Pick Of The Day: 1955 Chrysler 300

What’s the first muscle car? That’s a debate that likely will never end. We are reasonable people, right? So why can’t we reach a consensus? Our Pick of the Day may not settle the debate, but it’s one that some feel was the first muscle car. This 1955 Chrysler 300 Sports Coupe is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Spring Branch, Texas.

The Chrysler Corporation really screwed the pooch when it introduced its company-wide redesigns for 1949. These were the manufacturer’s first all-new cars since before World War II. The cars were solid on every level, but they lacked the style and panache of other brands. Legend says company president K.T. Keller wanted cars in which you could wear a hat, and that’s what America received. Nothing wrong with that, but the cars looked staid and stodgy in the same year that General Motors introduced the first production hardtop convertible. Additionally, both Oldsmobile and Cadillac introduced high-compression V-8s, while most Chrysler Corporation products were powered by straight-eights at best.

Additionally, Chrysler was the last of the Big Three to offer an automatic transmission. While Oldsmobile was the first to market in 1940, Chrysler Corporation wouldn’t have one until the 1954 model year.

When Chrysler introduced its first V-8 for 1951, it quickly made up for lost time. The 331ci V-8 was rated at 180 horsepower, which was an astounding 45 horsepower more than the previous 323.5ci flathead straight-eight. DeSoto received its own Hemi V-8 in 1952; ditto Dodge the following model year; Plymouth wouldn’t offer a V-8 until 1955, but it wasn’t a Hemi.

When Virgil Exner had the opportunity to fix Chrysler Corporation’s dumpy designs, he debuted the new Forward Look for 1955. The manufacturer now had the style to rival Ford Motor Company and GM, if not other brands. Additionally, Chrysler offered the most powerful vehicle in the market. Called the C-300 (though marketed as the 300), it was basically a high-line New Yorker hardtop with an Imperial grille (itself a new independent marque instead of an upmarket Chrysler) and a lusty 331ci V-8 putting out — what else? — 300 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque with dual quads and 8.5:1 compression. This was new heights for American power, though the top Ferrari outpowered it.

Yet there was no other American car that could compete with the 300, especially its 130-mph top speed. Auto Age magazine managed to accelerate to 60 in 9.5 seconds, with a quarter-mile ET in under 18 seconds. At over 4,200 pounds with a 126-inch wheelbase, it could be argued that the 300 was more of a banker’s hot rod.

Nonetheless, the 1955 Chrysler 300 Sports Coupe is in the horsepower hall of fame. With 1,725 built, they are not common, but they have been visible for quite a long time. This Tango Red example (one of three available colors) features a tan leather interior, power steering and brakes, Town & Country signal-seeking radio, and authentic wire wheels wrapped in Goodyear whitewall radials. “This C-300 received a comprehensive body-off restoration in the early 2000s commissioned by noted Chrysler expert Bill Madden, who later owned the car,” says the seller. “If you’ve been looking for a significant automobile rather than simply another classic, take the time to see this C-300 in person.”

The 1955 Chrysler 300 was the start of Chrysler’s “letter series,” but it also marked the moment when horsepower was king. For $70,000, you will earn the right to call this 300 whatever you wish.

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