(first posted 5/6/2013) Really big American cars always tend to look rather out of place in Europe, but some look like they’ve just landed from outer space. Few more so than this 1960 Chrysler 300F, caught by r0b0ter10t after its excellent landing somewhere in Germany. The ion-plasma thrust generator on the rear deck is still spinning slowly, cooling off after its long voyage, while its alien explorers are cooling off somewhere with some steins of good German beer.
I’ve told about my encounter on the streets of Innsbruck with a similar alien ship in the form of a 1959 Cadillac. That one didn’t park nearly as discretely, plunking down on the median of Maria Theresian Strasse.
This one is so nicely parked, it almost looks like it belongs here. When I went back to Austria for the summer of 1969, someone a block down the street had recently bought a new 1969 Dodge Polara, a shiny black four door hardtop with vinyl top, and the odd little optional driving light in the grille. A car that wouldn’t have gotten a second glance from me back in Towson now looked amazingly huge and very show-offy. Of course back then, it was surrounded by much smaller cars; today’s European cars don’t provide quite the proper backdrop that a big Ami Strassenkreuzer deserves.
Update: Here’s a close-up of that ion-plasma thrust generator. Or is it one of the four landing thrusters?
Wow, is that ever sweet. Looks like a survivor.
My favorite year for Chrysler 300 Letter seires cars! Stunning color too!
Mine too.
That;s a nice looking car. I have loved those taillights since I asked WHAT is THAT? back in 1963.
It certainly reminds me of Big Red, my old faded 1960 New Yorker 2-door hardtop, which had once been that color but was quite weathered by the time I got it. Also, my New Yorker didn’t have the optional “spare tire” thingie. The white car shown here gives an idea of how the deck lid looked without that.
It also reminds me of my 300 Club days, one in particular when I chased another member’s metallic brown 300F hardtop down a Thurston County back road in my 300L. I loved those days when regular guys could afford to own and to play with Chrysler 300 letter cars, but even then I could see the future coming and didn’t look forward to it.
As in Thurston County, Washington?
Indeed, most likely either the Skookumchuck River Rd south of Tenino or else that back road that runs northwest out of Little Rock toward west Olympia – can’t remember the name.
I’ve got a couple of more photos not posted in the cohort from the very same car:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotriot/7857405458/in/set-72157630896762954
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotriot/7857404270/in/set-72157630896762954
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotriot/7857402640/in/set-72157630896762954
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotriot/7857392560/in/set-72157630896762954
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotriot/7857400150/in/set-72157630896762954
As you can see, it’s got a bit of patina already here and there. The owner seems to have at least two more American classics that I’ve seen parked in that very same street.
The 1960 Chrysler line was the epitome of the Forward Look cars, with the best being the 300-series, followed closely by the New Yorker. Chrysler had (finally) gotten the fins ‘just right’, as well as the front end. Quality control was probably as good as it was ever going to get, too. It was downhill from there, starting with the canted headlights of 1961 which never looked right.
The 1960 Windsor and Saratoga were okay, too, but the inset grille of the New Yorker makes it more attractive than the lower tier cars’ flush grille, especially in the convertibles.
I love this car!
Side note: your mention of a 1969 Polara with the optional Super Lite! I have many, many pictures of one that I was this close to owning. I did a lot of research on the car, as I had access to it for years before the option of purchase became a reality. I even found a broadcast sheet under the front seat and completely decoded it—and yes, it had the Super Lite for “Turnpike Illumination.”
Alas, a failed relationship put it out of my reach. I am unaware of it’s fate.
My avatar is a ’69 Polara—sans Super Lite.
I’ve always wanted to see a Super-Lite equipped Dodge in the flesh but never have. It must have been a rare option despite the vintage ads I’ve seen promoting it.
It was quite rare. I believe it was only available on the C-bodied Polara & Monaco.
Though I’ve seen many claims that it was “outlawed,” I’m not sure if that was actually codified. It could have just as easily been lack of demand.
There are rumors that it basically consisted of a small aircraft landing light.
I never had the chance to take apart the one I had access to; it looks like it’s on in the picture below but that’s just a flash reflection.
When people use the term “outlawed”, I don’t think that state legislatures were passing laws to prevent the use of these auxiliary lights. Instead, the existing motor vehicle codes probably defined what was permitted. There were probably lots of states that called for something like “not less than two nor more than four headlamps”. There had been a big push in 1957 to get quad lamp systems legalized, from older laws that mandated two headlights. That’s the problem with laws – nobody ever anticipates what is coming, they only deal with what has already happened and what is happening now.
I think the Super Lite ran into some regulatory trouble in a lot of states, which is why they were a rarity. I believe — but as the politicians say, don’t quote me — is that it represented a fifth light that was illegal.
Since the ion-plasma thrust generator is on the rear deck, would it be fair to guess that the flux-capacitor is in the trunk?
To some of us who are old enough to remember, some of these cars, and especially this Chrysler and its De Soto near-twin of that year, looked like they came from outer space even then.
Of course the Euro gets all the cool stuff with the Diesel Ion Fuel and the Manually adjustable polarity field that the US model never had. 🙂
I never cared that much for the 4 door cars on this body, but these 2 door hardtops (and convertibles) – my, oh my. The rear 3/4 view on this car is sublime.
Mechanically, I prefer the Hemi cars (up through 1958), but of the later 413-powered cars this is my favorite. The color is beautiful on this. Am I the only one who sees Chryslers of this era as extremely masculine cars?
I started to say that this could be some real fun blowing past turbodiesels on the Autobahn, but then I started thinking about the tires and brakes. Maybe not.
Whatever planet that 300F is from, I want to go there. Take me to your leader. Scratch that…. Take me to a car dealer. 🙂
I bet the leader’s name is Fratzog.
Oh man my all-time favorite fin design. If only it had the front end of the 61-62!
I always preferred the front of the 60, and would have liked to have seen that front on the “plucked chicken” 62. As a small kid, I visited my mom’s aunt and uncle on a farm in Minnesota. Aunt Clara liked her Chryslers, and had a black 60 sedan, probably a Windsor. Even at my very young age, I could identify that Chrysler grille with the slight V in the bumper. Somewhere I have a little diecast toy of one of these, but it is a cheap one that loses all of the great lines around the fins. But the grille is unmistakeable.
I’m with you – ’60 all the way. Peak Chrysler?
Beautiful car and colour,apart from the toilet seat!
Remove the outdoor shitter from the boot lid and thats a great car anywhere.
Bryce,great to see I’m not the only toilet seat hater!
Far from the only toilet seat hater, it was mostly regarded with disdain and was only used for one year on the 300. In fact, it was the only Chrysler-branded model where it was automatically installed – the toilet seat was an option on all other Chryslers (the Imperial was a completely separate series back then).
what was the toilet seat option actually called? did they alll have different little details for each car model? like a dodge version, new yorker version etc?
Throughout the Chrysler Corp. lineup it was called the “Flite-Sweep rear deck lid”. Standard on some high end models like the ’60-61 Letter Cars and optional on lesser models. It could be deleted on the 300s or Imperials but very few purchasers chose to do so. Each division had its own finish wheel cover with no valve stem hole but an extra small drain hole for precipitation.
Hey – modern conveniences!
When ya gotta go…ya gotta go.
Got to admit…it would have been a car-show stopper if one of the presentation girls had…done with it what we all think it should be used for…
A friend has, or had as we’ve lost touch since he practiced California capital flight, a ’61 300G. It doesn’t have a toilet seat, but it is a great example of a letter series Chrysler. We were watching all the early ’60s letter cars crossing the Barret Jackson block for six figures a few years ago with interest, so he may well have sold it.
Here’s another shot of the ’61 300G.
A ’61 like this is on my lottery-winner list. Canted headlights FTW!
Now you’re talking. That 61 front + 60 fins and call it done. Beautiful car.
+1
That would be my favorite combination as well. I love the canted headlights, and the 1961 didn’t come standard with the much-maligned trunklid toilet seat, but the 1960 “boomerang” taillights are wicked. Of course, the 1960 trunk could be relatively easily fixed… swap the trunk lid for one from a New Yorker.
I always thought those taillights looked like boomerangs, not even vaguely related to the ’59 300E, which I thought was much more handsome and refined. No one has mentioned it, but I’ve often seen the toilet seat trunk lid referred to as a “trash can lid.” I like the ion plasma thrust generator better, though, much more Jetson’s.
When I moved to Palm Springs about five years ago, I had no automatic renewals left on my CA driver’s license, so into the DMV I had to go. Hadn’t been in one of those awful places in eons. But right there in the entry portico sat a pristine 300F convertible, red with tan leather, I think. It was stunning, and I was momentarily mesmerized, but so nervous about getting through the license procedure I couldn’t linger. And it was gone when I came out, drat. Talk about a rare space craft.
I can just see that car “docked” in the carport of a William Krisel home.
Wow, what a guy could do with some LED lights on that ion-plasma thrust generator.
Really reaching for a lead, eh, Paul?? 🙂
All these comments and NO ONE commented about the performance of these cars due to the cross ram induction? Compartment of my own 300F Special Gran Turismo (short ram intakes and Pont-a-Mousson full synchro 4speed) is shown attached.
Sure they have other-worldly looks but the driving experience, at least to the 140 I have dared, is also quite special
At the time, the engine compartment looked like something from another planet as well. 🙂
You have a 300F with the 4-speed?! They only made a handful of those! And you have the only one known to exist that has A/C. Congrats! Who signed the air cleaner?
Yes, Two hardtops that ran Daytona, my hardtop built post-beach with AC, and one convertible 300F Special GTs still exist of a total of nine believed built with 400HP motors and P-a-M trans. In 2007 the car was honored to be invited to a reunion of Chrysler Institute engineering graduates and among them was Burton Bouwkamp who lead the team of 7 300Fs in the Daytona assault. Burt was kind enough to autograph the car and generous with his recollections.
Amazing story!
What an incredible car. Thank you for the pictures!
That’s a rare and beautiful car Wayne.A few years ago there was rumoured to be a gold 4 speed manual 300L on the south coast of England.I never knew the French connection with the manual boxes and have never seen the gold 300L
There were 108 4speed 300Ls produced employing the Chrysler-built A-833 transmission first offered throughout the line in 1964. And there were many color option available by ’65 contrasted to the initital 1955 Letter Cars offered in White, Red and Black.
A 300F GT! That car captured my imagination as a ten year old reading a history of Chrysler. Strangely, it didn’t mention the Facel relationship that explained the presence of the French transmission.
Facel was an independent without direct relationship with Chrysler Corp. They bought drivetrains to put into their production cars but sourced their manual transmissions locally from Pont-a-Mousson. It has never been clear whether Chrysler, desiring a manual full-synchro four speed went directly to P-a-M or whether that contract went through Facel Vega company. Someone had to build the bellhousing and it could have been either. So we usually read that this Series II P-a-M transmission is shared with some Facels rather than sourced there. For the 300F a unique top cover shifter assembly was created to place the lever closer to the big car’s seating than in the Facels as well as a tail housing to mount Chrysler’s standard e-brake with Facel did not employ. The majority of Facels were built with Chrysler’s Torqueflite.
I thought Pont-à-Mousson and Facel had a closer relationship because of their supplying the problematic four cylinder for the Facelia. I didn’t realize they were independent companies. Thanks for educating me. Do you bring your cars to San Diego for the La Jolla Concours de’Elegance or Coronado Speed Week?
The P-a-M in the Facelia was an entirely diifferent smaller, lighter 4-speed more appropriate to the 4 cylinder car. Sometimes referred to as the Type III P-a-M.
I’m 1500 miles from San Diego. When my car resided in SoCal it was at multiple Chrysler-related and other shows but has done no track competitions.
I haven’t heard of transmission issues with the Facelia, but Pont-à-Mousson actually built the DOHC, 4 cylinder engine that caused such heartache for Facel with its dearth of cam bearings.
I’m amazed no one ever got crazy and tried to make one of these into a hovercraft. That would have been sweet and simultaneously appropriate.
I lived in Frankfurt in ’68 and never had any problem driving around in an Olds 88. Now based in Nice, I can never find a parking space for my Golf. Progress, go figure.
Funny how perspective works…I toured Great Britain for a month back in 1977. After a month of carspotting mostly British cars the day before we left I was walking down in London’s financial district and a mid-’70s Electra 225 went by and I -SWEAR- that car seemed to be BLOCKS long!!
I kind of like the presence of the 1955 C-300, the eggcrate grille may have influenced the 2005 300C’s appearance.
The Chrysler 300 F was most probably the first production car (sort of) to make 300km/h with the addition of 2 Paxton blowers and 822hp. Must have been an experience with the tires and brakes of those days.
Another view
Just returned from a trip to Iceland, Denmark and Sweden. Google any of these countries and you will be amazed at the number of late model Ford Super Duty pickups, Dodge Ram and even a few Chevy Silverado’s running around. Tesla
‘s are very popular as are late model Mustangs and a few Camaros. They do like the classics as well. In Copenhagen saw a nice drop top 1965 coupe Deville and early 1950’s Pontiac convertible as well as camroe’s and a Pantera.