Was The 1955 Chrysler C-300 The First Muscle Car?
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- There's no doubt that the 1955 Chrysler C-300 was the super car of its era however was it the first American Muscle Car? Watch this video to find out.
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55 Chrysler imperial grandparents bought it brand new dad restored it in the '80s still around I love that car.
We still have the old family car, a 1955 Chrysler Crown Imperial. Same grill, same 331 Hemi, but with only one 4-bbl. It has that great Chrysler air conditioner behind the back seat. Power everything. A truly luxurious car that feels like a tank when you drive it.
Thanks, wow: what a wonderful Car :1955 IMPERIAL !! Anyways, tell,us more: ?. Miles, maintenance, special stuff…
@@opera93 Mileage unknown. My uncle bought the car when it was app. 18 months old, and when he died my aunt sold it to us and the odometer wasn't working then. We drove it on vacations a few times and it was my mom's around town drive for years, so it has plenty of miles. The only modification is a Frantz oil filter that was put in early in its life. It is white over a light blue and has always been garaged. It needs some TLC, especially the wiring, as it is cloth and is deteriorating.
The 300 C also had a different hotter cam and solid lifters (not hydraulic) in it's 331 Hemi, that other Chryslers didn't.
I like vehicles that ride like a tank. The younger generation apparently does not. I like the heavy feel of the road below me.
One of the 1st oldies I fell in love with.
1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 was the first muscle car (the definition of which is a powerful engine from a full size car put into a smaller chassis).
For the mid 1950's the muscle car was the Rambler Rebel.
1936 Buick Century
@@andyleibrook6012 Good example I wasn't aware of!
That Rebel was second only to the solid-lifter Fueli Corvette. NOTHING else could beat it.
Studebaker Hawks (56, 57, 58) were considerably more powerful, and way way faster than any American made car until 1963
maybe the first muscle car would be the 1932 ford with a flathead v8 ???..most cars back then were powered by a flathead 4 or 6 cylinder...yet the 32 ford was light weight and had v8 power for the common man
My dad had a 1955 Chrysler New Yorker that was pink and had a white top but pretty much the same styling. I was with him when he got pulled over for speeding. Don 't worry dad, I never told mom. I still have a picture of me washing the whitewalls on that car. It was (is) a beautiful car.
Beautiful car
What a beauty - would love to see one next to a ‘55 Studebaker Hawk!
In Red with those whitewalls and wire wheels that must have been stunning!
Nice piece thanks!
Certainly not a car that many people talk about. From that era, we always hear about the 1955-1957 Chevy Bel Air, or even the 1958 Plymouth Fury (Christine). The 1955 Chrysler C-300 was a great blend of luxury and performance. It's too bad they didn't continue with this type of car. It really was a few years ahead of its time.
They kept it through 65, but the 64 and 65 were watered down compared to the 55 - 63 models.
A very pretty car - but it cost the same amount as a house in that era - the same price as a brand new 1968 Dodge Dart GTS 383 4 spd :)
In 1961 a new Lincoln Continental cost $10,000, that was the same amount as a new Rolls-Royce at the time.
@@dukecraig2402 crazy to put in perspective
It was expensive but bare in mind that houses were much more affordable in the 50s:) So don't look for excuses... You shoud have bought this magnificent automobile at a time :)
Speaking of.....a buddy of mine bought a new 68Dart, 3404bbl, 4-speed....Supremely fast!..that 340 must have been underrated in the hp department!.
A couple items.
1. Articles I've read from back in the day said the 'C' in the C300 stood for Cunningham as the racer, Briggs Cunningham used the 1st-gen hemi in his race cars.
2. As the presenter listed the engine's performance parts, he forgot to didn't the dual-point distributor with the special advance curve.
3. He also failed to mention that the dual carb, solid lift cam version of the 354 c.i.d. Hemi in the 300 (1956) was the first American car to produce more than 1 hp per cubic inch (355 hp) naturally aspirated.
4. It was also the first American Car to use the checkered racing flag in its logo.
I recall a spread on this car. Included was a warning sign on the passenger side, Do not lower windows in excess of 120 mph.
One of the best channels on RUclips .
That’s a beauty. Cars had so much class and style back then.
Do a video on the Studebaker Golden Hawk. Almost as much money, almost as much power. Much lighter. Much faster. It was setting land speed records.
Almost bought a 56 Golden Hawk recently. Had the money to buy it but probably not to fix it. Had the Packard 352 engine. Had a faster 0-60 and a faster 1/4 mile time than the 300. 300 had a higher top speed by 5 miles so technically the fastest.
I’m not running down the 300… at all! Love that car!
@@dalekohler5269
I read that Packard took Studebaker down with them.
TighelanderII two sinking ships clinging to each other on the way down. It wasn’t that the cars were bad, they weren’t. Costs were higher than the cars could be sold for. Ended every time
@@trwsandford
I don't know about the costs, but what I read was that Packard hid a lot of debt from Studebaker before the merger. The two were then to merge with Nash/Hudson, but AMC got tired of Packard charging too much for their V8s and that killed that part of the deal.
In response, AMC brought out their 327 V8 that made their Rebel the fastest 4-door production car in 1957. It went 0-60 in 7.2 seconds.
I dont know the 49 Olds OHV Rocket engine was a few years ahead of it.
Oh yes. Rocket 88 was appropriately named. The OHV V8 in the small body Old's was rocket like. Especially when compared to the straight 8 it replaced.
Two years. The Olds and Cadillac V8s were released in 1949. The Chrysler FirePower was released in 1951.
Love your channel man. I'm 42 but I find myself dreaming about the cars a lot the older guys I know about had as teens.
Definitely one of Chrysler best ever looking cars. Sad about the junk they offer these days.
The current Dodge Challenger and Charger are not junk and are superior muscle cars when equipped with the modern Hemi V-8s. and the ZF designed 8 speed automatics.
@@robc8468 let the old timer sulk there’s no making these people happy
Chrysler ceased to making anything really decent starting in the 1980s
@@theeoddments960 They have great performance, but as is typical of the times, overly complicated. Better enjoy them while we can though. It is now Peugeot, and the french don't care about performance. Bland forward motion is good enough for them.
The 1955 300C was the first muscle car!! The 1964 Pontiac GTO was the muscle car that kicked off the muscle car wars!!
FACTS!
My dad had a '55 Windsor 4-dr that he bought new. My grandfather had a '55 New Yorker 2-dr from '62-'67 that was a hand-me-down from one of his brothers. I remember the sheer weight and size of these cars as massive, and the leather interior of the NYer. To appreciate how evolutionary the '55s were, just look at the '54 lineup.
I have a 54 New Yorker wagon that I love, and I think one of the things wrong with its looks is that the grille shape reminds you of a 51 - 52 Chevy, and the taillights on the non-wagons remind of the 53 Chevy. Big mistake on Chrysler's part. The 53 actually looks better in front.
I think there are many cars that were "muscle cars" long before the 64 gto. What about the Chevy impala ss 409, or the 413 wedge chryslers, olds had their rocket V8 with multiple carbs, ford had their 427 Fairlane thunderbolts, there were plenty of muscle cars long before 1964.
49 oldsmobile rocket 88
The GTO was the first "mid size" muscle car and made that type the most popular.
@@cj-fh4nx im pretty sure the thunderbolt was a mid size car. Wasnt it based on the fairlane? In the early 60s that was quite a bit smaller than it grew to be. There was also the chevy nova 396 in 64, it would have been considered mid size also. Dont get me wrong, I love the 64 goat I just dont buy into the notion that it started the muscle car era in any size designations. Great car....but just one in a popular category. Just my opinion...you know what opinions are like and everybody's got one.
@@elmerfudd1086 The GTO was the first Muscle Car - upper case - but hardly the first muscle car.
In December 1954 my Father purchased a 300 Chrysler of showroom of LF Jacod Englewood Nj. Hemi Engine and thru dash 2 speed automatic. Powerful engine and never passed a gas station. Did not have AC. My Father kept it till a new 1962 Chrysler New Yorker came to our driveway. The owner of Jacod Chrysler knew my Father. I never saw logo of C300. Just 300. 1956 300 was 300B and lettered car after. Saw it was a racing car heritage and my Father always stated nobody could beat him. My Dad was a Suit and Tie Gentleman. Very proper with a hint of fun. His car was his fun. Stoic German and very proud. I'm his only Child and now I'm 82 YO.
The 300 missed the main criteria for being a muscle car (affordable)... The best example in Mopar history was the Road Runner (a bare bones striped down Satellite).
Good point, price was a key aspect on the establishment of a 'muscle car'.
1963 Plymouth ? 426 wedge and fast.
It may have missed the mark for being a Muscle Car - upper case - but it was one kool muscle car - lower case.
Affordable muscle cars came late in the era of muscle cars. Muscle cars began as the most expensive of the lineup.
This car is definitely a masterpiece.
I've often thought of the 300 being the first muscle car.
Had a '69 Charger.
My brother ordered a 1955 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe 2-door hardtop Hemi, white over black with a red interior. Absolutely beautiful!
Not a mid-size college car with a big engine, but in this era to get so much power out of a new design in a production car I say Yes. People may argue that this will fall today in the upscale ans sports car territory. And it's true but muscle cars were about packaging and selling your product as over the top powerful vehicules and they did that.
This car turned me onto 300 cars ! This is a genesis... Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
I miss the days when muscle cars were relatively affordable. I don’t know how there are so many $80,000 plus cars on the road.
The Muscle Cars, meaning the 64 and up in the mold of the GTO, were mostly affordable, but the muscle cars - lower case - were mostly fairly expensive. And full-sizers.
1957 Rambler Rebel.
EXACTLY!!!!!!!
I love your channel! 🙂❤👍
This C-300 has one of the most gorgeous dashboards I have ever seen... is in vehicles like this that you can see just how well things used to be designed and manufactured before the widespread use of plastic.
It was and my 1960 300 F had an amazing dashboard with the gauges at night with the lights on appearing to be in 3D Look it up , just amazing.
One thing that differed from other muscle cars was that most were intermediate. This was a full size car. In contrast the 1957 Rambler Rebel weighed a lot less due to its compact size and was the fastest stock sedan in 1957. The only car faster was the fuel injected Corvette.
The 1957 Dodge could be ordered in the base model 2 door sedan with the D-500 package that had 310 hp. The Rebel had 255 hp. There was a 288hp Rebel but it had a very troublesome EFI. Even still, the Hemi 325 Dodge had it beat. Understand, the Rebel was mid sized but it was also a top trim heavier 4 door hardtop which probable weighed as much as a base Coronet 2 door sedan.
The Dodge was probably the fastest factory 0~60 car in 1957…and assuredly would top out faster than the Rebel.
@@jamesaandf The Rebel was ADVERTISED at 255 horses, but it's engine was a little different than the Ambassador's 327 - dual valve springs vs single valve springs, solid lifters vs hydraulic lifters, 9.5 - 1 compression vs 9 - 1 compression, slightly rough and fast idle vs silky-smooth idle, so it probably had 275 horses in reality. That FI setup only gave Chrysler products that offered it 10 more horsepower, so it probably was the same for the Rebel.
I don't always agree that all the old cars were beautiful, but compared to some (most?) of todays new cars that look like props from a Star Wars movie, with a grille that would look right at home on a Kenworth truck, this thing is gorgeous.
Glamour style and power. Unmistakeably necessary.
The entire design look is just mouth watering. Buick so classy.
The first real musclecar was the Duesenberg. Straight 8, twin cams, a race engine for the road.....265 hp NA, 320 hp supercharged.....130 mph guaranteed in 1929.
Then there was the Hudson Hornet with Twin H Power. Killed everything in Nascar's early days. Plus the special package for the 308ci straight 6 ( I think it was called the A7 ). The Step Through chassis design ensured awesome handling. Bet if Hudson created a killer V8 for the Hornet it would have dominated well into the Hemi era of Chrysler
And that was mind-blowing performance back then. The Duesey will beat all but the fasted 70s cars as if they are tied to a post.
you cannot have a legitimate conversation about horsepower and speed without including the 1956 Packard 352 Powered Studebaker Golden Hawk, and the 57 and 58 Supercharged 289 Golden Hawks who held all the quarter mile, and 0 to 60 records well into the early 60 until the 63 Vette beat their numbers. All of the K bodied Hawks were luxurious, well appointed high performance luxury Gran Touring hardtop coupes.
You might consider the 51-52 Chrysler Saratoga Club Coupe. The shorter lighter Windsor body with the 331 Hemi. The power is of course way lower than the 55, but it is also a smaller car.
the 1936 Buick Century came out with the big model motor (320 cubic inch straight 8) in the smaller model Buick body, so from 1936 to 1958 it was sold as their fastest car, and before Buick, Studebaker had a high performance car, but true Chrysler did use it's own special hot 300C engine in 1955, not used in other models in that form.
The current Challenger with a front end that resemble 55 c300 is needed
Chrysler was at its prime in the 1950s
Such a stunning car. Love the videos!
Let's face it...they were death traps!...horrible handling, poor brakes, no seat belts/airbags, steering wheels would crush the driver in a head-on, etc.....pretty, but dangerous!
@@curbozerboomer1773 Calling them "death traps" is overdoing it. The 300 and the Hudson Hornet both had GOOD handling. Just drive carefully and safely, instead of like a homicidal maniac, and you will be fine.
If you are going to delve back into auto history you have to account for the first Ford V8 Coupes in 1932! The new Ford V8 coupe was small, light, and powerful, fastest machine on the road in the era perhaps First muscle car?
Indeed, if one discribes a mucle car as a cheap, hi-po (for it's era) performance car, the '32 V-8 Ford IMO is valid. It's said that Clyde Barrow wrote a letter to Henry Ford praising the fine performance of the Ford concluding that 'it is the reason that I am still alive'.
This was when 4 cyl Model T's ruled the road, and wealthy people owned 6 cyl Chevy's.
@@crankychris2 You have a point about the 32 Ford, but the wealthy never gravitated to Chevys. Those who were self-conscious because of the depression were buying Ford V8s, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Dodges, DeSotos, and Chrysler 6 cylinders.
Great video! What about the Study Golden Hawk supercharged, which was quicker?
I think the 300s had the edge. The 56 Golden Hawk with the Packard engine was a stormer, but too nose heavy.
I'm partial to the Stutz Bearcat as the first "muscle car." However, the 55 and 56 Chrysler hardtop coupes had, by my lights, the best stance of any cars of the Fifties.
. . . . and, yes, they were mighty powerful!
Stutz, Dusenberg, Auburn were the proto-muscle cars and the Hudson Hornet was the last of them.
Chrysler 300's from 1955 to 1962 all were muscle cars. So were cars from other manufacturers. From the late 1950's to 1962 or so. The Pontiac GTO was at best a copy of what had been done by other manufacturers before.
How come the 430 cu inch/400HP MEL engine, that was an option for the 1958 Mercury is not mentioned here. it was the first American stock engine to achieve 400HP, and would accelerate to 60MPH in 8 seconds or less.
That was one terrific car. I think that one is overlooked because that engine was a option, and the rest of the car was the same - nice and quiet, smooth riding, etc. The 300 was loud, raucous, and rough-riding, just like the original GTO, just bigger and more expensive.
You showed some muscle cars from the 1960’s, but don’t forget how Chrysler rebooted the 300 in the 1980’s and still sells a car that’s a 300 today.
Along with the 60’s vintage muscle cars you could’ve threw in a few pictures of the more recent 300’s.
Good video to watch….
1949 Oldsmobile 88.
It is a perfect first muscle car achieved in the flying mile in 1955
Prof John commented on the Buick Century of the late 1930s & early '40s. Don't know if we would quite consider them in the muscle car category but they we're sometimes labeled the "Bankers hot-rod".
1955 saw a "re-boot" of the Buick Century using GMs medium "B" body as used for Buick Special but combining it with the larger V8 from the Roadmaster. And, in spite of considerably lower advertised HP could also get you to 60 MPH in the high 9 sec. range as is stated here for the C-300. In fact The folks at "Motor Trend" mag apparently got their hands on a new Century before they got to test the Chrysler because the '55 Century Was their 1st car to break the 10 sec Mark for 0-60. And that was with the Dynaflow automatic. (in all fairness, starting in "Low" rather than "Drive" which always gave you a better launch with a Dynaflow)
Perhaps some will recall, the Buicks actually wound up in a TV series because the California Highway Patrol special ordered a fleet of 55 Centurys. (Centurys were generally decked out on the order of the Roadmaster, just a bit smaller but the police fleet was ordered in rather unadorned fashion.)
Probably didn't match top speed of the Chryslers but don't think back then the cops needed to chase down many people at a hundred & thirty. The Buick was apparently plenty fast enough for them for a lot less $$ than a fleet of 300s would have been!
And those Century police cars were among the precious few that had 3 on the tree and were only 2 door sedans. Almost all the civilian Centurys had DynaSlow.
@@michaelbenardo5695 Never did quite figure out why 2dr sedans but yes they were definitely special order cars. They called them "Centurys" but in reality they were more like a Buick Special but equipped with the bigger engine from the Roadmaster. If I remember correctly it seems I read somewhere that half were 3spd manual but half actually were Dynaflow. The car that Motor Trend Mag broke the 10sec barrier for 0-60 had been a Dynaflow car but they did use low range from a standing start. Again from what I've read just leaving it in "D" would have gotten you to 60 in about 12sec. Remember, these were "2nd generation Dynaflow" (often referred to as Twin Turbine or "TT" Dynaflow) & were vastly different from the original gen 1 design. Only gen 1 was truly a "pure" torque converter trans with NO gear reduction except by means of manual "Low". Gen 2 or "TT" actually had built in gear reduction (only a 1.6 ratio but it helped) IN DRIVE from a standing start. AND from '55 on they used the variable pitch stator which gave about a 2800 rpm "stall speed" (normal was about 1800 rpm), that put you right about at peak torque for that engine, so it was was somewhat akin to having a racing converter in a stock automobile. NOW add to that the additional gear reduction with manual low & they had some pretty serious "get-up-and-go".
I never actually got to drive a newer "switch pitch" (& '56 added a 2nd fixed pitch stator which also increased the multiplication factor quite a bit) but I drove a '54 which was 2nd gen & was quite pleasantly surprised. Even though I did no actual acceleration "tests" it certainly blew most of my preconceived notions about Dynaflow. I expected a lot of slip & hi revs with not much action. I was truly surprised. Would hardly know it from a conventional automatic. About the only abnormality I noted was holding steady at about 30mph RPMs seemed a bit higher than modern trannys. (About like a 3spd auto held in 2nd gear) by the time you hit 40 RPMs held steady right about where you would expect in a normal "high gear". About all I could figure was the "TTs" transition between the 1.6 ratio & 1/1 ratio based on fluid flow in the converter which, ultimately, is determined by speed & load. The two turbines drove the planetary gearset in such a way that from a standing start the turbine getting the greatest power gave the 1.6 ratio. As speed went up & demand decreased the other turbine got most of the power & you were effectively in "high". I figured they engineered that transition point to be a little on the high side so you had a more responsive car up to 30mph in traffic since there were no actual "downshifts" for quick acceleration.
@@DejaView The CHP used mostly 2 door sedans back then, but wanted the Century for it's power. That is the reason for their Century 2 doors.
Very collectable ...love understatement, statement, it makes
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! GREAT VIDEO AND EDUCATION. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!
The reason this is the first muscle car after the war is that although a lot of cars offered dual carbs, but this car was built as a muscle car with special suspension and shocks, 150 speedometer, Goodyear made special blue streak tires for it, all this no one with their dual carbs did.
The HEMI engines were coveted by hot rodders and drag racers. These engines would destroy Ford or Cadillac V8's.
They learned about Hemi head combustion chambers from building aircraft engine's under contract during the war.
And Harley beat them to it by 20 years when they released the 1936 Knucklehead engine, it the later Panhead (48) and then the Shovelhead (66 to 84) and even the Ironhead Sportster released in 1957 were all Hemi head engine's.
Truth be known though the Hemi is actually a horrible combustion chamber unless you're running forced induction with flat top pistons giving you a large combustion chamber cc that can be packed full by a blower or a turbo, that's exactly why Harley closed the combustion chamber and started running flat top pistons in 84 on the Evo and later Twin Cam engine's, Chrysler even did the same thing when they released the latest generation of Hemi engine's 20 years ago or so, the only design feature they actually share with the old Hemi engine's is the canted valve's, they're really not Hemi engine's but since Chrysler trade marked the name years ago for automobiles they can apply the name to anything they want, even a flat head engine if they wanted to.
Ford and Cadillac owners destroyed those engines by not maintaining them properly , you can’t blame that on the Hemi! 😂
@@trwsandford I think he means speed-wise.
Michael Benardo thanks for the clarification.. unnecessary but here’s your participation ribbon.
@@dukecraig2402 They are great combustion chambers. My 54 New Yorker with 55 pistons does not have domed pistons.
VERY ENJOYABLE VIDEO...thanks.
The first muscle car achieved the flying mile in Daytona the desendant of the legendary letter series since the most powerful car in its class known as the 300M before the present day Chrysler 300 is unveiled for future generations.
For me, I like both the 1955 and 1956 300's. 1957 was the year Virgil Exner poured on the gas with bigger tailfins and added chrome.
Love these cars. I met the son of the late owner of the first 55 C-300. The engine for that car, with the VIN of 10001, was purchased by Lee Petty, and may very well be still in the Petty's possession.
I'm waiting for a 78-79 Dodge Magnum [XE & GT] video.
how bout the 1958 mercury turnpike cruiser?...it had 400 hp ..more then anything from chrysler or GM back then
The 1955 performance Chrysler was designated as simply the 300. In 1956 it was the 300 B, in 57 it was the 300 C and so on.
Actually, you are correct. "C 300" refers to its model number, just like C64 is a 1954 Chrysler 6, C63 is a New Yorker, etc.
its funny that the 55 chrysler 300c was considered a heavy car at just over 4000 lb and today the modern challenger is a porker at 4400 lbs .
It was probably the first HIGH PRODUCTION "Muscle Car", but there was the Muntz Jet a few years before it... That also was technically a "production car", albeit there were few of those built.
That Muntz was a beauty of a car.
The GTO was just the first midsize muscle car. The 300 defined the formula every muscle car follows.
Yep, I agree,the 50s did put out the first muscle cars especially compared to the previous decade of inline sizes and flathead V8s that made less than 100HP.
That car looked more like what the 1960's cars would look like.
Chrysler's ads in 1957 were all about the forward look of it's new cars with the 1960's look of the future..
Mercury turnpike cruiser with 400 with three to barrel was the first 400 h
P engine year model 57
Wish I'd kept my 55 Windsor, 301 cu in 3 on the tree, what a beautiful tank !
Your's had a 3 speed? Too bad you don't have it now. They only built about 150 with a stick. Super rare.
Yep, called them a standard shift back then, red and black, 4 door.
@@christinewoodruff255 I am a senior citizen, I know that.
Dusenburg gets my vote for the first American muscle car.
1934 Ford Deluxe Roadster V8 first stock Muscle Car with a speed of 100 mph 221ci block.
The Twin H-Power 308 L-6 Club Coupe Hornet was a high performer too, but can't be considered a "Muscle Car" because it's not a V-8, like the early Buick Century's OHV 8's...
Sooo beautiful. So tastefully restrained. And then,.........
Why isn't the 57 Chevy Black Widow ever mentioned when discussing early muscle cars?
The first American muscle car debuted in 1949, with Oldsmobile offering the Rocket 88. This muscle car featured a lightweight body built from the Oldsmobile 76 and a high-compression overhead valve V8. So I guess that would make the C300 the 2nd Muscle car LOL
Great vid............ 👍👍
Thanks Ben!
What a car that was. Pricey was the best way to describe the purchase price. Something that good will not come cheaply. Lucky was the soul who bought that C300 brand new.😂😂
The 49 Rocket 88 was the first muscle car.
My parents had one.
Sorry, that should have said, "Just want to thank you for the great videos!"
Don't forget the 53 Studebaker speedster with the 259 v8!
I grew up riding in a 1955 Chrysler C-300. About the most powerful of it's day, it was way too heavy to be considered a muscle car. A very capable nice riding luxury car. The grille was from the Imperial with the center eagle emblem replaced by the 300 emblem. The rear tail lights were the same as the New Yorker used. The idea of a true muscle definitely came from the mid-60's and probably the 1964 Pontiac GTO, with the Olds 442 following close behind. The concept was putting a large engine in a mid-sized car. Ofcourse, today, what we considered a mid-size car back then would be considered a full-size car today.
The mid-size cars of the mid-60's were geared towards sporty rather monster-powered beasts. Many of these types of cars came with very normal engines from 6 cylinders to small V-8's. I believe that the Dodge charger pictured could have come with the 225 slant 6, but definitely the 318 V-8. It could be optioned with the 426 Hemi.
The Dodge Charger, in concept and style, was a re-imagination of the Rambler Marlin. That car came standard with AMC's OHV in-line 6 and could be optioned with a 300hp 327 V-8, which could run circles around the C-300. Another popular option on the Marlins was the twin-stick transmissions. The 2nd stick was for overdrive, allowing owners to have it's muscle car cake and eat it too. Although other car manufacturers offered overdrive, it couldn't be had with anything other than a 3-speed manual transmission. Rambler offered overdrive with any of it's transmissions.
The GTO was just applyling the same formula that made a New Yorker into a 300, from a Pontiac Lemans. The size doesn't matter. It's big engine with a special performance themed model or trim of a regular car, is what's fundamental to a muscle car. Mid-sizers were not the first to have that, not even on Pontiac. They had the Grand Prix before the GTO, same concept but on the Bonneville
@@cj-fh4nx The original C-300 was a little more than a rebadged New Yorker. For one thing it had an Imperial front-end, also in the 1956 C-300B. It was created to be the "Bankers" hot-rod. Remember, all Chryslers of that time were basically the same car with different trim and different drivetrains.
The Pontiac GTO was geared towards a much younger crowd as Pontiac was trying to appeal to the young adult crowd. With the GTO, their aim(John Delorean) was to stuff the largest engine which GM would allow(sub-400 c.i.) into the smallest car it would fit in. As the engines were identical externally, the 1964 GTO's were sent to the car magazines and other media with 421's. The first GTO's would be considered today "pocket rockets". Although by today's standards, the original GTO would be considered a full-size car.
@@automatedelectronics6062 All Chrysler were the same car indeed the same car with different trim and powertrains, i could save said Windsor or Imperial to highlight that and it would be also true. But the NYer was the closest to the 300 in spec and didn't want to name all of them.
Subtle but beautiful body lines.
I expect by the 1960’s Chrysler thought that since there were many options for muscle cars that the big Chryslers should be based on luxury.
🛑🛑 Is it me, or does the C300 look like a “Tucker” to anyone else??
💯🤷♂️ 🤫
It was indeed a fast car but it was also very heavy
I feel that it was the first muscle car, even though that term hadn't been invented yet. Consider; it had a performance-modified engine from the factory as standard equipment, heavy duty suspension from the factory as standard, and a 140MPH speedometer.
So beautiful!
Very pretty car. Great video! 👍👍
Didn't Clive Custler make this car one of the stars in a novel he wrote?
Does anybody remember in Chicago the Henry J? The Jim Moran the courtesy man sold with the Hot Rod V8 engine in it very special car and very early on
“was a very beautiful car”. WRONG… it is a very beautiful car… timeless
By most people's definition, a muscle car is a Brand's largest engine in their smallest body. That would make the 1957 Rambler Rebel the first muscle car. Or, possibly the 1949 Olds 88.
That 57 Rebel certainly is an outlier in this discussion!...I believe that Rambler stuffed their own 327 under the hood...a potent vehicle back in the day!
The '39 Buick OHV straight 8 offered a dual carburetor option with performance over that of '55 Chevrolet etc.
Yes, at 165 HP the 320 cubic inch straight eight Buicks from the late 1930's through 1941 had dual carbs with a compound linkage that could in the Century model, the small model body with the big Roadmaster 320 cubic inch 8 Cylinder. motor could at 165 HP (the 55 Chevy was 160 HP ) Th old Buick then beat most any American car, they dropped the Century in the 1940's but brought it back in 1954 with the Roadmaster V8 in the smaller Buick model, the special smaller body, same idea for the Century again as in the 1930's .
All 1941 and 1942 Buick's actually came with dual carbs from the factory as standard equipment , and a compound linkage, so if you punched it you got 4 barrels total, then in 1952 they got the 4 barrel carb on the big Roadmaster model and the Caddy's, so you didn't need two carbs by then.
I'm not a Chrysler fan. If you gave me a Chrysler I'd walk. But that's a nice looking car
In 1955 my dad was a public school teacher. The 300 C would have cost his two years salary!
Am I the only one that pictures Albert Brooks when I hear the narrator?
It was way ahead of its time. I suggest your speak in a more relaxed and naturalistic manner - you sound like a nerdy robot - and I'm sure you are a cool dude. Thanks for the video.
My favorite was the 1957 300 C
I believe the criteria for a muscle car was a big car engine into an intermediate car.
They say that the '64 GTO was the first muscle car. What about the '62 Polara with the 413 or 426 max wedge? Another one would be a '62 Riviera with the 401. Were there any other cars before that, that meet the intermediate car and big car engine criteria? I'll be honest, I've been a GTO guy all my life, {goes back to the 60's} but, I've always wondered about that first muscle car thing.
Was Ike the first General elected President ? No, but he was a great one. Same principle applies here. The car you drive to Augusta National come tee time.
I delivered pizza in a 55 Chrysler. Powerfilight 2sp auto a small firedome Hemi maybe 292 cu in I sure don’t remember. I do remember how good it sounded as it wound up into the high RPMS NOT fast but sounded awesome. My vote goes to 1963 Plymouth 426 2x4 carb wedge w/4sp. As a real mussel car. Before that 413 cid ply and dodge were hot rods to . Pontiac just had big advertising.
You were driving a 55 DeSoto.
@@michaelbenardo5695 I think you might be right, I just don’t remember that. Do you know the engine size , I just remember it was the small Hemi. Thanks
@@4406bbldb The 55 DeSoto had a 1 year only 291 Hemi.