1957 Chrysler 300C

The 1957 Chrysler 300C is one of the two or three truly iconic cars from the 1950s. It was also the first “muscle” car in many ways but with luxury touches at a high level never delivered by the muscle cars of later decades. These cars dominated NASCAR racing in the era and the 300C swept a flying mile competition on Daytona Beach with a speed of 134 miles per hour. At the same time, they were considered good drivers thanks to Chryslers innovative torsion bar front suspension and longer wheelbase. The owner says this car still drives beautifully.

This 300C hardtop sedan is only one of 1,918 produced in 1957 making it very rare. It is in beautiful condition thanks to a restoration by famed Albany restorer Bob Ensign. The coupe body is striking because it is longer, lower and wider plus you can't miss those unforgettable fins. This design forced the other automakers in Detroit to completely revamp their 1959 models to catch up.

In white with a white leather interior this car does standout. New wide, white wall radial tires installed during restoration add both to the cars handling and enhances the powerful design. The wheels are Kelsey Hayes wire wheels while the famed torsion bars in front and the shocks gas pressure which really helps deliver a ride in keeping with the fabulous power.

The 1957 models saw the famed Hemi V8 392 cubic inch ohv engine produce a remarkable 375 horsepower at a time when most competing sedans produced 200 hp or less. Of course, a 9.21:1 compression ratio contributed to the horsepower, but few contemporary engines were designed to handle that high compression. Helping with this stunning performance are two four-barrel carburetors. This 300C has the three speed Torquefilite Automatic transmission with that unusual Chrysler design, dashboard mounted shifter buttons. When you look at this cars performance and handling it is easy to see why Chrysler had such a strong reputation for engineering.

The interior is in first class shape with that memorable dashboard which includes an AM radio and power windows, rare at the time.

In looking at the bold design of the 300C, with its stunning performance and its advanced suspension it is easy to see why this was the most famous American performance vehicle of its era. Thanks to limited production numbers, these cars, like this one in such excellent condition, have become highly collectable.