We’d never try to declare which of the famous Chrysler letter cars was the greatest, but here’s our candidate for the wildest: the 1960 300F.
Here’s a topic to invite spirited debate: Of all the Chrysler 300 letter cars, which one was the best? One could point to the original C-300 of 1955 that established the series, or the 1958 300D with its mighty 392 CID Hemi V8 boasting 380 horsepower. Some have even proposed that the 1970 Hurst 300 was the pinnacle of the breed, though it’s technically not a letter car. On the question of the best, we don’t have an answer. But we would like to propose a candidate for the wildest, most over-the-top of the Chrysler letter cars: the spectacular 1960 300F.
First, check out the styling: Virgil Exner’s Forward Look in full bloom, with an Italianate grille, flamboyant tailfins, and oversized, boomerang tail lamps. All the 1960 Chryslers were pretty far out there, but the 300F was further distinguished by its exclusive side trim and badging, four-element grille, and unique wheel covers. And on the deck lid is a signature Exner feature, the expressionist continental spare tire (aka washing machine lid, aka toilet seat). As a representative of the Forward Look, the 300F is the whole package.
Then there’s the cockpit, with a full-length console and four leather bucket seats—oh, and the front buckets swivel. A 6,000 rpm electronic tachometer nests at the head of the console, and in the dash is the 1960 Chrysler’s sci-fi-inspired AstraDome instrument cluster with electroluminescent lighting. With all this extravagance, it’s not difficult to understand why, at $5,411 for the hardtop coupe and $5,841 for the convertible, the 300F was by a mile the most expensive model in the Chrysler lineup for 1960. By the way, 964 hardtops and 248 convertibles were produced.
Finally, we have the fantastic engine room, sporting an induction system a good four feet wide with a Carter four-barrel carburetor sprawled out on either side. In 1960, the Chrysler Corporation introduced tuned-length intake manifolds, branded as Sonoramic at Plymouth and simply as Ram Induction at Dodge and Chrysler. (See our feature here.) For the 413 cubic-inch RB (raised-block) series V8 in the 300F, the system was tuned for 495 lb-ft of peak torque at 2,800 rpm and 375 hp at 5,000 rpm.
So for overall spectacularity, the standard Chrysler 300F would be difficult to top, but Chrysler managed to do just that with a handful of cars built specifically for the Daytona Beach speed trials. Known as Specials, these 300Fs were loaded with rare parts, including the solid-lifter camshaft, manifolds, Pont-à-Mousson 4-speed manual transmission, and associated hardware. They were rated at 400 hp, which smells like a randomly selected figure.
Chrysler said seven Specials were built, others say six, still others say as many as 15, and personally, we wouldn’t know. But we do know that on the beach, a 300F Special driven by Gregg Zeigler set a two-way record for the flying mile of 144.9 mph. Four Specials are known to exist today, and these must be the wildest 300Fs of all.
…and the seemingly out of place to the uninformed, 150 mph speedometer (as opposed to the 120 mph in more mild mannered Chrysler models), in such a large vehicle. It was there for a reason.
Among those 300F Specials, one convertible appeared in a magazine many years ago.
In addition to the six 300F Daytona hardtops built for the beach record runs, I seem to recall that the only 300F Daytona Special ragtop was a one-off gift built for an multi-millionaire personal friend of the most scandal-plagued Chrysler President in history, the notorious Mr. William Newburg..
The best 300 of all! That beautiful brute 300F is crystal clear evidence that Chrysler played chess while Ford & Gm played checkers back then (except those odd ball KH drum brakes).
Chrysler engineers stumbled into intake resonance tuning while dyno testing the first fuel injected A311 Indy 500 engines in 1950-51. The world famous Motor Room would fill up with fuel vapors during full throttle dyno pulls. Don Moore & John Planter installed tubes on the throttle bodies to collect the fuel and viola- the torque went straight to the moon! Then they discovered on their own that altering the lengths of these intake tubes altered & tilted the torque curve from peak torque to peak horsepower as desired. The rest is automotive history.
The rumors of Chrysler using a 480 c.i. stroker wedge & a dash of nitrous oxide in the seven 300F Daytona Specials built to set the record are simply not true, they simply didn’t need it- all throttle, no bottle…
I forgot the best of the bunch, from the web:
“In 1960, the Granatelli brothers built a Chrysler 300F 2dr sedan for top speed. The 413 cu in wedge head engine, with Dual Cross-over Ram Induction was fitted with twin Paxton SN-60 Superchargers. A complete safety roll cage was fabricated and installed in the interior. Andy Granatelli drove the car to 189 MPH on the Bonneville Salt Flats. After the speed runs, the crew piled into the car and drove to Wendover, Nevada for lunch.”
Mr. Granatelli was trying to be the first crack 200mph in a stock-bodied car, he succeeded a few years later in the Studebaker Avanti prototype…
Indeed. Bonneville legend Norm Thatcher ran a number of Chryslers, Dodges, and Plymouths on the salt, but never a 300F I don’t think.
The Chrysler 300F was beautiful to look at, but that huge maw of a front grille wasn’t very aerodynamic. The Avanti was much more so. I recall an ad from the early sixties bragging about the top speeds of R2 equipped Studebakers – Lark, Hawk and Avanti. All had the same motor, but the Avantis were much faster than the Larks, with the Hawks in between.
The boomerang tail lights were a great look but the ditch the toilet seat.
Definitely. It’s the only negative point on the car.
I was playing around with an AI program trying to colorize the overhead-view photo, and it kept removing the toilet seat. I guess AI doesn’t like it either. AI can’t be trusted for authentic renditions of historical vehicles at this point. It changes features at random. mcg
Around about ’69 Uncle Jack picked up one of these, white over yellow. At the age of 12 I found it stunning. Still do. My brother, a died in the wool gearhead, was fascinated by what lay under the hood.
There used to be a white hardtop one of these street parked here in Central London. Coveted it every time I saw it. Owner gave me and my late dad a ride on one memorable occasion, thank god he didn’t let my pa have a go… my dad was pretty much a pedal to the metal sorta driver
I love all the 300s but my favorite is is the 64 300K . I would love to have one but this engine set up in it I think it would have been a screamer. On partial anyway I love all Chrysler products even with the toilet seat.
Had a 300-K with the 4 speed. Also had, on a shelf in the garage, a complete ram intake, that I thought “someday” I may put on the K. Unfortunately, the K was involved in an involuntary survey to see how many cars would fit in the same lane at the same time. Consequently the K was ultimately parted out. The ram intake was finally (and reluctantly) sold mere months ago. I always wondered what the K would have been like, if…
Looks like you played around with AI to write that article as well…
No AI was used to prepare or write this story. I regard that as an insult, and I have to presume it was intended as one. If you have a problem with any specific item in the story, you are free to state it.
Sensitive are we??
Do you feel your comment was friendly and in good will?
Not really, he’s just an excellent automotive writer.
Sir/Madame
Adults are talking here, please post your butthurt-bitter expertise & gibberish @ Reddit where it belongs, thank yooooou…
That 300 F Special convertible referred to was at one time owned by a friend of mine. Pretty wild. Very difficult to drive on the street due to extreme pressure needed to operate the clutch pedal.
Still would’ve liked to have ridden in one…
The French four speeds were somewhat problematic I’ve heard, and the cars had to be modified to accept them. In ’61 the 400 hp G had a Chrysler 3 speed manual.
Ref the ragtop 300F Special…..as I recall, as told to me by George C. , the owner I knew, the car was desired by a wealthy Wisconsin industrialist. Chrysler told him they would not build it. He in turn reminded Chrysler that he has purchased dozens of Plymouth vehicles for his business interests. Chrysler relented and built the car. Years later , the fellow died and the car was available. I believe this was in the mid 1980s. My friend George C. And another fellow named Bruce H. Heard about the car and approached the widow together and tried to buy the car. George was famous in Illinois for his top notch restorations of ‘62 300H convertibles. I don’t remember all the details about negotiations with the widow, but George and Bruce wound up with the car. I have seen the car numerous times, but never drove or rode in it. George always complained he could never do the car justice in the quarter mile because the clutch was so brutal. George was of slight build. The car has changed hands numerous times since George owned it. George has long since passed away.
https://www.singletoncollection.com/projects/1960-chrysler-300f-convertible-
One of my favorites.
Wasn’t the car that Milton Berle drove (with his wife and mother-in-law Ethyl Mermon) in the movie “Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” a Chrysler 300? I remember it only because Mermon, hamming it up, screams something like: Why are we in last place, we’re driving a Chrysler! And it was obviously the nicest vehicle in the movie. For those who don’t know “Its a MMMMW” is a massive car, truck and airplane chase across the California desert. Its a great comedy/adventure/car crash movie.
1962 Crown Imperial Convertible, sadly gets totaled in an onscreen multi-car pile up with no injuries to the occupants wearing no seat belts…
The name Pont-à-Mousson is by no means remotely close to anything I was expecting to read in this already wonderful article when I learned they provided some manual transmissions for a special production run. The only other context I have for the name is a connection they have with Facel Vega, who themselves enjoyed relying on Chrysler power.