The 1965 300-L was the last of the original Chrysler “Letter Series,” an illustrious line of full-size performance cars launched in 1955. Although the “L” was the softest and mildest of the original Letter cars, this black 300-L convertible is one of only 12 with an extremely rare sporty option: a Chrysler-made 4-speed manual transmission.
Most of the considerable performance reputation of the 1955–1965 Chrysler 300 “Letter Series” cars was achieved with automatic transmission: initially the 2-speed PowerFlite, superseded late in the 1956 model year by the superior 3-speed TorqueFlite. Automatic was standard on all the Letter Cars, although in some years, a 3-speed stick shift was available on a limited basis for the benefit of racers.
What about 4-speeds? An imported French Pont-Ã -Mousson 4-speed manual transmission had been offered on the 1960 300-F, but it was only available with the rare short-ram 413 engine, for a towering $800. Only a handful were built: probably no more than 15. The option was gone by 1961.
For 1964, Chrysler’s New Process A-833 all-synchro 4-speed became optional on the 300 and 300-K, complete with a Hurst shifter. For 1965, the 4-speed also became available on Newports with the four-barrel 383 engine as well as the 300 and 300-L. It was very rare on Chrysler-badged cars — Chrysler reported to Automotive Industries that only 0.2 percent of its 1965 production (something between 400 and 430 cars) had 4-speed transmissions.
Chrysler normally charged the same $226.90 for the 4-speed as for TorqueFlite. Since TorqueFlite was standard on the 300 Letter Cars, the 4-speed was a no-cost option on the 300-K and 300-L, which also exchanged the console-mounted vacuum gauge for a tachometer.
Being a no-cost substitution didn’t necessarily mean the 4-speed was well-integrated in these cars. As shown in the above photo, a 300-K with 4-speed mounted the shifter to the left of the console rather than in it! Given how often consoles could interfere with manual shift linkages, that might have been just as well from a functional standpoint, but it left the 4-speed looking like an aftermarket installation, not great in such an expensive car. Only about 82 300-K buyers said, “Okay, sure.”
The 1965 4-speed used a modified console with a different top plate that allowed the shift lever to be more tidily integrated with the console.
Since this put the manual shift lever farther forward, it made the console-mounted tachometer even harder to see, liable to be blocked by the rubber shift boot. (I don’t think the shift boots on either of the cars pictured above are original, although the illustration of the boot in the 1965 parts manual is very small.)
I don’t know how useful the tachometer could have been in this location in any case.
For comparison, here’s a different 300-L with TorqueFlite — finding a place for the floor shifter was obviously easier with automatic than manual transmission.
Even with the 4-speed, the 300-L was no longer very sporty, especially compared to its ancestors. The early “Letter Cars,” beginning with the original 1955 C-300, had been essentially sedan racers in street clothes, wild of cam and stiff of suspension. The 1957 300-C had begun a gradual softening process, with the really racy stuff now mostly optional, but it was still a formidable performance car. The 300-L wasn’t, and it’s not surprising that only 108 cars were ordered with the 4-speed.
As late as 1964, the 300-K had still been available with a special performance package that included the hot Firepower 390 engine, with dual four-barrel carburetors and a cross-ram intake manifold, along with heavy-duty suspension and brakes. (Surprisingly, this package WASN’T available with the 4-speed manual transmission.) That option had listed for a pricey $375.40 in 1964, so not many were sold, but the fact that it was still available — and still exclusive to the Letter Cars — lent these models some performance credibility.
For 1965, the dual-carb engine was dropped from the options list. (Some may have been dealer-installed, but it was no longer a cataloged option.) The heavy-duty suspension and brake package was still offered for $35.95, but it was now available on the non-Letter 300 as well as the 300-L. The version of the 413 cid engine standard in the 300-L still had a hotter cam than the 413 in the New Yorker, giving 360 gross hp, plus dual exhausts, but you could also order that engine on the “plain” 300 or the New Yorker.
Even with dual exhausts, the 360 hp 413 delivered only mild performance. Motor Trend recorded an 8.8-second 0 to 60 mph time with an automatic 300-L hardtop, with an observed top speed of 106 mph at 4,400 rpm — perfectly adequate, but a far cry from the 140+ mph potential of its predecessors. I haven’t found any road tests of a 4-speed car, but the axle ratio was the same and any performance advantage of the 4-speed over TorqueFlite was slight, so I wouldn’t expect it to be more than a few tenths of a second quicker, if at all. The convertible was also 80 lb heavier than a similarly equipped hardtop.
The optional heavy-duty suspension, which still wasn’t nearly as stiff as the “export” springs in the 1955 and 1956 cars, provided reasonably sure-footed cornering and somewhat more neutral balance. With the standard suspension, the big Chrysler was no stiffer than a New Yorker, which was above average but not outstanding in the ride and handling department. The Motor Trend 300-L also needed a lengthy 176 feet to stop from 60 mph with 8.55-14 tires and the optional heavy-duty brakes.
This convertible was ordered with Sure-Grip and the bigger 9.00×14 tires used on the New Yorker Town & Country, which I think also came with wider 6.5 x 14 wheels. Note that the 300-L still came with wheel covers in 1965. People often substitute the later Mopar styled steel wheels, but while they don’t look out of place on these cars, they aren’t correct.
The original buyer ordered air conditioning, which was available but seldom ordered with the 4-speed. (Allegedly, only nine of the 108 300-L 4-speed cars had factory air.) Only 42.7 percent of 1965 Chryslers were ordered with air conditioning, although it was undoubtedly more common on the New Yorker and 300-L — I don’t think a lot of Newport buyers were up for paying an extra $414.55, especially in a convertible. Incidentally, this was the first year a heater was standard on all Chrysler cars; it was now a delete option.
Another novel feature of this car is the AM/FM transistor radio. In-car FM was still pretty new at this time, and an expensive upgrade. The radio and rear speaker in this 300-L originally cost $174.30.
Leather upholstery had been standard on early 300 Letter Series cars, but it had moved to the options list for 1964 and remained there for 1965, priced at $93.30. (In 1965, the optional leather was available in red, but this convertible’s red seats are all-vinyl.) Leather was not exclusive to the Letter cars — it was also available on the non-Letter 300.
What did you get on the 300-L that you couldn’t get on a 300 hardtop or convertible? More standard equipment, mainly: Along with your choice of TorqueFlite or 4-speed, the more powerful 413, bucket seats, and the center console, the 300-L came with power steering, power brakes, a deluxe three-spoke steering wheel, windshield washers, a trip odometer, and backup lights. In other words, the 300-L was equipped more like a New Yorker — and, unsurprisingly, a 300-L hardtop was priced within $8 of the New Yorker two-door hardtop. (The New Yorker didn’t offer a convertible at this time.)
In addition to its other identification, the 300-L also included glass headlight covers like the ones on the New Yorker …
… and a “safety running light” in the grille medallion. (This was replaced with a plain medallion on cars originally sold in states that didn’t allow running lights like this.)
Still, the 300-L had really become redundant in most respects. Hot Rod editor Eric Dahlquist noted that it still drew second looks and “knowing glances” from other drivers who recognized the emblems, but it was in memory of past glories rather than current ones.
The 300-K had been the bestseller of the original Letter Series — 3,647 cars, most of them hardtops — and the 300-L still sold okay, with model run production totaling 2,845. Chrysler product planners and designers did develop a 300-M for 1966, but it was canceled soon after the start of the 1965 model year.
Around the time the black 300-L convertible was built in May 1965, there was a last-ditch proposal to revive the 300-M with the new 426 Hemi as an option, but cooler heads prevailed. The 1966 Chryslers would not have an “M,” but they were offered with the new 440 TNT Performance package, which included the new 440 cid V-8, dual exhausts, heavy-duty suspension, 15-inch wheels, and front disc brakes, listing for $287.50 on a Newport and $237.95 on a 300. (You could also order the engine and dual exhausts as a standalone option.) With that package, bucket seats, center console, power steering, and a few other extras, you’d have something pretty close to what a 1966 300-M would have been, minus only a few emblems and bits of trim.
However, the 4-speed manual option disappeared from the Chrysler options list for 1966, although it was still available in the Plymouth and Dodge lines, including the C-body Fury and Polara/Monaco. The 4-speed briefly reappeared in 1967 as an option for 300 hardtops with bucket seats, although very few were sold. I don’t see any indication that the 4-speed was offered on the 300 again after that.
This ’65 is a rare car any way you slice it. Most 300-Ls were hardtops; production of the 300-L convertible totaled only 440 cars, of which only 12 had the 4-speed. Given that, I was surprised that this convertible didn’t go for more money when it showed up at Mecum Kissimmee in January 2026: The selling price was $33,000.
Related Reading
Curbside Classic: 1964 Chrysler 300 K – Smile When You Say K Car (by J P Cavanaugh)
CC Follow-up: 1965 Chrysler 300 – Even More Perfect With An ‘L’ (by Scott McPherson)
Cohort Capsule: 1965 Chrysler 300 – A Perfect Aquamarine Yacht (by Tom Klockau)
1965 Chrysler New Yorker: Bucket Seats Return To This Full-Size Luxury Two-Door Hardtop (by me)
Car Show Classics: 1965 Chrysler New Yorker 2-door Hardtop (by Aaron65)
Curbside Classic: 1965 Chrysler New Yorker – The Last Great Chrysler? (by Paul N)
Vintage Car Life Road Test: 1966 Chrysler 300, 440 TNT – Powerful, Effortless Cruiser (by Rich Baron)
Even on the ’65 the shifter looks like a home made job, barely integrated with the surrounding console.
I am not a big fan of the earlier C bodies, more so regarding the 300, which just seemed a car looking for a reason to exist in the mid Sixties.
With the performance role shifting to smaller models and the New Yorker being the most upscale Chrysler, what was the purpose of the 300?
Well, as with the rival Buick Wildcat, it was essentially a holdover of the ’50s idea that mid-priced brands needed at least three series: a cheap entry-level model, a top-of-the-line series, and something in between (which might either be a fancier version of the entry-level car or a de-trimmed version of the high-end model). Even by 1965, the necessity of the middle-series model had become very questionable — the full-size sporty model concept didn’t really have legs, even if it did give a more coherent marketing concept — but it really took until the mid-’70s for Detroit to accept that.
Letter cars notwithstanding, the trajectory of the 300 and the Buick Invicta/Wildcat/Centurion was very similar, I think for mostly the same reasons.
Very apt analogy on the Buick.
Good lord, early and mid 60s Chryslers we downright hideous.
The 65-66 years are peak Chrysler for the C Body. Give me a 1966 Chrysler New Yorker 2 dr., with the 440, in silver mist, moss gold, frost turquoise, ruby poly, or deep plum poly and I am in heaven.
Peak ugly.
Do you really think a New Yorker looked as nice as a 65 or 66 LTD??
I think the Chryslers look way better than an LTD
That C body looks way better than a ’65 Ford fullsize. The ’66 full size Ford was an improvement.
The mid 60s LTD is OK, but it looks like a dated Pontiac. To each their own.
Other than the `60 models, `65 was my second favorite Chrysler design of that decade. My dad had a black Newport 4dr. HT with the same dark red vinyl interior; it was a very pretty car. One trip to Vegas from Omaha had the car fighting a sand storm from Hell. Dad had to have the front fenders & hood repainted when he & Mom got back.
I should have owned one of these. I entered a big photo-identification contest held by the WPC Club in its magazine around 1980-81. They were detail shots, much like the clue photos CC used to run. The prize was an unrestored 300-L – I can no longer remember if it was a hardtop or convertible. I won the contest but the club announced that because there had not been enough entry fees to pay for the car, my prize was downgraded to a free 3 year membership or some such.
In truth, I was in college and could probably never have afforded to keep it (let alone transport it home), so it was probably just as well. But I cannot think of a 65 300-L without feeling a bit mishandled.
A couple of years ago I installed a restored 300L grill in my 1965 New Yorker 4 door hardtop. It is a great looking grill and I love the lighted center medallion. I had to fabricate new red, white, and blue circle segments out of acrylic in restoring the medallion.
I prefer the ’64’s shifter off to the side of the console, as it almost certainly was more ergonomic.
A beautiful car. I prefer the shifter mounted to the side of the console. I love the dash. Too bad the 4 speed didn’t have an overdrive. I’d happily drive around in one of these.
Actually, the 1966 Chrysler 300 series had a great sales year with a high mix rate, according to Collectible Auto magazine. Not so much the 1967 300.
The series continued to sell at an OK rate through 1969 or so (take a closer look – the 1969 300 was the ultimate expression of the Fuselage era design theme IMHO), then sales dropped off in 1970-71. By 1972 Chrysler had become a somber brand targeted at older folks (remember Arthur her Godfrey was their spokesperson) and there was no longer a role for a sporty sub-brand like the 300. Combined with the reduced, downward trending mix, the death of the 300 series was a given.
For 1972, Chrysler added a new New Yorker Brougham series to go alongside the regular New Yorker, so the overall number of series choices remained the same when the 300 was dropped. TIM