1955 Chrysler C-300 5.4L V8 3AT (300 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Chrysler made the C-300 Sport Coupe in 1955 based on the same chassis as the New Yorker but enhanced it with the most powerful engine it had in its stock, the FirePower Hemi V8.

Arguably the first American muscle car, the C-300 was built by Chrysler to compete in NASCAR. In order to comply with regulations, the automaker had to sell a specific number of stock vehicles with similar technical characteristics to the market. Thus, the C-300 Sport Coupe received not only the dual four-barrel carburetors fitted on its 5.4-liter engine but also a revised design.

Virgil Exner was responsible for creating the C-300, and he installed that egg-crate massive grille on the car’s front. As requested by those times’ regulations, the car featured two round headlights surrounded by chromed trims. Its two-door hard top shape with a raked-forward, wrapped-around rear windscreen was unusual. In addition, at the back, Exner created two small fins on top of the rear quarter panels. That became, later on, a design trend for most American automakers.

The car’s interior still featured some design elements from the early ’50s cars, with a bench seat at the front and a bench in the back. But the C-300 featured two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer. A two-spoke steering wheel allowed drivers to see the instruments clearly. In addition, several other gauges were placed on the dash panel in the middle.

Under the hood, Chrysler installed cylinder heads with hemispherical combustion chambers. The OHV powerplant developed enough power to push the car at speeds above 127 mph (205 kph) with the help of a two-speed automatic transmission.