I don’t typically wear hats, and I’m about as Western as clam chowder, so of course I wear my cowboy hat to car shows. If I’m going to dream of being the unlikely owner of a Peugeot, a Packard, or a Pinzgauer, why not be someone else entirely? I don’t think I found this 1959 Chrysler 300E, so much as it found the sort of dude who’d look right behind the wheel. Not easy to do in Massachusetts in 2013! Now, to find a companion for my ol’ Car Buddy Zach, who brought a topper of his own to find its mate.
Here he is studying the migratory habits of a flightless desert bird, Latin Acceleratii Incredibilus. Maybe a little too fast and furious for a fedora’d fortysomething.
Now this is a little warmer. Trim, pale and quirky, with just enough vim and vigor to carry off a jaunty stripe on top.
Wait, no, look over there!
A match made in Hamtramck! Settle in behind the wheel, brother, find 52 mph in the left lane, put that blinker on and leave it there. You’re even both wearing comparably inapt shoes. Get done up in black socks and brown sandals, and make it a date at Pep Boys for the cheapest whitewalls in stock.
Now that our tale has its happy ending, here are some parting looks from that dollfaced 300E.
That 300 is a sweet find. I don’t remember ever seeing one of those in the wild.
I’ve only ever seen black and white letter cars,that’s a lovely looker in red.The Coronet looks quite different as a 4 door sedan,I quite like that glowering face on the 70s.
Let us all hope Zach snags that Coronet – and you are right, the RWL’s have got to go.
The 300 is quite the looker, but I would worry while driving it. The Coronet – no worries with that little darlin’.
+1 on the Coronet,an honest American plain vanilla sedan what Detroit used to do so well.Love the dog dish hub caps
Either that or nice, basic blackwalls. That would give it a Dragnet sort of vibe–or Adam-12.
I completely agree on the “too nice to drive” conundrum. The white Barracuda would be a good compromise – it’s a restored 273 car and would even fit in Z’s little prewar garage.
If you want to look at ALOT of good old cars on a regular basis go to Kimball Farms in Lancaster MA near the 495 Outer belt on Friday nights. 300-400 cars easy.
Why not a 1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix convertible…
Rear
Interior
The hipster Chrysler would be a 1961 Newport, clean, plain, patina’d driver. But look at that instrument cluster!
Dash
Your archives are mind-boggling, Craig!
Spacey!
Do I see a Corvair Greenbrier next to the 61 Newport Craig?
Yes although I do not have a full shot of it. It sports 1980s style 15″ Camaro wheels dressed to match. Greenbrier Rampside Pickup.
Nice 300E Alan! I like that Coronet too. It may have inappropriate tires but at least it hasn’t been turned into a “Super Bee sedan” or some such…