and in August of 2005, when
they told me what it would cost to restore
it, we swallowed real hard and decided to
do it. I had never spent that much money for a car, and I had to say, ‘OK, I’m
going to do it, but I’m not one of those
millionaires that has money laying all
over. We’re going to have to do this over
time.’”
Chuck and Dianne Nixon’s 1932 Buick Model 32-67 sedan had been stuck
in a dark warehouse for perhaps 40 years before it was discovered and
rescued. After a lengthy restoration, the car has become an AACA Senior
National Award winner and made appearances on several concours fields.
T
he National Automotive &
Truck Museum of the U.S.,
which is located in the last two
production buildings of the
Auburn Automobile Company,
is embarking on a Capital Fund
Drive dedicated to the
preservation of it’s two National
Historic Landmark buildings.
For more details please
visit our web site at:
www.natmus.org
or call:
260-925-9100
13
all those freezes and thaws, was that all the wood in the body needed to be replaced,”
he said. “Well, nobody is producing wood patterns or pieces for those cars. You can
buy wood patterns for a Model A Ford, but not a ’32 Buick. It was going to need a
complete restoration.”
That’s when the Nixons had to make the toughest call — spend a lot more than
they had planned and see the project through, or cut their losses. “We blew our budget by about five times over,” Chuck laughed. “But what are you going to do with a
half-done car, you know? We went ahead and finished it and we probably have three
times in the car what I could get for it on the market today, but when you get into
these things you’re not doing it for the money.”
The original owner of the car probably had to swallow hard, too, when he plunked
down more than $1,300 – certainly a sizeable sum at the time – for the Series 60
four-door sedan. The car was one of 9,013 built by Buick for the 1932 model year.
The 60 Series was second on the four-tier Buick ladder at the time, one step up from
the 50 Series but below the Series 80 and Series 90 offerings. The 60 Series cars
rode on 118-inch wheelbases, six inches more than Model 50 cars. The Series 80
cars had new 126-inch wheelbase chassis and the big Model 90 luxury line had 134
inches between axles.
Victoria coupe and convertible phaeton body styles were new for the Model 60
series in 1932. Two-door business coupes, Special coupes and convertible coupes
were also offered, although none were nearly as popular as the sedans. The sedans
could fit five passengers through their rear suicide passenger doors, and inside, the
Model 32-67s weren’t Cadillacs, Packards or Duesenbergs, but they weren’t far
from it. Ritzy amenities such as roll-down shades, foot rests, robe rails, ash trays
and passenger assist cords were all found in the back seat. Drivers could steer with
either a fancy artillery wood or steel wheel, and under the hood the 272-cid engine
climbed to 95 hp — 5 better than the previous year. The inline eight shifted through
a Synchromesh gearbox. Four-wheel mechanical brakes did the stopping.
“It’s got a low gear in the rear end. That’s a real grandma gear,” Nixon said.
“But get it into second gear and it really gets up and goes. That straight-eight has
14
good, but you’ve got to keep your wits about you.”
Convenience options included dual sidemounts, tire covers, heaters, clocks, cigarette lighters, trunks, grille guards
and single bar bumpers.
“Our car has two taillights instead of one,” Nixon said.
“That was an upgrade, I believe, and because it has two spares
it has a trunk rack in back. The upholstery, we had two choices
and we went with the gray velour to go with the blue, and it
turned out stunning.”
The Nixons’ Buick was originally painted black, and the
car was all in once piece, but that was about all they know
about it. It’s anybody’s guess how long it had been sitting, and
there was no documentation with the car. “It was in a machine
shop warehouse, and there is probably a file of some kind there
somewhere, but we never got it,” Chuck said. “Somebody had
stuck a rag in the tail pipe and the tires were all flat. There was
no license plate to know when it was registered.”
The odometer in the car showed just 9,000 miles, and Nixon isn’t sure how accurate that number is, or if the car got
parked for any particular reason. “We don’t now if it was only
9,000 miles, but we had to rebuild the engine. We found that
the sidewall of the engine had a hole in it below the piston
skirt,” he said. “But the oil didn’t leak out of there and somebody kept it together. It still ran.”
During the restoration and his parts-chasing efforts, Nixon
befriended Buick expert Mac Blair, who runs the Buick Registry was just the kind of guy Nixon needed. “He is THE ’32
Buick guru in the country and Mac had so many parts that he
had collected that he actually had new parts made for the ’32
Buick, so we were very fortunate to be able to source a lot of
parts from Mac,” Nixon said. “He’s been a great help and we
became close friends.”
One of the biggest decisions the Nixons faced was what
color to paint the sedan. Chuck is a fan of all things stock and
original, but the two-tone Maxfield Blue and Maxfield Dark
Blue was too good of a combination to pass up, especially
when he found out it would pass muster with show judges.
“The rules of the AACA and BCA say you may paint the car
a color that you could have bought it in,” he said. “The blue
really looks great. In the sun it really sparkles and we get a lot
of comments on that. Everything else we did as original as we
could possibly do it.”
Winning the Bulgari “Spirit of Buick” award was clearly
the crowning moment for the car and affirmed the Nixons had
taken their long-lost Buick to heights they never expected.
Bulgari, the famed Italian jewelry maker and uber collector
and aficionado of prewar Classic American iron, selected the
winning car himself. “[Bulgari] said one of the reasons he really liked it was because, for our car, we chose a Model 67, not
a Model 80 or 90 — one of the big cars. This car was more like
what a banker would have driven.”
The Nixons haven’t been able to spend much time themselves behind the wheel of the Buick yet. They figure that day
will be coming eventually, when the car’s appearances at big
shows become less frequent. After waiting for 3-1/2 years for
the car to be completed, however, they figure they can wait a
bit longer to enjoy some Sunday drives.
“We want to drive it more, but every time we want to drive
it more, somebody invites us to another concours and we don’t
want to nick it up,” Chuck said. “But we’re thrilled and we’ve
enjoyed it and we’ve shown it all around the country. Every
time we take it out, people come and want to know about it
and that’s the fun of it — to meet new people and make new
friends. It’s just been a great experience.”
15
Plymouth
Preservation
Project
1931 rumbleseat coupe was just
‘too dang nice’ to be a street rod
This 1931
Plymouth was a
bit of a surprise
purchase for Leon
Krogman. After
hanging onto the
car for safe keeping
since 1988,
Krogman went all
the way with
a ground-up
restoration that
turned the old
Plymouth into
a rare
show-stopper.
Story and photos by Brian Earnest
L
eon Krogman insists he wasn’t on the lookout for another old car when bought his 1931 Plymouth.
But, the way Krogman figures it, sometimes you
just have to step in and perform an intervention when a nice
old car is in need of a new home. That was definitely the case
back in 1988 when Krogman, a retired resident of Spring
Green, Wis., reunited with the old Plymouth he had known
about since he was a boy.
“I bought it from a guy that was basically a distributor for
Citgo here,” he said. “And he had bought it from the family
16
The 196-cid four-cylinder engine is mated to a three-speed manual transmission. This lucky Plymouth
had just 45,000 miles on it before it was rescued and rebuilt. Since then, it has been driven sparingly.
The Plymouth’s two-tone green paint scheme is accented by yellow pinstriping.
Inside and out, the coupe has been brought back to pristine condition.
17
that originally had it over in Arena, Wisconsin. And he was
going to sell it to a guy, out in Nebraska, I think, who was
gonna street rod it, and I couldn’t stand to have somebody do
that to it. I saved it from the street rodders. I just couldn’t see
it going for that.”
Krogman was not in a hurry to do anything with the car,
though, until about four years ago. Up to that point, he had
been happy playing with his three Model T Fords and 1934
Ford coupe, which he drives regularly when there isn’t snow
on the ground. When the itch came to finally get the Plymouth
back in shape, Krogman decided to go all the way with it.
“One day, I went down to Newton’s (Auto Restoration, in
Spring Green), and I had about $5,000 in singles,” he recalled
with a laugh. “And I gave it to them and said, ‘Let’s get started.’” From there the car got the full treatment with a frame-off
restoration. “It had about 45,000 [miles] on it when I got it. It
had gotten the engine rebuilt, but that was about the only thing
I had done to it,” Krogman said. “I had that done in the early
’90s because there was on old guy that did engines around
here and he was getting up in years and I wanted to make sure
he was the one that did it.”
“Other than the running boards, it had only one rust spot
on it. The running boards, those were a mess. They’ve got
matting on them, and water gets under there and just eats it
up. Otherwise, the body was really good… But it was a bear
to get parts for. They only made like 105,000 Plymouths that
year (106,897 for the model year). They ain’t like a Ford.”
The 1931 model year was a big one for Plymouth, which
launched its new, totally redesigned PA lineup. The new menu
was a big deal for Chrysler, which had made a substantial investment in the new Plymouths even as the Great Depression
began to grip the nation.
A new “Floating Power” engine mount setup gave the car
a smoother ride that stacked up well against the competition.
Another big selling point was the hydraulic brakes, which
18
were still an “upscale” feature at
the time.
In its fourth year of operation, Plymouth still relied on inline four-cylinder engines for all
of its offerings. The 196-cid mill
produced 56 hp and was mated
to a three-speed sliding-gear
transmission with a floor shift.
All the models rode on a 109in. wheelbase with 4.75 x 19-in.
spoked wire wheels.
A long list of options were
available, from front and rear
bumpers, to leather upholstery,
to a “Flying Lady” radiator cap.
All of that, and the Plymouth’s
new handsome redesign, which
included more rounded corners and a more curved radiator
shell, helped solidify the nameplate’s No. 3 standing among
U.S. automakers for 1931.
Krogman’s Plymouth was already getting up in age when
a family in his town bought it. “I was in high school back in
the early 1950s — I think the guy paid $25 for it. He bought it
from a family over here in Arena, Wisconsin, and I don’t know
how many people over there had owned it,” Krogman said. “
I just knew of the car for a long time and knew the history of
the thing and I wanted to keep it around. There aren’t many
like them around.”
Krogman’s car is a rumbleseat coupe, Model 482 in 1931
Plymouth nomenclature. It was one of about a dozen models
offered that year and came with a base price of $610 and a
curb weight of 2,645 lbs. A total of 9,696 were built for the
model year, ranking them far behind the two- and four-door
sedans in popularity. His beautiful coupe is finished in twotone green, topped by hand pinstriping.
“This one would have been a cheaper model, because it
didn’t have the side mounts on it or the cowl lights,” he said.
“It didn’t have much on it, but the guy who owned it was a
cobbler. He cobbled up all kinds of things on it. They put a
heater in it after they got it, but I didn’t put that back in after
I had it redone.
“It’s really a nice car, but I haven’t driven it that much.
Nothing of any real distance, anyway. It’s got the free-wheeling, which I don’t really care for. For second and high you
don’t even need the clutch. You just back off and shift.
“But it’s a lot nicer than a Model A. I see Model A’s all
over and I had one one time and I sold the dang thing. I don’t
like ’em. This car is better than a Model A ever was. It’s got
hydraulic brakes, for one thing.”
It’s also got a beautiful rumbleseat in back, but don’t ask
Krogman for a ride in it.
“No, no,” he said with a laugh. “Nobody is gonna crawl
up on those fenders. They’d have to be put in there with a fork
truck. If it was an open car, maybe you could, but this is a
closed car. It’s just too dang nice.”
LETTER
PERFECT
Rembering the glamorous Chrysler
‘Letter Car’ parade from 1955-’65
1955
Styling chief Virgil Exner had already spent $100 million or so restyling Chrysler’s 1955 models when chief
engineer Robert MacGregor Rodger came up with the idea
of marrying serious speed and posh 1955 Chrysler 300-C
prestige. Rodger was no stranger to
performance, having been heavily involved in the design and
development of the Hemi-head Firepower V-8. In his opinion,
putting Chrysler atop the Fifties performance heap was
simply a matter of incorporating the corporation’s existing
hot hardware into a high-profile automobile capable of turning heads with its looks as well as acceleration. Exner liked
19
Rodger’s idea, as did Chrysler division manager Ed Quinn,
who gave the go-ahead as long as costs were kept down. The
buck then was passed on to Cliff Voss, head of the Chrysler
Imperial design studio, who, along with Rodger and production chief Tom Piorier, managed to pull off the feat in classic
fashion. Chrysler’s first “letter car,” the classic C-300, was
announced to the public on January 17, 1955. Save for a few
very rare, very expensive Duesenbergs built before World
War II, the C-300 was America’s first car to come standard
with 300 horsepower.
Based on a New Yorker hardtop body shell, the C-300
mounted an attractive egg-crate Imperial grille and understated Windsor body side trim. The inside included a custom
steering wheel, a padded dashboard, a 150-mph speedometer,
and tan leather appointments. Heavy-duty underpinnings,
including Imperial front suspension and power brakes, were
also standard. Supplied by Lockheed, those drums measured
5.5 inches wide and 12 inches across and provided 201
square inches of swept area.
All 1,692 C-300 coupes (convertibles were not offered)
sold in this country (another 33 were exported) came with
two-speed PowerFlite automatic transmissions, bringing the
base price to a hefty $4,055. Only three exterior shades were
offered: Tango Red, Platinum White and black. Extra-cost
baubles included a radio, heater and power steering. A few
additional dollars could’ve also added power assists for the
seat and windows. And the icing on the cake was a set of
1956
Carl Kiekhaefer’s NASCAR racing success continued
into 1956 as the 300-B picked up where the C-300 left off as
“America’s most powerful production car.” While the body
itself remained similar—chrome headlight rings were exchanged for painted ones up front, and revised rear quarters,
bumper and taillights cleaned up the tail considerably—mechanicals got a major boost after Rodger’s engineering crew
20
optional wire wheels—which, incidentally, helped cool the
big drum brakes. Full wheel covers were standard.
Rodger’s contribution was the 300-horse 331 cubic-inch
Hemi V-8 with its twin Carter carbs, high-lift cam, solid
lifters, 8.5:1 compression and dual low-restriction exhausts.
Valve sizes were 1.94 inches on the intake side, 1.75 on
exhaust. Cam duration was 280 degrees intake, 270 exhaust,
with 60 degrees of overlap. Delivering those 300 horses to
the ground was a typical hypoid-drive differential fitted with
3.54:1 gears in standard form. Optional gear sets ranged
from 3.36:1 to 4.1:1.
Even at a hefty 4,300 pounds, the C-300 was still an able
match for Chevrolet’s much lighter V-8 Corvette, at least as
far as straight-line performance was concerned. Able to run
from rest to 60 mph in 9 seconds, Chevy’s fiberglass twoseater could complete the quarter-mile in 17.2 seconds at
81.5 mph. Not far behind, the palatial C-300 with room for
the entire family turned the quarter in 17.6 seconds at 82
mph and went 0-60 in 9.5 seconds.
Along with its domination of the 1955 NASCAR season,
the C-300 also made a name for itself at that year’s Daytona Speed Week trials. Held each February on the sands of
Daytona Beach, these trials became a Chrysler showcase as
C-300 coupes ran 1-2-3 in the American Stock Car Flying
Mile class. Eastern Airlines pilot Warren Koeckling posted
the top two-way average speed of 127.580 mph in his letter
car, establishing a new Flying Mile record in the process.
bored out the 331 Hemi to 354 cubic inches. Twin Carter
four-barrel carburetors, valve sizes, and 1955’s high-lift cam
carried over, but compression was upped to 9:1, helping
increase output to another industry high: 340 horsepower.
And that wasn’t all. An optional 354 Hemi with a compression boost to 10:1 also was offered, making the 300-B
Detroit’s pioneering member of the one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch club. Although Chevrolet fans will forever credit the
’57 fuel-injected Corvette with its 283-horse, 283-cid smallblock V-8 was the first car to reach the 1:1 hp/cid plateau, the
355-horse 300-B plain and simply
beat it by a year.
Again making its debut late, the
second-edition letter car was officially announced on January 4,
1956, then first appeared in public
at the Chicago Auto Show two
days later. Although color choices
remained limited to the three 1955
shades, various coveted new optional
features were added: air conditioning, Chrysler’s new “Highway Hi-Fi”
phonograph, and a self-winding
clock mounted in the steering wheel
hub. Added as well were two more
transmissions as the less-desirable
PowerFlite automatic was joined
by the exceptional TorqueFlite auto
transmission and a rare beefed-up
three-speed manual gearbox. Handling was improved thanks to a set of
standard Goodyear Blue Streak tires,
and rear axle ratios expanded to 12,
with a stump-pulling 6.17:1 rear axle
bringing up the short end of the list.
The PowerFlite was the standard
transmission for the 300-B when
the model year started. Chrysler’s new, superior TorqueFlite
automatic then started showing up on some letter cars late
in the year. Offering three speeds instead of the PowerFlite’s
two, the TorqueFlite compared favorably to the optional
three-speed manual as far as gear ratios were concerned: 1st,
2nd & 3rd ratios in the TorqueFlite were 2.45:1, 1.45:1 and
1.00:1, respectively, with the manual’s corresponding number
1956 Chrysler 300-D
being 2.50:1, 1.68:1 and 1.00:1. The PowerFlite began with
a 1.72:1 ratio before shifting up to direct 1:1 drive. Reverse
ratios were 3.2:1 (three-speed), 2.39:1 (PowerFlite), and
2.20:1 (TorqueFlite).
The 300-B’s optional manual gearbox was a $70 unit supplied by the Dodge Division and was backed by an 11-inch
21
Borg & Beck clutch, compared to the 10-inch unit used in
other Chrysler manual-trans applications. Neither power
steering nor power brakes were available with the columnshifted three-speed. Reportedly only 30 300-Bs were stick
shift equipped. Helping explain this poor response was the
manual box’s poor performance. Both that clunky column
shift and the unit’s wimpy nature did little to impress critics.
According to Motorsport magazine’s Bill Holland, “...
it didn’t take long to find out that the gearshift mechanism
could be improved for fast shifting.” And in the humble
opinion of Mechanix Illustrated’s ever-present Tom McCahill, “...if you miss a shift in one of these lumpy box deals
when trying to beat your iceman down to the corner you
stand a good chance of creating a hailstorm of gear teeth.”
The automatic-equipped 300-B, on the other hand,
apparently had no noticeable downsides. “A mastodon of
muscle” was the description used by McCahill. “Its very ap-
pearance, even when parked, gives the impression that [the
300-B] is loaded with muscles, ready to spring into action
the moment you flick the key.”
Motorsport clocked a 300-B from rest to 60 mph in 8.2
seconds. Quarter-mile performance also improved to 17
seconds at 84.1 mph. Again according to Bill Holland, “...if
you want to cruise slowly around town, [the 300-B] isn’t the
car to buy. But if you can handle a fast car and want to go a
long way in a hurry, this is your car.”
Traveling the Flying Mile in a hurry during the Daytona
Speed Week trials in February 1956, Tim Flock’s 300-B averaged 139.54 mph, recording a one-way high of 142.91. Yet
despite the 300-B’s impressive power, production for 1956
dropped to 1,060, with another 42 exported. Fortunately,
buyers who perhaps had grown tired of Chrysler’s styling
found a new reason to check out the “beautiful brute” the
next year.
1957
1957 Chrysler 300-C convertible
Production of the third-edition 300 reached a high of
2,252, undoubtedly thanks to a dazzling Virgil Exner restyle.
Using a frontal design he first performed in clay on a 1955
model known as the “613,” Exner produced a stunning,
long, low and sleek body for the 1957 Chrysler line. Overall
height was nearly five inches lower, body sides were even
cleaner than on previous models, and tasteful fins brought up
the rear. Enhancing those long, low lines in 300 ranks was
22
a convertible model, the first for the letter series. Only 484
drop-top 300-Cs were built, with 479 of those delivered in
the U.S. Prices were equally enhanced: the hardtop cost about
$5,000, the convertible $5,400.
Along with the impressive grille, Exner’s 613 clay model
also carried truly garish fins and a less-than-tasteful simulated spare tire carrier on the decklid, features that would
appear soon enough on regular-production models. But for
1957, the finned 300-C was as classy and crisp as anything to
roll out of Detroit. Referring to “the most powerful American
production car” label given Chrysler’s letter cars in 1955,
Motor Life claimed: “...the 300-C carries the title even more
gracefully than its illustrious forebears [sic].” It also carried a
wider variety of paint schemes with choices including Cloud
White, Jet Black, Parade Green, Copper Brown, and Gauguin
Red.
Replacing the Imperial grille borrowed by both the C-300
and 300-B, the 300-C’s massive frontal fascia was exclusive
to Chrysler’s letter cars. It was flanked by a pair of fully
functional ducts that fed cool air to enlarged drum brakes
featuring 251 square inches of swept area, up from 201 for
the previous year. Above those ducts, quad headlights were
included for the first time, although not all 300-Cs featured
four lamps thanks to various state laws prohibiting them. All
1957 Chrysler fenders were able to mount either single- or
dual headlamp arrangements, and some early 300-Cs rolled
off the line with the former. But apparently all 300-Cs built
after December 12, 1956, featured the quad layout.
While braking area increased, wheel diameter shrank
from 15 inches to 14 inches. The big news involved the
300-C’s “Torsion-Aire” front suspension, which had been
in development dating back to 1951. Along with the car’s
lowered center of gravity, Chrysler’s innovative torsion
bar setup (which superseded the coil springs used in 1955
and ’56) helped handling considerably, although the 300-C
remained Detroit’s roughest rider in the luxury ranks. Forty
percent stiffer than comparable New Yorker units, the 300-C’s
front torsion bars were followed by beefed-up leaf springs in
back, themselves 50 percent
stronger than standard New
Yorker leaves.
Equally newsworthy was
the new 392 Hemi V-8, a
bored and stroked version
of the 354. Like the 354, the
392 featured a potent solidlifter cam, a hardened crankshaft, dual valve springs, and
twin four-barrel carburetors.
Valve sizes were 2.00 inches
intake, 1.75 inches exhaust,
and compression for the
standard 375-horse 392 was
9.25:1. A more radical cam
(300 degrees duration intake
and exhaust, 95 degrees of
overlap) and an increase to
10:1 compression helped
the optional Hemi produce a
whopping 390 horsepower,
leaving little doubt why
Tom McCahill described the
300-C as “...the most hairy-
chested, fire-eating land bomb ever conceived in Detroit.”
The 390-horse engine was only available as part of the
$550 Optional Chassis and Engine Package, listed under
engine code 399. Included in this deal were a heavy-duty
clutch and driveshaft, manual steering, a three-speed manual
transmission, a limited-slip differential, and a low-back
pressure exhaust system. That latter equipment consisted of
2.5-inch diameter pipes (front to back), Dodge truck manifolds and special less-restrictive mufflers. Standard 300-C
hardtops used 2.25-inch exhaust pipes and 2.0-inch tailpipes.
Convertibles were restricted to smaller 1.75-inch pipes due to
all the space taken up by the big, heavy X-brace required to
reinforce the topless body’s frame.
Clearly meant to help keep the 300 competitive in racing,
the 399-code engine package wasn’t for the faint of heart, a
fact Chrysler officials were quick to point out. “This optional
engine,” announced factory paperwork, “is not recommended
for the average 300-C customer as the longer duration cam
increases idle roughness and reduces low speed engine performance.”
Unfortunately the 300-C never got a chance to follow in
the 300-B tire tracks on the NASCAR circuit after the infamous Automobile Manufacturers Association “ban” on factory racing involvement, announced in the summer of 1957.
But speed records still fell before the Chrysler juggernaut
that year. A privately campaigned 300-C once more took
home Flying Mile honors at Daytona during the 1957 Speed
Week trials, hitting 134 mph. On the street, a typical 300-C
could go from rest to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds, while quartermile numbers as low as 16.9 seconds were recorded.
The 1957 Chrysler 300-C
convertible, top up and its
392-cid Hemi V-8 plus a
glimpse of the
tasteful dashboard.
23
1958 Chrysler 300-D two-door hardtop
1958
Most appearance details carried over into 1958, save for
smaller taillights (that ironically only partially filled the same
mounting area used in 1957) and a slightly revised grille on
some later models. Color choices numbered six this year, including Raven Black, the only 1957 carryover. The others were
Ermine White, Mesa Tan, Tahitian Coral, Matador Red, and
Aztec Turquoise. Base price for the 300-D—which some on
the street started calling a “banker’s hot rod”—rose to $5,173
for the hardtop, $5,603 for the convertible. Both power brakes
and steering were now standard, with manual steering only
used when the three-speed manual transmission was specified—but no three-speed installations have ever been documented. Total 300-D production was only 809: 618 hardtops
and 191 convertibles.
Just as exterior appearances continued basically unchanged,
so too did the beauty beneath the skin for the vehicle that
Chrysler Division vice president of sales Clair Briggs called
“a prestige car designed to please motorists who drive fine cars
for pure pleasure.” The 300-D’s Torsion-Aire suspension was
again as stiff as it got, luxury line or otherwise. Torsion bars
measured 1.11 inches in diameter, compared to the standard
New Yorker’s 1.02-inch units. For 1958, longer (60-inch) leaf
springs brought up the rear to help create what Motor Life
called: “...one of the finest handling machines driven to date.”
Up front where it counted, the 300-D’s standard 392 Hemi
received a compression boost to 10:1, resulting in another
output increase, if only on paper. Although the 300-D’s Hemi
rated at 380 horsepower, it was no match for the 300-C’s brutal
375-horse 392, thanks basically to revised cam timing intended
to make the 300D easier to live with in everyday operation.
New cam specs were 276 degrees duration on intake and
24
exhaust and 55 degrees of overlap. Surge dampers also were
inserted between the engine’s dual valve springs.
Offered as well after four years of experimentation, a fuelinjected Hemi made up the 300-D’s top performance option.
This 390-horse 392 featured a Bendix Electojector fuel-injection system, an electronically controlled unit that proved prone
to failure and was a bear to tune. Not many buyers felt the 10
additional ponies were worth the $400 asking price, and once
troubles arose Chrysler issued a recall and replaced nearly all
the Electrojector units with the typical dual-carb intake. Originally included as well with the Bendix injector was an electric
in-tank fuel pump and a 40-amp generator.
Only 16 “regular-production” fuel-injected 300-Ds were
built during January 20 and July 15, 1958. These cars began
life as typical carb-equipped models, then were transformed
into “fuelie” models at the De Soto plant on Warren Avenue
in Detroit. Apparently one pre-production pilot car was built
too, along with three more injected 300-Ds. This trio was created for Chrysler Corporation’s dealer convention in Miami in
September 1957. A final fuel-injected 300 was put together in
October that year, apparently to test how well optional air conditioning cooperated with the Bendix system. This “test mule”
still exists, and only one of that 16-car run wasn’t converted
back to carburetors.
Testing a typical carb-fed 300-D, Road & Track’s leadfoots
managed 0-60 in 8.4 seconds, then tripped the lights at the far
end of the quarter-mile 7.6 ticks later. In sanctioned competition,
Norm Thatcher’s 300-D set a new Class E speed record on
the salt at Bonneville, topping out at 156.387 mph, proving the
beautiful 300-D was still a brute.
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25
1959
1959 Chrysler 300-E two-door convertible
When Chrysler’s fifth letter car appeared for 1959 it
looked an awful lot like its predecessor, which in turn had
looked an awful lot like its predecessor. As had been the case
with the 300-D, the 300-E was a slightly revised version of
the once-startling ’57 300-C. A restyled grille and a few trim
baubles up front, combined with an updated tail treatment
featuring new taillights, redesigned fins and a re-arranged
bumper, helped set the 300E apart from the 300-D, although
few innocent bystanders really noticed the differences. As a
Chrysler executive told Car and Driver in late 1961, “...in
1959 we used the same formula because we felt the car was
unique and didn’t need drastic modification.”
Drastic or not, changes were present, some received better
than others. Inside, leather upholstery was still standard, but
by 1959 it had become “Living Leather,” a unique woven texture intended to improve comfort in hot conditions. Helping
improve both driver and passenger comfort while entering
and exiting were the 300E’s optional swivel seats, an intriguing bit of gadgetry that came off more as a curiosity than a
practical feature. Another new option was the True-Level
Torsion-Aire suspension, which added self-leveling air bags
to the leaf springs in back. Most of these rubber air springs
leaked, however, inspiring another recall.
Of special notice to horsepower hounds was the Hemi’s
demise. The 300-D’s wild and wooly 392 was replaced by the
new 413-cid “Golden Lion” wedge-head V-8. Saving weight,
saving money and minimizing manufacturing fuss and muss
were the main factors behind the decision to deep-six the 392
and its big, heavy, and relatively complicated Hemi heads.
With conventional wedge-shaped combustion chambers and
26
valves arranged typically in line instead of at odd angles
(requiring parallel rocker shafts), the Golden Lion V-8 was
the work of principle design engineers R.S. Rarey and E.G.
Moeller, who were tasked with the job of cutting pounds and
dollars while keeping as many horses around as possible.
Both recognized that minimizing most “power section components” compromised durability, so they looked to the top
of the engine instead of inside. As they explained in an SAE
paper presented during the National Passenger Car Body
and Material Meeting in Detroit in March 1958, “...it was
finally decided that for the greatest gains in engine weight
reduction, a new simpler lightweight head design should be
pursued.”
These new heads first appeared in 1958 as part of the
new B-series engine family, offered in 350- and 361-cid
forms for De Soto, Dodge and Plymouth. Labeled an “RB”
V-8, the 413-cid Golden Lion was a bored and stroked Bblock featuring forged connecting rods, new tulip-shaped
valves, and civilized hydraulic lifters in place of the Hemi’s
maintenance-intensive mechanical tappets. At 10:1, compression carried over from 1958, as did the 300’s trademark dual
Carter four-barrel carburetors. Valve sizes differed, however,
as a larger 2.08-inch intake unit and a smaller 1.74-inch
exhaust were installed. The Golden Lion’s cam featured 260
degrees duration on intake and exhaust and 42 degrees of
overlap. Valve lift was 0.390 (intake and exhaust), compared
to the last Hemi’s 0.435/0.442 (intake/exhaust) specs.
The 413 Wedge was offered in only one form for the
300E, advertised at 380 horsepower. Gone with the Hemi
was the optional three-speed stick and the wide range of
The 300’s logo let everyone know
this was a special Chrysler.
rear axle ratios. Like the C-300, the 300-E came only with an
automatic transmission, in this case the durable three-speed
TorqueFlite. Backing up this pushbutton-controlled automatic
was either a 3.31:1 or 2.93:1 axle.
Although many missed the Hemi, the 413 was no slouch,
and in fact proved capable of rivaling its 392 predecessor,
thanks in part to the 101 less pounds it had to carry around.
Sports Car Illustrated reported a 0-60 time of 8.7 seconds and
quarter-mile performance of 17.2 seconds at 92 mph for the
380-horse 300-E.
According to Speed Age’s Al Berger, the 300E was “...a
worthy successor to the models which dominated American
stock-car competition in 1955 and 1956.” Nonetheless, only
690 were sold—550 hardtops and 140 convertibles. With performance options limited and memories of past competition
glories fading fast, the idea of an overly expensive musclebound luxury machine no longer seemed viable. Although
Motor Trend labeled the 300-E 1959’s “best-looking hardtop,”
potential buyers stayed away in droves. Even after praising the
300-E, Berger found himself wondering if Chrysler had “‘...
gone about as far as they can go’ in the development of the
large, super-power automated American car.”
He would find an answer the following year.
1960
After reaching the bottom of the
roller coaster ride in 1959, Chrysler’s letter car legacy went back on
the upswing in 1960 when engineers
introduced “ram induction” for the
300-F’s 413 wedge. Looking much
like a spider sprawled atop the engine,
e,
ram induction featured individual-tube
be
aluminum manifolds mounting a pairr
of four-barrel carburetors outboard off
each valve covers. The carb on the left
ft
fed the cylinder bank on the right andd
vice-versa, resulting in a supercharging
ng
effect of sorts as the fuel charge was
accelerated over the ram tube’s length.
h.
Offered as standard 300-F equipment, ram induction appeared in two
forms in 1960. By cutting down the
runner length inside the manifolds,
Chrysler engineers could “tune” the
413 for top performance at varying
rpm levels. The longer the runner, the higher the rpm range
for maximum horsepower. Identical on the outside, both
“short-ram” and “long ram” units were both available, with
the standard 375-horsepower ram-inducted 413 being of the
longer variety. Much more rare was the 400-horse short-ram
413, which used solid lifters, a longer duration cam and bigger exhaust valves. The 375-horse 413 used hydraulic lifters,
while both power plants featured 10.1:1 compression.
Valve sizes were 2.08/1.60 inches (intake/exhaust) for the
375-horse 413, 2.08/1.74 for the 400-horse V-8. Valve lift
was 0.430 inches (intake and exhaust) for the former, 0.449
27
The 1960 Chrysler 300-F convertible and its 413 “tuned” wedge V-8.
(intake) and 0.454 (exhaust) for the latter. The long-ram
413’s hydraulic cam featured 268 degrees duration (intake
and exhaust) and 48 degrees of overlap, while its solid-lifter
counterpart’s specs were 284 degrees duration (intake and
exhaust) and 55 degrees overlap. Additional 400-horse 413
features included free-flowing cast-iron exhaust headers, 2.5inch exhaust pipes and tailpipes (with no crossover connection), and low-back-pressure Arvin mufflers.
Clearly intended for competition, the short-ram 413 also
came with a mandatory French-built, aluminum-cased Ponta-Mousson four-speed manual, a transmission that also had
been installed in the Chrysler-powered Facel Vega. Ratios
(1st through 4th) for the Pont-a-Mousson box were 3.35:1,
1.96:1, 1.36:1, and 1:1. Reportedly priced at about $800, the
28
300F’s 400-hp/four-speed combination was as rare as it was
expensive. Reportedly only as many as nine were built, six of
these for the 1960 Daytona Speed Week trials. Two, maybe
three more followed, and one of these was a white convertible delivered to Milwaukee Chrysler dealer George Kuehn, a
friend of Carl Kiekhaefer.
Chassis changes included slightly stiffer torsion bars up
front with a spring rate of 175 lb./in., compared to 170 lb./
in. for the 300-E. Larger bushings were used within spring
anchors and mounting brackets to hopefully help limit road
noise transference into the passenger compartment. The 0.81inch front stabilizer bar, meanwhile, was a carryover from
1959.
According to Hot Rod magazine’s Ray Brock, “...the
stiffer suspension of the [1960] 300 gives it the most secure
ride of any American car on the road today. At high speed
through twisting mountain passes or over undulating desert
dips, the 300F is head and shoulders above any other car on
the road.”
Motor Life called the 400-horse 300-F “...the hottest,
wildest production car to ever journey off a Detroit assembly
line” after watching one turn 0-60 in 7.2 seconds. According to Popular Science’s Ken Fermoyle, even better figures
awaited those who chose lower rear gears than the 2.93:1
differential installed on the 400-horse 300-F he tested, a car
that also ran 0-60 in 7.2 clicks. Returning to the 300 options
list in 1960 were various axle ratios ranging down to 3.73:1.
In Fermoyle’s words, “...with the 3.73 [ratio] installed, a 300F
should climb walls, if you keep the rpm in the peak-torque
range.”
Along with all this newfound performance, the 300-F also
featured innovative unitized body construction and restyled
sheet metal. A somewhat silly fake spare tire carrier on the
decklid, reminiscent of Exner’s “613” design of 1955, proved
less than well received, lasting for 1960 only before being
booed off the stage. At the same time, Exner’s fins began fly-
ing higher in much more flamboyant fashion than in previous
appearances—those garish styling queues would simply run
their course, disappearing soon enough after 1961.
Contrasting all of Exner’s Fifties leftovers were a few
signs of things to come. Up front, a 300F was adorned with
interesting hood louvers and an aggressive blacked-out grille,
both features that would eventually appear many times over
on various muscle cars of the Sixties and Seventies. Meanwhile, four individual bucket seats separated by a modern,
full-length console added an undeniably sporty feel inside.
And in true sporty fashion, a tachometer was added to the
front of that console, though in a poor position as far as visibility was concerned.
As stylist Cliff Voss told Car and Driver in late 1961, “...
people buy [the 300] for identity and appearance of performance. We made a unique break-up of 1960 interiors through
bucket seats to maximize comfort, eliminated ornamentation
on the outside and provided a grille that looks like the thing
it does (cool the engine).”
The fins and fake spare in back may have been funky, but
yes, Cliff, the 300F was cool. Twelve-hundred-and-twelve
buyers apparently agreed.
1961
1961 Chrysler 300-G two-door hardtop
Continuing hot on the heels of the resurgent 300-F, the
300-G was even more popular with 1,280 hardtops and 337
convertibles sold. Summed up, those numbers represented
the third-best letter-car sales effort to date. While 1,617
wasn’t exactly a pile by most standards, when you consider
the 300-G cost upwards of $5,500 and was basically aimed at
the lucky few, it was easy to label the seventh edition in the
300 progression a smashing success.
29
Basically a 300-F with its grille flipped over, its headlights rotated about 45 degrees, and its fake spare tire carrier
deleted, Chrysler’s 300-G rolled out as Virgil Exner’s swan
song, being the last model to fully feel his styling touch. That
may have represented a blessing considering that Exner’s
flamboyance had not rolled over well into the Sixties.
Chrysler’s promotional people of course thought otherwise, touting the 300-G in brochures as looking every bit
as good as its 1957 forefather, the car that first displayed
the Exner body that was now in its fifth and last year. “One
glance at the ‘G’ and you recognize that sports-bred blend
of mood and motion. You see it in its fresh new face, in its
chromeless contours, in the sweep of flaring rear panels and
embossed deck lid.”
Color choices were again modified with five offered for
1961: Formal Black, Alaskan White, Mardi Gras Red, and
Cinnamon. The standard tachometer was still next to useless
down low to the right at the head of the console, but the fourbucket leather interior was overflowing with pizzazz, as well
as comfort. Add in the fact that Chrysler’s image crew had
overnight determined that the 300-G was more of a grand
touring car and less of a sporty fling and it becomes difficult
to deny the car delivered all it promised.
As for performance, a return to the larger 15-inch wheels
and tires assisted ride and handling, while the 300-F’s
still-hot power train carried over with no changes save for a
beefed three-speed manual in place of the ill-received, expensive French four-speed. Pumping out a gut-wrenching 495
ft-lbs of torque, the 375-horse 413 was the same power plant
that had inspired Motor Trend’s reviewers to point out in
1960 that “...care needs to be exercised on accelerating turns
from a dead stop to avoid trading ends, since the tremendous
torque makes it very easy to get out of shape.”
In 1961 Motor Trend reported an 8.3-second 0-60 time for
a 300-G. Again, the 400-horse short-ram 413 stood as the top
power choice, with the somewhat balky heavy-duty threespeed manual being the mandatory transmission option for
this boulevard cruiser.
According to Cars magazine’s Mel Jacolow, the 300-G,
“...was a unique car well worth its price if you want that rare
combination of brute power and superb handling fitted into a
luxurious, fine-riding package.”
1962 Chrysler 300-G two-door hardtop
1962
It had surely been only a matter of time. An exclusive,
high-performance automobile for discriminating buyers from
its birth in 1955, Chrysler’s 300 letter-series models finally
ended up as just another springboard for a less-expensive,
less-desirable spin-off.
Basically a dressed-up Windsor with a dressed-up
Windsor price tag, Chrysler’s new-for-1962 model actually
30
replaced the old, familiar Windsor in the 1962 lineup and
was christened the “300 Sport Series.” This “letter-less” 300
was offered in four body styles—four-door sedan, four-door
hardtop, two-door hardtop and two-door convertible—and at
a glance looked way too much like the still powerful 300-H.
Only hubcaps, tires and the familiar letter-series badge set
the two 300-H models apart from their two-door Sport Series
cousins. Inside the new 300 was an interior that was an upgraded variation on the low-line Newport passenger compartment. Prices were $3,323 and $3,883 for the 1962 300 coupe
and convertible, respectively, compared to $5,090 for the
300-H hardtop and $5,461 for its topless running mate.
Once Average Joes started walking into their local Chrysler dealerships and ordering a 300 model sans letter, you just
knew the days were numbered for the beautiful brute. After
all, who would want to roll up to the club in a supposedly
exclusive automobile that looked not much different than the
cars parked out in front of the Piggly Wiggly?
Thanks to the arrival of an everyday “plain” 300, many,
including the Milestone Car Society, long have looked at
the 300-G of 1961 as the last great 300. Although many of
those may still feel the same, the Milestone moguls later took
it back, awarding the ’62 300-H a rightful, revised place in
automotive history.
Built on a wheelbase shortened four inches (to 122), the
300-H featured a 300-G front end mated to an abbreviated,
fin-less tail, creating a less ostentatious look better suited
to the rapidly escalating Sixties trend towards cleaner, less
cluttered lines. Arguably the 300-H ranks as one of the letter
legacy’s more attractive members. Yet, sadly, prestige and
status were way down due to the standard 300’s presence—
the 300-H didn’t stand out from the crowd as forcefully as
its forerunners, a situation that helped explain meager sales.
Only 435 hardtops and 123 convertibles were sold in 1962,
a new low for the series. Colors were Formal Black, Festival
Red, Oyster White and Caramel.
Those who overlooked the 300-H missed another exceptional performer, thanks in part to the 300 less pounds
carried by the downsized Chrysler body. Ram induction
was no longer available as standard equipment, but the base
380-horse 413—now fitted with its dual four-barrels mounted inline on a conventional intake manifold—was no slouch.
In Chrysler’s own words, it was “the most powerful standard
engine in any American car.” Differences between the standard 300-H engine and its 1961 forerunner included a return
to solid lifters and a bit more valve lift: 0.444/0.456 inches
(intake/exhaust), compared to 0.430 (intake and exhaust) for
the cam inside the 300G’s 413 V-8.
Listed optionally for the 300-H was a 405-horse 413 fitted
with the familiar ram induction equipment. This short-ram
engine featured 11:1 compression, large valves (2.08 intakes,
1.74 exhausts) and a solid-lifter came with 0.449-inches of
lift on intake, 0.454 on exhaust. Cam specs were 294 degrees
duration (intake and exhaust) and 55 degrees of overlap.
Though this engine was officially offered—and Hot Rod
magazine did test one in a 300-H—a survivor is not known
today.
The standard transmission for the 300-H was the new
A727, an upgraded TorqueFlite automatic that weighed 60
pounds less than its ancestors thanks to fewer internal parts
and an aluminum case. A three-speed manual was again an
option, and was mated to an 11-inch clutch.
Reportedly a 300-H could break into the low 15-second
bracket for the quarter-mile, topping out at 93 mph. Rest to
60 mph required only 7.7 seconds.
1963
1963 Chrysler 300 convertible
After skipping over the letter “I,” Chrysler’s image-makers
returned to the luxury/performance ring in 1963 with the
overweight, overpriced 300J, a car that could’ve easily been
mistaken for your aunt Edna’s daily driver. Special letter car
identification was minimal, with the traditional red, white,
and blue badge of honor replaced by a small black dot
weakly announcing the 300-J’s presence.
Nonetheless Car and Driver apparently liked the 300-J as
31
a still-respected combination of big car luxury and healthy
horsepower. Inside, big leather buckets and a trendy console
returned for 1964, although a mundane bench replaced the
individual rear seats. Beneath the hood, only one 413 V-8
was available, but it featured the ram-induction setup’s return
in 390-horse long-ram form. “A more beautiful brute [with]
crisper lines and lots of torque” was Car and Driver’s fair
description. What Car and Driver’s testers didn’t like was
the 300J’s “bloody awful” rectangular steering wheel, an odd
design that supposedly enhanced leg room.
Car Life’s kibitzers felt compelled to complain
about more than the 300-J’s steering wheel.
“While we still rate it as a good road car, [the 300-J]
doesn’t quite match the example set by its predecessors.
Where earlier 300s impressed us with their no-nonsense
springing and vastly superior high-speed roadability, the latest example retrogresses to a level of being just a sedan with
station wagon springs.” At least those springs were 7-leaf
units again, as opposed to the six-leaf stack used in 1962.
They were also longer, up three inches from the 300-H’s
57-inch springs. Spring rates remained the same in back, at
125 lb./in., but increased up front from 125 lb./in. to 130.
Front torsion bars still measured 40 inches long and 1.01 in
diameter.
As for straight-line sailing, the 390-horse 300-J still could
turn in some respectable numbers: 0-60 in 7.9 seconds, 16.5
(at 97 mph) for the quarter-mile, according to Car Life’s
crew, who did manage to find it in their hearts to label the
300-J “an impressive car.” Of special note were the big, new
and improved, fade-resistant Bendix drum brakes with a total
swept area taking up 287 square inches.
Impressive or not, Chrysler chose to keep a lid on the
300-J. According to 1963 ads, it was “not built in large
numbers.” That translated into sales of only 400 300-Js—all
hardtops—just enough to keep the letter legacy alive, for
whatever reason.
1964
1964 Chrysler 300-K two-door hardtop
Thanks to a sales promotion push, Chrysler dealers
managed to move 3,647 300-Ks in 1964, the highest level
reached during the 11-year letter series run. Basically identical to the rare 300-J, the 300-K was amazingly priced some
32
$1,100 less than its predecessor, explaining how dealers were
able to establish a letter-car sales high that year. A convertible, priced at $4,522, returned to the letter lineup in 1964,
and the 625 production total for the topless 300K established
another high for the series. Dual exhausts, power steering and
brakes, a deluxe steering wheel, bucket seats and a console
also remained standard to keep the attraction alive.
Physical differences between the J and K included the
red, white and blue medallion (sporting a big “K,” of course)
found on the roof pillars, deck lid and between the rear seats
inside. Additional model upgrades included a slightly revised
grille, reshaped taillights and bright “fins” added atop the
rear quarters. The J’s 150-mph speedometer was traded for
a 120-mph unit in the K, the J’s wheels were once again
reduced to 14-inch units, and less distinctive wheel covers
superseding the fancier units used in previous years. Also a
victim of the cost cutting required to get the 300-K’s price
down were leather interior appointments, a standard lettercar feature since 1955. In 1964 leather upholstery moved to
the options list, as did the console-mounted tachometer. In
the latter’s place as standard equipment was a vacuum gauge
disguised as a “Performance Indicator.” Luckily the big front
buckets and console remained and, on the other side of the
coin, so too did the rectangular steering wheel.
Demonstrating the end of the road was near, the 300-K
appeared as the first letter car without the trademark twin
four-barrels under the hood. Standard power came from a
lukewarm 360-horse 413 sporting but a single four-barrel
carburetor. Available at extra cost was the 300-J’s 390-horse
ram-inducted 413. With those long ram tubes providing
a “poor man’s supercharging” effect, compression for the
higher performance engine was actually lower than the base
power plant: 9.6:1 compared to 10.1:1. Chrysler called the
base 300-K engine the “FirePower 360” V-8, while the optional 413 was predictably labeled the “FirePower 390.”
Ordering the latter also mandated the inclusion of the
FirePower 390 handling package, that was an option for baseengine 300-Ks. Heavy-duty springs and shocks typically
were included, with the torsion bars up front measuring 1.01
inches in diameter, compared to the standard 0.99-inch bars.
Rear springs featured seven leafs, one more than base units.
Spring rates increased from 115 lb./in. in front to 125, from
95 to 125 in back. A 0.75-inch anti-sway bar also was added,
and rear brake shoes were widened from 2.5 inches to 3.0.
Other Firepower 390 handling package additions included
a viscous-drive fan in place of the standard bolted-up solid
piece and a relocated power brake booster, moved from the
master cylinder to inside the driver’s side fender—the latter
done to make room for all the ram induction plumbing. FirePower 390 cars also were fitted with 8.50 x 14 tires in place
of the standard 8.00-inch rubber.
Again, the three-speed TorqueFlite was standard, with the
300-J’s pushbutton controls dropped in favor of a sportier
floor shifter. Dropped too was the 300J’s optional three-speed
manuals as an extra-cost four-speed returned to at least insinuate that performance was still the 300-K’s middle name.
Only 84 four-speed 300-Ks were built.
With the four-speed or TorqueFlite, a ram-inducted 300K
was still a strong-running, reasonably plush speedboat.
Enhancing the attraction further was the optional 390-horse
413. Ram-induction helped make the 300K a fine all-around
performer in city driving, something not common to comparable high-performance cars of the day. Despite its race-ready
appearance and high output, the 390-horse 413 was quite
easy to live with on the street. It idled smooth at 700 rpm
and was kept cool by a large radiator and seven-bladed fan.
The ram-induction engine’s relatively low compression also
meant the 300K could live on lower octane fuels.
33
1965
1965 Chrysler 300-L convertible
In most purists’ opinions, Chrysler probably should have
ended the letter-car legacy at K, if not sooner. By 1965 it
had become increasingly difficult to distinguish between
the top-line 300-L and the lower-priced, reasonably popular
non-letter models. Exclusivity was no longer part of the plan,
although the totally restyled 300-L was longer, crisper and
cleaner than the 300-K, leading many followers to rank it at
the top of the letter-car list in the looks department.
Along with looking sleeker and snazzier than the 300-K,
the 300-L also was heavier, and not even a slightly stiffer
suspension could revive the sporty feel the letter cars once
possessed.
Front spring rates went up from 110 lb./in. to 115 for
the standard torsion bars. For an extra $35 a 300-L owner
could’ve added the optional heavy-duty suspension and
brake option, which reportedly added 125 lb./in. springs in
back, mighty 145 lb./
in. torsion bars up
front. Optional tires
measured 9.00 x
14, compared to the
standard 8.55 x 14
dimensions.
As in 1963, only
one letter car power
plant was offered for
the 300L, except this
one was the 300-K’s
360-horse 413 with
its one, lonely carburetor and basically
mundane nature.
When asked to put
34
all that 300-L weight in motion, the last letter car V-8 could
only manage 0-60 in 8.8 seconds according to Motor Trend.
Quarter-mile performance registered at 17.3 seconds, topping
out at 82 mph.
Bucket seats, a console and floor shifter, an attractive
dash layout, the exceptional front torsion bar suspension—all
these attractive standard features carried over for one last
time, as did the optional leather and a choice between the
tried-and-true TorqueFlite and the hot-blooded four-speed
(both were priced the same). As in 1964, production of
four-speed 300-Ls was minimal with a mere 108 sold. In all,
Chrysler rolled out 2,845 300-Ls—including 440 convertibles—making the last letter car the second most popular in
the series. A definite head-turner, the 300-L at least held the
letter-series banner high as the book closed on an impressive
11-year run of grace and speed.
’50s
FLASHBACK
Big fins were still a few years off, but the 1950
model year had plenty of cars we still love today
Buick “drop top” was the
behind the wheel of a toothy 1950
The least expensive way to get
Buick model that year, it
ly
ough the Special was a less cost
Model 56C Super convertible. Alth
le, were powered by
ertib
conv
the
in 1950. All Supers, including
offered only sedan body styles
influence of air travel.
eviated as “F-263” in a nod to the
263-cid Fireball straight-eight, abbr
CADILLAC
If a Buick station wagon wasn’t impressive enough, California-based Coachcraft would create a
station wagon that showed bystanders a driver had arrived. Rather than use the commercial chassis
utilized in hearse and flower cars, Coachcraft built this body on a Series 62 chassis at a large cost.
35
CHEVROLET
Although one model year behind the new-for-’49 Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile convertible
hardtops, Chevrolet’s Bel Air was worth the wait. The body was essentially a convertible fitted
with a steel roof and a three-piece back window, but the added metal over the passengers
changed the car’s personality. Although new, and priced at $1,741 (making it several hundred
dollars more than any other Chevrolet two-doors), the Bel Air hardtop sold well at 76,662 cars.
CHEVROLET
Concord, Calif., saved a few bucks but probably lost a few speeders in V-8s with its frugally selected, “stovebolt
six” 1950 Chevrolet Special Styleline Sedan. This civil servant is an example of the least-expensive four-door sedan
offered by Chevrolet that year, and since more than half of the cars built in 1950 were eight-cylinder powered, this
officer could only hope the Chevrolet’s reliability won out in a car chase.
36
CHRYSLER
Sporting sultry, new convertible
hardtop styling dashed with woo
d accents is a handsome 1950
Chrysler Town and Country New
port displaying a first and a last.
This rare model, of which only
were built, shows the new-for698
1950 Chrysler hardtop productio
n styling atop a body utilizing woo
panels for the last time on a twod
door. A handful of custom-built
Chrysler Town and Country twodoors
exhibiting hardtop styling were
also built from 1946-‘48.
DODGE
races, but this 1950 Dodge Coronet convertible
Some were shot of out The Hell Drivers’ canons and others paced
lucky to offer one convertible, mid-priced
looks ready for a night on the town. While most automakers were
eat Wayfarer sport roadster for three
single-s
the
1950:
for
Dodge built two different convertible models
for passengers on a front and rear seat.
room
with
here
pictured
Coronet
ve
passengers, or the more expensi
37
FORD
le body shells and giving
welding steel roofs to convertib
While other manufacturers were
the sporty closed-car craze
port and Riviera, Ford answered
them names such as Bel Air, New
here, the Crestliner had
called the Crestliner. As shown
with a higher-end Tudor model
tone paint and rocker
twoand
ring, swooping side trim
fancier wheel covers, a roof cove
in the production run,
late
very
ed
arriv
tliner. This model
panel trim, all exclusive to the Cres
Crestliners.
and sales were limited to 17,601
FRAZER
The Great Depression killed off a great many cars, but the post-World War II years brought a
few names to pick up the fight against the “Big Three.” Among the exciting names was Frazer,
which offered four-door sedans beginning in 1947, but by the time this 1950 Frazer came out,
the initial excitement for the new brand and its products was waning.
38
HUDSON
Not yet ready to go swarming to the racetrack, Hudson cars were creating another buzz with their rakish and low styling,
labeled “step down” for the low-slung look. The pictured sedan is a new-for-1950 Pacemaker model, which featured a
shorter front-end to sell in the mid-price range for just less than $2,000 before options.
KAISER
d lack of side
th its slab sides an
ry fleet-looking, wi
ve
red
ide
, this model
ns
ns
co
da
s
se
iser wa
1949-‘50 Kaiser
me
so
nd
For the time, this Ka
ha
er
oth
e the
this case).
h on the body. Lik
nt fender (Flax, in
ornamentation hig
its paint on the fro
of
me
na
the
es
featur
39
LINCOLN
It took clever eyes to determ
ine there were two differe
nt Lincoln models from 194
The lesser-priced Lincoln
9-’51.
shared a body with Mercu
ry models of the same yea
big and “baby” Lincolns
r, but both
carried similar-looking fron
t-end sheet metal that was
interchangeable. This cou
not
pe represents the “baby”
Lincoln, often called the “9E
L,” while the bigger
Lincoln was dubbed the “Co
smopolitan.”
LINCOLN
40
The sleeker, slabsided Cosmopolitan
was the larger of
two Lincoln series
offered from 1949-’51.
The Cosmopolitan
coupe could have
been mistaken for
a hardtop, given
its thin B-pillar, but
alas, it would take
until 1952 for such a
model in the Lincoln
line. This view of
the Cosmopolitan
shows the frenched
headlamp style, which
was utilized when
preliminary plans for
concealed headlamps
were withdrawn.
MERCURY
1950 Mercury convertibles would have been purchased new by professionals such as teachers, but they
would have been lusted over by students gazing through classroom windows. Thanks to customizers like
Sam Barris and movies like “Rebel Without a Cause,” 1949-’51 “Merc” coupes were the first to go under the
saws and torches of body men, but Mercury convertibles weren’t far behind.
NASH
The 1949-’51 Nash Airflytes were
the postwar era’s first successf
ul mass-market attempt at heav
streamlining into automobile desi
ily incorporating
gn. In 1949, the Nash’s streamlin
ing was compared to other 1949
testing by the University of Wich
cars in wind tunnel
ita. The Nash was found to be 20.7
percent more aerodynamic than
competitor. This Statesman Sup
the average
er sedan could continue that claim
for the 1950 model year.
41
THE CAR COLLECTOR’S
ONE-STOP SHOP
oldcarsbookstore.com
Your one-stop shop for all the collector
cars pricing you need to manage your
interest in classic cars. You’ll find a variety
of titles from collector car restoration to
our popular standard catalog reference
guides. You can also research your
collector car by auto manufacturer or by
specific make and model.
NASH
In addition to th
e larger Airflyte
s, Nash offered
shown here. Lo
the adorable (an
is Lane drove a
d smaller) Ramble
similar model in
r, the sportiest m
the Superman TV
fixed side window
odel of which is
show of the 1950
frames have be
s, and these conv
en associated wi
ertibles with
th the super hero
’s love interest ev
er since.
NASH
Nash Rambler convertibles were rare, even when new, despite what this vintage photo infers. These Rambler Custom
convertibles are likely preparing to board (or have just been de-boarded from) a ship on Lake Michigan. Given the low
survival of this already rare model, a sight with at least 12 ship-shape Rambler convertibles will probably never be seen again.
43
The Ninety-Eight may
have been Oldsmobile’s
top of the line model for
1950, but the EightyEight was the star,
thanks to its exhilarating
performance. From a
stand still, the EightyEight literally pounced
upon accelerating,
something few past
owners forget. EightyEight Futuramic Deluxe
convertibles, such as
this model, rocket to
the top of collectibility
among early1950s cars.
OLDSMOBILE
Partially due to poor visibility through the rear windows, fastbacks were quickly losing popularity by 1950. The last year for
Oldsmobile fastbacks was 1950, the year in which this Ninety-Eight Club Sedan was built. Just 11,989 Standard and Deluxe
two-door Ninety-Eight Club Sedans were built this year, almost six times as many as the less-popular four-door Ninety-Eight
Town Sedan fastbacks.
44
OLDSMOBILE
This night-time scene of Earl Stoyer Cadillac Oldsmobile in Schuylkill Haven, Pa., would have made any car-hungry
kid throw down his Schwinn to take in the glow of the shimmering, new Ninety-Eight Holiday coupe centered in the
showroom. Equally mesmerizing to any aficionado then and now is the glow of the neons outside Stoyer, the buzz of
them almost audible in this vintage image.
PLYMOUTH
ple body styles
k to the 1930s with a cou
, Chrysler Corp. went bac
ing
styl
se”
itca
d Plymouth
ure
“su
g
pict
arin
the
d modern-appe
ge roadster and coupe and
Although its cars reflecte
9-’51: the single-seat Dod
del year.
194
mo
0
from
195
es
the
seri
h
ing
out
dur
Plym
16,861 Plymouth buyers
to
d
it offered in the Dodge and
eale
app
ich
wh
pe,
was created in the cou
coupe. An intimate setting
45
PONTIAC
Closed two-door Pontiacs ranged from the
sporting, new Catalina hardtop to the stand
ard-fare two-door sedan to the
fading fastback Sedan Coupe pictured here
as a Deluxe model. Pontiac formally referr
ed to this car as the Streamliner
Deluxe Sedan Coupe, and priced the eightcylinder variation shown at $1,837. Produ
ction of the two-door fastback Pontiac
model would end at the end of the 1951 mode
l year.
PONTIAC
Catalina was the name bequeathed upon Pontiac’s new-for-1950 two-door hardtop in the Chieftain series. The spirit of
this new model is shown here as the windows are lowered, an effect previously only available on a convertible model.
The Catalina added the benefit of a steel, fixed-roof, obviously not available on the convertible. The Deluxe and Super
Deluxe were priced at $2,000 and $2,069, respectively.
46
STUDEBAKER
Studebaker trucks had a strong base upon which to work in 1950; its truck line was war-proven and among the sturdiest the
industry had to offer. Studebaker trucks were completely redesigned by Robert Bourke, who worked under Raymond Loewy,
for 1949, and this utility truck exhibits the few changes that were seen on Studebakers for the 1950 model year.
nsive
50. The most expe
“bullet-nose” for 19
the
to
rs
uple in
ca
co
g
its
un
of
s
yo
changed the nose
control of a happy
knock-out when it
shown here under
e,
ibl
ert
nv
co
r
Studebaker had a
de
Comman
baker in ‘50 was the
state of Indiana.
“bullet nose” Stude
Studebaker’s home
STUDEBAKER
47
CALENDAR
The Old Cars Weekly Calendar is brought to you by:
Attention Car Show Enthusiasts: We sometimes receive show information that is in error or
changes at a later date. To avoid problems, call ahead to verify times and dates of events listed.
SHOWS
ARIZONA
Oct 17 AZ, Cave Creek. The
5th Annual Car Show. Tatum
Ranch Golf Club, 29888 N.
Tatum Ranch Drive. SH: 10am
to 2pm. Admin: Free, however,
donations will be accepted for
the foothills food bank. PH:
480.585.2399 or www.tatumranchcarshow.com.
Oct 18 AZ, Phoenix. 25th Orphan Car Show. Los Olivos
Park, 28th St & Devonshire—1
blk N. of Indian School Rd. SH:
9am-2pm. Pre-reg $15 until Oct
15, Day of Show $20. Contact
Jane 602-978-5622 or Jim 623882-5088.
Oct 25 AZ, Glendale. 42nd 1/2
Annual Automotive Swap Meet.
Glendale Community College,
59th Ave, North of Olive Ave.
SP: Central Arizona Region
Vintage Chevrolet Club of
America. Contact Dick 602618-0577.
Oct 29 AZ, Tucson. Hot Rod
Drag Weekend. 12000 S
Houghton Road, Tucson Dragway. Pre-Registration http://
www.hotrod.com/events/dragweekend/. Admission is $5 for
Tech, Test and Tune and $10
for all race days for ages 13
and over. Tickets available at
each individual track. Follow
the action at HOT ROD Drag
Weekend 2015 on Facebook at
facebook.com/hotrodmag and
Twitter using #dragweekend15.
Learn more about Drag Weekend at www.hotrod.com.
Oct 30 AZ, Phoenix. Hot Rod
Drag Weekend. Wild Horse
Pass Motorsports Park. PreRegistration http://www.hotrod.
com/events/drag-weekend/.
Admission is $5 for Tech, Test
48
and Tune and $10 for all race
days for ages 13 and over.
Tickets available at each individual track. Follow the action
at HOT ROD Drag Weekend
2015 on Facebook at facebook.
com/hotrodmag and Twitter
using #dragweekend15. Learn
more about Drag Weekend at
www.hotrod.com.
Oct 31 AZ, Glendale. Arizona
Deuce Day Car Show. Sanderson Ford, 5111 W Maryland
Ave. SH: 9 AM-3 PM. http://
www.fordv8foundation.org
Nov 8 AZ, Glendale. JUST SELL
IT Automotive Swap Meet.
6000 W. Olive Ave. SH: Sun.
only 5am-2pm. F: $30 per
18×20 space. Scott Jordan,
PH: 623-628-0364. [email protected] or justsellitautomotiveswapmeet.com.
Nov 14 AZ, Tucson. All Pontiac &
GMC Truck Day 2015. Viscount
Suite Hotel, 4801 E. Broadway
Blvd at Swan Road. SH: 10am
– 2pm. Pre-register by Oct 31.
Contact Thom 520-798-3200
or Bill 520-572-9436. www.
tucsonmotorama.com
Nov 20-22 AZ, Scottsdale. 16th
Southwest Nationals. WestWorld of Scottsdale. PH: 925838-9876 or www.good-guys.
com.
Dec 6 AZ, Glendale. JUST SELL
Jan 10 AZ, Glendale. JUST SELL
Feb 7 AZ, Glendale. JUST SELL
CALIFORNIA
Oct 14-18 CA, San Diego.
Western National Meet. Town
& Country Resort, 500 Hotel
Circle North. Admin: Free.
www.lcocwestern.org/meet.
Oct 17 CA, Chino. Drive & Show
Antique & Classic Car Show.
Yanks Air Museum, 7000 Merrill
Ave. #35-A270. SH: 10am3pm. F: Pre-reg. $20, day of
show $25. PH: 909-597-1735
or [email protected]
or www.yanksair.com.
Oct 24 CA, Alameda. The 4th
Annual East Bay Swap Meet.
Naval Air Museum, 2151 Ferry
Point Building #77. SH: 6am to
2pm. Conatct Sieg 510-5222244 or Mark 510-432-1532.
Email: northlandskip@hotmail.
com
Oct 24 CA, Pasadena. Wheels
on Fire Car Show. Brookside
Country Club, 1133 Rosemont
Avenue. SH: 9am – 3pm. Admission: $5 adults, Free for kids
15 and younger. Fundraiser for
Fire Family Foundation. www.
FireFamilyFoundation.org.
Oct 25 CA, Los Alamitos. The
14th Annual Wings Wheels Rotors & Expo. Los Alamitos Army
CALENDAR
Airfield, Joint Forces Training
Base, 11200 Lexington Drive.
SH: 9am to 4pm. Admin: Free.
PH: 562-598-6659 or info@
losalchamber.org
Oct 31 CA, Fontana. Hot Rod
Drag Weekend. Auto Club
Dragway. Pre-Registration
http://www.hotrod.com/events/
drag-weekend/. Admission is
$5 for Tech, Test and Tune and
$10 for all race days for ages
13 and over. Tickets available
at each individual track. Follow
the action at HOT ROD Drag
Weekend 2015 on Facebook at
facebook.com/hotrodmag and
Twitter using #dragweekend15.
Learn more about Drag Weekend at www.hotrod.com.
Nov 8 CA, Burbank. 2015 Car
Show. Community Chevrolet, 200 W. Olive Avenue. SH:
8:30am to 3:30pm. Contact
Steve 805-379-9666 or Larry
818-848-2653. Email [email protected].
sfvregionvcca.com.
Nov 14-15 CA, Pleasanton. 26th
Autumn Get-Together. Fairgrounds. PH: 925-838-9876 or
www.good-guys.com.
Feb 26-28 CA, San Diego. 50th
Annual BIG 3 Auto Parts Exchange and Car Corral. Qualcomm Stadium, I-8 at 15. PH:
619-599-0708. www.Big3PartsdExchange.com
DELAWARE
Oct 24 DE, Wilmington. Beers
& Gears. Casino at Delaware
Park, 777 Delaware Park Blvd.
SH: 11am-4pm. Scott Wolynetz, 429 Corato Ct., Bear, DE,
19701. PH: 800-417-5687 or
Scott, PH: 302-983-0588 or
[email protected] or delawarepark.com.
FLORIDA
Oct 22-24 FL, Perry. The 60th
Annual Florida Forest Festival Classic Car Show. Forest
Capital State Museum Park,
204 Forest Park Drive. Contact
Cathy Chute 850-838-1168
or email: [email protected] or
motorvationsfl@aol.com. www.
motorvationsfl.com, www.floridaforestfestival.org.
Oct 23-25 FL, Daytona Beach.
The 8th Annual Daytona Beach
Dream Cruise. Riverfront Park.
SH: Fri. 10am to 5pm; Sat.
10am to 5pm; Sun. 9am to
4pm. Contact Rick D’Louhy
386-672-1861. daytonabeachdreamcruise.com
Oct 23-25 FL, Pensacola. NOPI
Nationals Supershow. Five
Flags Speedway,. NOPI Motorwerkz LLC, 486 Main St., Forest Park, GA. x204, PH: 404366-4700 or nopiman@nopi.
com or NOPINationals.com.
Nov 1 FL, Panama City. The
14th Annual Project 25 Car
Show. Holiday Inn Select, 2001
N Cove Blvd. Contact Marsha
at [email protected] or 850624-0180. www.amccpc.com
Nov 13-15 FL, Tampa. NOPI
Nationals Championship Car
Show. Showtime Speedway.
NOPI Motorwerkz LLC, 486
Mian St., Forest Park, GA.
X204, PH: 404-366-4700 or
[email protected].
Nov 22 FL, Southeastern
Manatee County. The 24th Annual Ponies under the Palms.
Lakewood Ranch, Main Street,
( just off I-75 at exit 213). SP:
The Mustang Club of West
Central Florida. Admin: Free.
The cost to register a car is
$25 before November 16 ($30
day of show). Contact Tracey
920-944-8137 or email at
[email protected]. www.
mustangclubofwestcentralflorida.org
Dec 4-6 FL, Grande Lakes.
Festivals of Speed. Ritz-Carlton
Orlando. PH: 352-385-9450.
www.festivalsofspeed.com.
Dec 6 FL, Fort Myers. Florida
Hot Rods & Hogs Car & Bike
Show. Lee Civic Center. A: $15.
Florida Hot Rods & Hogs, PO
Box 60203, Fort Myers, FL,
33906. PH: 239-997-0047 or
tony@flhrh.com or www.flhrh.
com.
Jan 8-10, FL, Ft. Lauderdale.
Lauderdale Beach Collector Car Auction presented by
Dave Rupp. Located at the War
Memorial Auditorium, Holiday
Park, 800 NE 8th Street. Contact Dave Rupp 561-533-7945
or Georgia 561-779-0302.
Email: [email protected].
www.ftlauderdaleauction.com
Jan 10 FL, Sunrise. 10th Annual Open car & Truck Show.
Ed Morse Sawgrass Auto
Mall, 14401 W Sunrise Blvd.
SH: 10am to 4pm. Contact John 954.980.2670,
Pete 954.303.9363, or Bill
305.297.3812. Email [email protected].
www.renegadecorvetteclub.
com.
Jan 31 FL, North Palm Beach.
The 5th Annual Hot Cars and
Chili. Anchorage Park, 603
Anchorage Drive. SH: Noon
to 4pm. Pre-registration $15.
Admission: Free. More details
561-841-3386.
Jan 31 FL, Lakewood Ranch.
47th Annual Devereaux-Kaiser
Meet. Rangeland Parkway
Lakewood Ranch. SH: 8am3pm. SP: Sarasota Sunshine
49
CALENDAR
Region AACA. For Info: Call
Edward Smith 941-924-0343 or
[email protected].
Feb 18 FL, Daytona Beach
Shores. The 3rd Annual Day
of the Duel Motoring Festival.
Drive in Christian Church, A1A.
SH: 11am to 4pm. Rain date:
Feb 19. Contact John Maffucci
404-580-7714 or jmaffucci@
rpmranch.com.
Mar 6 FL, Coconut. The 5th
Annual Corvette & Open Car
& Truck Show. Lou Bachrodt
Chevrolet, 5500 N. State Road.
SH: 11am to 5pm – Rain or
Shine. Net proceeds benefit
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Pre-registration $25 by
March 1, 2016, or $30 day of
show. Contact Joe Cutroni 954242-5332 or e-Mail: jcutroni@
att.net.
Apr 3 FL, Boca Raton. The 3rd
Annual Car Show. Olympic
Heights High School, 20101
Lyons Road. SH: 11am to
3:30pm. Email: ohhsbands@
gmail.com
GEORGIA
Oct 17 GA, Augusta. Annual
SkyFest and Fly in Car Show.
Daniel Field, 1775 Highland
Ave. Contact Mark Petry 706736-3392 or petrymail@Yahoo.
com.
Oct 17 GA, Sugar Hill. Sugar
Rush Car Show. Downtown.
Contact: Steve Soucie, 770967-2934 or ssoucie1@charter.
net
Oct 31 GA, Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt Spooktacular Car
Show. American Legion Post
184, 3003 Rowland Ave.
Contact: A.M. Thomas, 912661-0070 or amthomasbolt@
peoplepc.com
50
Nov 7 GA, Valdosta. Tthe 32nd
Annual Fall Classic Car and
Truck Show. Five Points Shopping Center, 3200 N. Ashley,
(Exit 22 off I-75). SH: 8am to
3pm. PH: 229-251-0377 or
229-251-8558. www.sgccc.org
Nov 7 GA, Warner Robins. The
4th Annual Chip’n Away @
Heart Disease CARDIAC Car
Show. Big Lots, 2191 Watson
Blvd. SH: 8am to 3pm. Contact
Coach Chip Malone 478-3968224. www.coachchipmalone.
com.
Dec 12 GA, Screven, GA. Crusin’
into Christmas Car Show. 501
Bill Royal Street. 10am to 3pm.
$20 early registration, $25 day
of show. Contact Donald 912294-0901. [email protected].
ILLINOIS
Oct. 18, IL Countryside. Countryside Collectors Classic Toy
Show. Park Place of Countryside. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A $6.
Kids 6-12 $2. Preview admission 7:30: $20. Unique Events
Shows 262-366-1314, www.
uniqueeventsshows.com
Oct 25 IL, Batavia. Halloween Car Show. Funway, 1335
S.River St.(Rt.25). $20 Registration 9am to Noon. www.
oldgoldcruisers.com or PH:
630-567-2753.
Oct 25 IL, Paxton. Halloween
Car & Truck Show. Pells Park.
F: $10. Dale Puls, PH: 217-3792388.
Nov 8 IL, Woodstock. Skip’s
USA Swap Meet & Car Show.
New location: McHenry County
Fairgrounds. Info: 630-3404744 or www.skipsusa.net
Dec 6, IL, Tinley Park. Holiday
Toy Show. Tinley High School.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A $6. Kids
6-12 $2. Preview admission
7:30: $20. Unique Events
Shows 262-366-1314, www.
uniqueeventsshows.com
IOWA
Oct 17 IA, Eldridge. Eldridge
Classic Car Show. Franklin
Street, between 2nd and 3rd
Street, in front of 2 Sisters Resale n’ Gifts. SH: 12pm to 4pm.
Email: [email protected]
or PH: 563-285-7225.
LOUISIANA
Oct 17 LA, Grand Cane. The 4th
Annual Crusin’ in Grand Cane.
SH: 9am to 2pm. SP: Historic
Grand Cane Association. Contact Dianne Mason 318-8582556.
Mar 5 LA, Vidalia. The 2nd Annual Cruising For A Cure Relay
For Life Car Show. Vidalia
Riverfront. SH: 9am to 4pm.
Contact Dusty or D’Shay 318336-9412 or dalejrcolts@yahoo.
com.
Mar 12 LA, Lake Charles. The
3rd Annual Cars for Christ. St
Luke-Simpson United Methodist Church, 1500 Country
Club Road. SH: 9am to 3pm.
Admin: Free. Contact Joe or
Beth Bowers 337-474-3501
or email [email protected].
https://www.facebook.com/
events/1022018717842750/.
MARYLAND
Oct 24 MD, Baltimore. The 6th
Annual Car and Craft Show.
Calvert Hall High School,
Russo Stadium Parking Lot,
8102 Lasalle Road. SH: 10am
to 3pm. Pre-Registration is $15,
Day-of-the-Show; Gate Registration is $20 Mail in by October 17, 2015, online registration
by Oct. 23. www.chccarshow.
CALENDAR
com or email chcarshow@
gmail.com.
Oct 25 MD. Greenbelt. Antique
and Classic Cadillac’s. 6500
Capital Drive. S: 10am to
2:30pm. Call Can 301-8948026.
MASSACHUSETTS
Oct 17 MA, Middleboro. 16th
Annual New England Speed
Meeting “Gathering of the
Faithful”. Pierce Playground,
26 Jackson St. A: $10, under
12 free. F: $25. Jack Wegman.
PH: 508-888-3103 or [email protected] or www.
autonetnewengland.com.
MICHIGAN
Oct 18 MI, Birch Run. Suski
Chevrolet Swap Meet/Car
Cruise. 8700 Main Street. SH:
8am to 2pm. Admin: $4. Contact Jeff 810-767-4553.
Nov 1 MI, Monroe. Monroe’s Fall
Swap Meet. Cty. Fairgrounds,
3775 S. Custer Rd. SH: 7am3pm. A: $5, 12 & under free.
Alvina Specialties, Inc., 116 W.
Washington St., Napoleon, OH,
43545. Nick, PH: 419-579-4845
or PH: 419-579-6815 or www.
monroeautoswapmeet.com.
Nov 28, MI Kalamazoo. Antique
Toy & Collectible Show. Kalamazoo Fair Grounds, 2900
Lake Street. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A $7. Floor rights $30. Unique
Events: 262-366-1314. www.
uniqueeventsshows.com.
MISSISSIPPI
Oct 24 MS, Yazoo City. History
On Wheels Old Car Show. 332
North Main Street. $20 to register before show date and $25
the day of show. www.antiquedays.com.
MISSOURI
Oct 16-17 MO, Carthage. Carthage Maple Leaf Car Show
& Cruise Night. CMC, corner
of Grand Ave. & Fairview Ave.
Cruise night Oct. 16, 6-9pm,
Historic Carthage Square. F:
Pre-reg. $10, $12 after Oct.
1, swap meet $24, car. Larry,
PH: 417-246-5523 or Alan, PH:
620-856-2020 or Randy (car
corral info), PH: 417-358-4831
or www.mapleleafcarshow.com
or mapleleafcarshow@gmail.
com.
CRUISES
Oct 16-17 MO, Branson. Branson Auction. Branson Convention Center, 200 E. Main St.
Branson Convention Center.
Jim or Cathy Cox, PH: 800335-3063 or PH: 417-335-3063
[email protected],
[email protected] or
www.bransonauction.com.
Oct 16-17 GA, Byron. Fall
“Peach Classic” Collector Car
Auction. 660 Peavy Road. 10
am. PH: 478-956-0910. www.
peachauctionsales.com
Oct 24 TN, Murfreesboro. 42nd
Semi-Annual Music City Classic. Dealer’s Auto Auction of
Murfreesboro. George Eber,
PH: 615-496-2277 or www.
southernclassicauctions.com.
NOVEMBER
Nov 5-7 NC, Greensboro. GAA
Classic Cars Auction. PH:
855.862.2257. www.gaaclassiccars.com
Nov 6-7 IA, Davenport. Tractor
Auction. 2815 W Locust Street.
PH: 262-275-5050. www.mecum.com.
Nov 7 NE, Arapahoe. Heartland
Partners, Realty & Auctioneers.
PH: 308-962-7745 or 308-9626236. www.hprealty.net www.
uchprealty.com
Nov 7 KY, Paducah. Fall Collector Car Auction. Expo Center.
http://www.smithsauctioncompany.com/
Nov 7 PA, Denver. Morphy Auctions Firearms & Knifes Auction. 2000 N. Reading Road.
PH: 877-968-8880 or www.
morphyautoauctions.com.
Nov 12-14 CA, Anaheim. Vehicle
Auction. 800 West Katella Avenue. PH: 262-275-5050. www.
mecum.com.
Nov 13-14, FL, Lakeland. Fall
Florida Autofest, collector car
swap meet, corral and auction.
Carlisle Events 717-960-6400
or www.carlisleauctions.com.
Nov 14 NE, Portis. Heartland
Partners, Realty & Auctioneers.
PH: 308-962-7745 or 308-9626236. www.hprealty.net www.
uchprealty.com
Nov 14 PA, Barto. Automobilia &
Advertising Auction. 10:00am.
1380 Route 100, Barto, PA
19504. PH: 215-416-8837 or
www.kkhemingwayauctioneer.
com, AU-003359-L.
Nov 20-22 TX, Dallas. Dallas Fall
Auction. Leake Auction Company. PH: 800-722-9942. www.
leakecar.com
DECEMBER
Dec 5-6 FL, Sarasota. Classic
Car Auction. 7910 25th Court
East. SH:Preview: 9am, Auction: 10:30am. SP: Zemil, Inc.
PH: 941-952-8226.
Dec 11-12 TX, Austin. Vehicle
Auction. 500 E Cesar Chavez
Street. PH: 262-275-5050.
www.mecum.com.
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Nov. 5, 2015 - Amazon Web Services

Transcription

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