Why the 1979 Chrysler 300 is the Best 300 Ever

by Alvin C. Harrell

I. Introduction

OK, the title of this article is fighting words for most any member of this club, probably even for those who otherwise like the 1979 300. And your author would not assert that the 1979 300 is the fastest, most powerful, most valuable, most desirable, most important or most interesting Chrysler 300; I fully appreciate the unique and historical importance of the 300 “letter” cars, and admire those who own, drive and preserve these fabulous vehicles. But, on subject of this article, hear me out (and I will not be mad if you still disagree!).

The Chrysler 300 letter cars (1955 - 1965) obviously are unique in many respects, including their rarity, history, performance and importance to Chrysler Corporation and the evolution of performance cars. They occupy a special place in our hearts and minds and well deserve the stature and recognition accorded by this club and newsletter. No question there.

But among the related and underappreciated models produced by Chrysler is the 1979 300, a car that is likewise a rare and historical high-performance GT car, in essentially the same mold.1 The 1979 300 is in many ways the last of the original Chrysler 300 series, a concluding episode in the tradition of the letter cars, and in some ways a letter car without a letter.

This article laments the inadequate recognition of these facts, even by Chrysler 300 buffs and certainly by others, noting that, in effect if not in name, the 1979 300 is the last and in many ways best in the line of traditional Chrysler 300 GT cars that began with the C-300 in 1955, marking a unique 25-year period in Chrysler automotive history.

II. Background – The Early Years

As we all know, Chrysler Corporation was born as an engineering-oriented company and from the beginning Chryslers were high-performance road cars, essentially in the GT mold even before that moniker was invented. Chryslers were among the premier long-distance touring cars of the 1930s and 1940s in the United States, and also enjoyed success in long-distance European road-racing.

In America the iconic “mother road,” Route 66, was created in 1926 out of a disparate collection of paved and unpaved local roads and crude “highway” stretches, to become the world’s most famous long-distance roadway. From the beginning, and to its end, and even today, Route 66 always has provided a diverse and challenging driving experience, for both driver and car, requiring a vehicle with top-notch capabilities in terms of acceleration, speed, passing, steering, cornering and brakes in a variety of road and weather conditions, along with the comfort features needed to sustain long-distance travel. This is a difficult combination for any car to achieve, even today, and far more so in the early- to mid-twentieth century.

Sophisticated long-distance travelers, including members of your author’s family who drove Route 66 from its earliest days, discovered and appreciated the advantages of Chryslers in this environment, as compared to lesser vehicles. Chrysler and Route 66 were seemingly made for each other, and together rank among the great accomplishments of the twentieth century, symbols of American freedom, achievement and exceptionalism.

A capstone, of course, was development of the fabulous hemi-head V8 engine in the 1940s, giving Chrysler sedans unparalleled power and passing speeds, an essential performance feature on two-lane highways increasingly clogged with heavy trucks and slower-moving traffic. In this respect Chrysler vaulted ahead of even such exalted European marques as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz. By the early 1950s Chrysler V8 sedans were the clear performance leaders, on American roads and even world-wide, as would be made clear over the remainder of that decade. It is a heritage that continues today in a variety of Chrysler engines, long after the demise of the original hemi.

III. The Mexican Road Race

It was in the early 1950s that the world, or at least the automotive world (along with, perhaps, a fair number of the citizens of Mexico) really sat up and took notice. The setting was La Panamericana Carrera (The Mexican Road Race). Largely bone-stock Chrysler V8 sedans (with comparatively minor performance tweaks) bested race-prepared Ford and GM products and in some cases the finest European sports-racing cars, particularly on the long high-speed highway stretches of the race, where the Chrysler V8s could really show their stuff.

Of course, the race-prepared Lincolns had their day, as well as other marques, and virtually all makes had their ups and downs, including Chrysler. And the big Chrysler and Dodge sedans could not match the smaller, race-prepared European sports cars on the tight turns of the twisting mountain sections. But even a casual observer could not help but notice the spectacular achievements of Chrysler engineering as showcased in these races.

Your author’s favorite story about the race is the report of nearly stock, full-sized V8 Chrysler sedans outrunning the specially-prepared twelve-cylinder Ferrari sports-racing cars, by running for extended periods at speeds in excess of 140 mph. As noted, the Chryslers (and, later, Dodges) were largely stock-equipped sedans, with relatively minor and routine performance enhancements, often competing with Lincolns and others prepared by professional stock car racers and European factory racing teams.2

Nonetheless, it all made sense. The Mexican Road Race was designed to celebrate (and highlight) the Mexican equivalent to Route 66, the Pan-American Highway. This was a north-south two-lane highway running the length of Mexico that was inspired by (and in many ways resembled) Route 66. It was intended ultimately to run from Alaska to South America. Just as Route 66 brought America together, The Pan-American Highway was intended to do the same for Mexico. Chrysler sedans, long at home on Route 66, were naturals for The Mexican Road Race.

The race ran for five consecutive years, 1950 - 1954. While many different cars raced, failed, crashed, won and lost, and otherwise distinguished themselves for better or worse, none accomplished more with less race-car preparation than the Chrysler (and later, Dodge) sedans, despite the lack of a dedicated performance model or factory racing program. The success of the Chryslers and Dodges in Mexico was a testament to off-the-shelf items in the Chrysler parts bin, and basic Chrysler engineering, though the effort suffered from the lack of concerted factory production of a dedicated performance model suitable for The Mexican Road Race. Of course, that was about to change, but in the meantime (perhaps partly due to pressure from Ford and GM, among other factors) the Mexican government canceled the race for 1955 and successive years, until it was revived some thirty-four years later as a vintage car event.3

IV. The Letter Cars

As we know, this is where the rubber really hit the road. The 1955 C-300 was in essence a street-legal version of a Chrysler two-door hardtop designed for The Mexican Road Race, with a bit of luxury added and an appropriate model designation. The result, literally a “Beautiful Brute,” was arguably the first modern American GT car, in the idiom of the magnificent Bentley Continentals of the late 1940s and early 1950s (which were outdone by the C-300 in almost every way).

Clearly the C-300 was based on options designed and selected for The Mexican Road Race, for the first time reflecting a full-blown factory effort to create a dedicated road-racing machine. Still, it was a natural progression from a long line of earlier Chrysler performance sedans, suitable for Route 66 and the 1950 - 1954 Mexican Road Races. It is unfortunate for Chrysler 300 buffs that the 1955 race was canceled, because it meant the C-300 did not get the chance to do what it was designed to do. But it left us with the first true American GT car, the first in a line that exceeded (for the first and possibly the last time) the specifications and performance of its vastly more expensive European counterparts.4

The rest of the story, as we know, is mostly the history of the letter cars, descendants of The Mexican Road Race cars and the legacy of Route 66. But the lesser-told story is how the 1979 Chrysler 300 also fits into this history, as the last (and yes, in some ways the best) of the traditional Chrysler 300 series cars.

V. Understanding the Importance of the Historical Background

Readers of this newsletter are undoubtedly aware of the above-noted background for the Chrysler 300 series, going back to the engineering and performance orientation of Walter Chrysler and the early days of the Chrysler Corporation (including early forays into international competition at Le Mans, wartime development of the fabulous hemi-head V8 engine, and the subsequent success of the Chrysler-powered sports-racing cars built by Briggs Cunningham).5 This history cemented a well-deserved international reputation for Chrysler’s engineering excellence, leading to the use of Chrysler V8 engines in a succession of elite European GT cars (including, of course, the Facel Vega, Jensen Interceptor, Monteverdi 375L6 and [to this day] various Bristols7).

Noted above is the additional historical relevance of The Mexican Road Race cars of the early 1950s.8 Significantly, this experience established the pattern of putting a high-performance Chrysler V8 engine in a two-door sedan with an upgraded suspension, which in many respects then outperformed the best purpose-built European sports-racing cars (and their U.S. counterparts). Indeed, as noted, your author believes that the original Panamericana Carrera racing series may have been canceled in part due to pressure from other domestic manufacturers (especially Ford and GM) who recognized that their production cars could not legitimately compete with the upcoming C-300.

Nonetheless, as we well know, and despite cancellation of the race for which it was designed, the C-300 was a fabulous performance success and went on to win many races and spawn the glorious letter car series of 300s. And although, as they say, the rest is history, there are still some other historical connections that can be emphasized here, because The Mexican Road Race did not happen in a vacuum.

As noted above, The Mexican Road Race was created to showcase the Mexican stretch of the Pan-American Highway, in turn intended to run from Alaska (perhaps inspired in part by World War Two construction of the Alaska Highway, but that is another story) to South America, as a kind of north-south equivalent to U.S. Route 66. Although not the first east-west U.S. highway (see, e.g., the Lincoln Highway), Route 66 became iconic in tying together the west from Chicago to Los Angeles and quickly became the preeminent east-west U.S. highway. It was hoped the Pan-American Highway would do much the same for north-south travel.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s there were obvious similarities between Route 66 and the Pan-American Highway through Mexico. Both essentially followed the contours of the land, and therefore (unlike the subsequent U.S. Interstate Highway System) included frequent (and sometimes steep) hills, valleys, dips, blind or sharp corners and very twisty sections (not to mention pavement bumps and rough patches, and potentially dangerous intersections). As suggested above, traveling these highways at relatively high speeds was (and is) often a challenge (and frustrating, e.g., due to blockages by slow traffic, flooding or other impediments caused by weather, and sometimes downright dangerous road conditions), demanding special vehicle features including superior braking, suspension and engine performance, plus reliability and durability (thus requiring multiple heavy-duty components).

While it is obvious the C-300 and its progeny were designed for the Mexican Road Race, perhaps it is less obvious that the 300 series also was designed for U.S. roads like Route 66 (which was not fully decommissioned and replaced by the Interstate Highway System until the early 1980s). Thus, while the Chrysler 300 letter cars are justly-famous for their spectacular stock car racing success and top-speed records runs, they are equally significant as high-speed, long-distance grand touring (GT) cars, in the idiom of the post-war Bentley Continental (a

tradition also carried on by the Chrysler-powered European GT cars already noted above9), but additionally designed with the rigors of roads like Route 66 in mind.10

This requires a high level of creature comforts, even luxury, together with heavy-duty components, a distinct style, and raw performance in all vehicle categories (a combination of excellent acceleration, speed, power, handling, ride, steering and brakes, wrapped up in a stylish, sporty and comfortable package). This combination of features is the epitome of the 300 letter-series cars, and is as rare as ever even today (despite all of the intervening years and advances in technology). It is an important part of the legacy of the letter cars, and should not be obscured by the cars’ higher-profile racing successes.

VI. The 1979 Chrysler 300

Introduction. So, how does the 1979 300 fit into all of this? Well, let’s start by noting that it is the last Chrysler 300 to fit the basic parameters of the letter car series: Large, sophisticated chassis; powerful Chrysler V8 engine with special features (providing, as Burkhardt & Veatch have noted, performance about mid-way among the pack of letter-series cars); luxurious and sporty two-door sedan configuration; rear-wheel drive; special suspension, steering and brake systems; and dedicated design features thru-out (from basic styling elements to traditional Chrysler 300 medallions), consistent with the letter-series cars. Interestingly, this was also the last 300 produced during the official lifetime of Route 66 (your author recalls driving his 1979 300 to California on several occasions in 1979 and 1980, when the Interstate Highway System was incomplete and travel on stretches of Route 66 was still required). But there is far more to it than this.

What the 1979 300 is not. First let’s concede that the 1979 300 is not a sports car, at least not in the sense of a Dodge Viper or Porsche 911 for example. The 1979 300 would not be my choice to run on a tight go-kart-like sports car racing circuit. But neither would the letter cars for that matter, or even the high-priced modern sports sedans from Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes, BMW and the like. If you want something for a sports car track, try a Porsche, or a Viper, or maybe a Mazda Miata or a “hot hatch.” But, given real-world road conditions, with steep hills, dips, broad sweeping curves and a few dangerous intersections and sharp turns (like The Mexican Road Race, or Route 66), the 1979 300 acquits itself quite well, thank you (dare I say it, perhaps in some ways even better than its predecessor letter cars, due to its sophisticated suspension, steering and disc brakes).

Of course, the 1979 300 also is not a record-breaking high-speed car. In an age of 200 mph supercars, that is just not in the cards for a nearly 40-year old, family-friendly and relatively inexpensive Route 66 GT car (again, if you want more, how about a Viper, or perhaps a Hellcat or Demon?). Granted, in their day many of the letter cars broke high-speed records or were viable contenders. You have me there - - even in its prime the 1979 300 was not a particularly high-speed car. High triple-digit speeds are just not its thing (or mine). For one thing, it is somewhat low-geared (with a numerically high rear axle ratio), which maximizes mid-range power (for passing slower cars on Route 66? Perfect for that.), which reduces top speed to maybe 120 mph. For another, the styling (while very attractive and 300-like) is not particularly aerodynamic (but the same is also true for most letter cars); reportedly the 1979 300 gives up a few mph in top speed to its similarly-equipped Dodge Magnum GT stablemate, due entirely to the latter’s slightly-sloped nose.11 So choose something else for your land-speed record attempt. But for relatively high-speed, sustained travel on a tough road like Route 66, the 1979 300 still fits the bill.

To my knowledge, the 1979 300 has not been used as an off-road rally car. I believe that some of the letter cars (e.g., the J or K model?) had successes of this kind, and why not? The basic engineering and heavy-duty components are in place, perhaps needing only some minor tweaking. And that also applies to the 1979 300, perhaps to some extent even more so (e.g., the disc brakes). So, I suppose, the 1979 300 could be made into an off-road or long-distance endurance rally car, and probably would make a very good one, e.g., for rallys like Peking-to-Paris or some such. Perhaps some day racers will catch on to this potential (if they can find a suitable 1979 300, which may be difficult as they are getting rare). But again that is not my thing, nor is it the intended purpose of the 1979 300.

So, as it stands, the 1979 300 is not a sports car, or a land-speed record car, or an off-road rally car. Nor is it a NASCAR winner (aerodynamics, again) or a drag racer or a “muscle car” in the current sense (again, see Viper or Hellcat, or now the Demon, for that). Some of the letter cars check these boxes, and that is great (and historically important). But, in my view, that is not entirely what these cars are about or what made them the success they were when new and still are today; instead, what is equally important is the cars’ unique capabilities as high-powered yet stylish and comfortable long-distance GT cars.12

The Chrysler 300 as GT car. As noted above, a few years ago a well-known European classic car magazine did the unthinkable: It essentially conceded that there was a time when an American GT car bested its European rivals in virtually every respect, and at much lower cost (and with far greater durability and reliability).13 The car was a Chrysler 300-F, admittedly a prime example of the 300 genre. But the article extolled the virtues of all of the Chrysler letter cars, noting their superior performance in all practical respects, along with comfort, luxury and reliability, and at an extraordinarily low cost; the author essentially conceded that this may have been the best car in the world at the time, easily outshining far more expensive GT cars from Europe.14

You will get no argument from me on any of these points. These same things are essentially true for any letter car. But, more to my basic point, in large measure they are also true of the 1979 300. This should not be surprising, given that the 1979 300 (unlike later 300s) shares most of its basic engineering features with the letter cars.

Importance of Route 66 to the 1979 300. All of this illustrates the basic strengths of the 1979 300 (as well as the letter cars). The 1979 300 comes from a long line of cars designed to be used as long-distance, high-performance GT cars: Fun to drive, yet comfortable and stylish, and suitable for sustained travel at high-speeds on challenging roads like Route 66 (or the Pan American Highway).

Arguably this is a type of vehicle that no longer exists as such in the new-car marketplace. OK, maybe it doesn’t need to - - with completion of the Interstate Highway System, any econo-box or pick-up truck can travel at extra-legal speeds in relative comfort and safety. The roadway challenges of Route 66 are a thing of the past for most people. And today, if you want to venture off-road, there are many fine Jeeps (and others) to choose from. If you want to drag race, go for a Hellcat or Demon. For sports car racers, there are also many fine choices.

Likewise there are purpose-built rally cars, and 200 mph–plus supercars. But something is missing from this modern line-up: Without challenging roads like Route 66 (which still exists to a large extent in some states, although it is mostly limited to sparse recreational use and local traffic), there is less need for a fast, heavy-duty performance car like the letter cars or the 1979 300; thus, the unique characteristics of the letter cars and 1979 300 are largely unneeded today, and perhaps also underappreciated. The letter cars at least can rest on their racing history; lacking that, the 1979 300 goes largely unrecognized.15

To fully appreciate this, take an extended spin on Route 66 or one of its equivalent state highways. Although sections of Route 66 are continuing to disappear or be paved over, Oklahoma still has the longest surviving stretch of Route 66 anywhere, and it is possible to travel virtually the full length of the state, border-to-border, on the Mother Road (much of it with the original paving). This is very much equivalent to the 1950s Pan American Highway in Mexico, and gives the driver a real sense of long-distance American travel in the 1940s through the 1970s and even into the 1980s (and also the Mexican Road Race experience of the early 1950s).

This is where, literally, the rubber (and the engineering design of the 1979 300 suspension, brakes and steering) meets the road. As noted above, the Route 66 roadway is, to be blunt, rough and hazardous in many places with many dips and bumps and unmarked curves, hills and valleys. To master this road, at sustained highway speeds, requires a car with decidedly heavy-duty suspension, steering and brakes (like the letter cars and 1979 300). I have traveled Route 66 in other cars, including European sports cars, and believe me they can be too delicate for this task, especially on a sustained basis. This is perhaps reflected in the high drop-out rate of so many European sports cars and others in the original Mexican Road Races (on similar roads).

Today, many cruisers, car clubs and Route 66 touring events carefully select the sections of Route 66 to drive on, and avoid other sections, in order to minimize the risk of damage to their vehicles. And probably with good reason. This precaution is not needed with a 1979 300. The 1979 300 feels as though it was made for this road (which, in a broad historical sense, it was); the very heavy-duty components of the 1979 300 package show themselves to excellent effect in this environment, and inspire a comfort and confidence that other cars (including many modern performance cars) cannot match.

Relation to modern cars. Well, you may say, this tradition of heavy-duty performance lives on in modern vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (and now the Durango SRT). And that is well true, although the SRT models are also quite rare (and very expensive). Indeed, I would argue that the sequel to the 1979 300 was the first-generation Dodge Durango R/T, with essentially the same (E58) engine and also similar suspension components (adding rack-and-pinion steering and fuel injection), and perhaps the early Jeep Grand Cherokee with the same E58 5.9 liter engine. The current Grand Cherokee (and now Durango) SRT models, and their equivalent Dodge Challenger cousins, are the even more modern descendants of the 1979 300 (and the letter cars), though they cannot be called 300s as such, or even traditional Chrysler sedans.

Your author is a real fan of these latter-day Mopars (and would even say they deserve to be recognized in this club), but let’s take note that (even with their magnificent performance and modern technology) they are not quite as suitable as a letter car or 1979 300 for roads such as Route 66. For one thing, cruising Route 66 is like driving through a time capsule, i.e., a journey back in time. This warrants a car of similar vintage. Certainly a letter car is a fine way to go in this regard (though the sometimes rough pavement might make one hesitant to subject a valuable letter car to that punishment). In any event, the 1979 300 is perfect for this: As noted, the vintage is correct; at the same time the 1979 300 has the perfect suspension and braking system for this job, with the Cordoba suspension bushings replaced by firmer police-package components, and the front/rear anti-sway bars and heavy-duty torsion bars providing an optimal mix of comfort and firm control.

Yes, the subsequent Durango R/T (and Shelby Durango) and various SRT models also have optimal, and to some extent even more sophisticated, steering, suspension and braking systems (and I would grant them a high status in the Pantheon of Route 66 cruisers), but it can also be noted that the Jeep and Durango models have a relatively high center of gravity (inherent to some extent in an SUV), and this sometimes shows up (as a disadvantage) in the tight high-speed turns on Route 66. Chrysler has done all it can to limit this, but no one can alter the laws of physics (not even Porsche in its Cayenne SUV).

The 1979 300 masters this problem by combining a reasonably low center of gravity (still high enough to avoid obstacles) with a sophisticated, heavy-duty suspension system that never “bottoms out” at reasonable speeds no matter how severe the Route 66 dip or bump. This allows largely uninterrupted high-speed travel through all Route 66 road conditions, with minimal drama. To this day, there is no better road car than a 1979 300 for this kind of driving environment. But what about the modern Challenger R/T and SRT and like models? Fabulous vehicles, no doubt about that. Spiritual successors to the letter cars and 1979 300, I would argue, even taking the performance factor to unprecedented higher levels. Congratulations to the modern Chrysler Corp. for this achievement, perhaps to be the pinnacle of success in this regard.

But one thing lacking in the modern Challenger (or Charger, or 300) is a direct connection to the history of the original Chrysler Corporation, including such things as the Mexican Road Race cars, Route 66, the letter cars and the 1979 300. This does not detract from the performance, or appeal, of the more modern cars. But the vintage feel, the historical connection, is missing. The Chrysler longitudinal torsion bar suspension, used in the letter cars from 1957 and the 1979 300 (and the first-generation Durango) ranks, in your author’s view, as one of the great automotive engineering achievements of the twentieth century. It provides a unique (and historically genuine) driving experience, perfectly suited to the demands of Route 66. And (again, in my opinion) the ultimate incarnation of this suspension is in the1979 300 (the early Durango R/T is much the same, but with the inevitable effects of a higher center of gravity). The modern Mopar products are terrific, but some historical links are missing, and in some ways the newer cars owe more to Mercedes than to Chrysler history.

Summary and conclusion. In short, the 1979 300 reflects the ultimate evolution of the Mexican Road Race cars and Chrysler 300 letter cars, high-performance cars designed for demanding conditions on highways like Route 66 (and the Pan American Highway), that (for the most part) no longer exist except for recreational purposes.16 Like many other recreational byways, Route 66 offers plenty of curves, hills, dips and valleys, as well as narrow straights. But unlike some other favorite “driving roads,” Route 66 also retains considerable historical hazards, that reflect the dangers of mid-twentieth century highway travel (and the Mexican Road Race) including severe dips, rough pavement, dangerous intersections, unmarked turns and slow or local traffic that needs to be passed safely and in short order. These hazards present challenges that require a very competent road car, with a firm suspension (leave your Buick at home), excellent steering and brakes, a low center of gravity (leave your pick-up truck at home), and excellent mid-range power for passing slow cars. This is the American version of the Mexican Road Race, and a natural environment for the letter cars and likewise the 1979 300.

VII. So, Why is the 1979 300 the Best?

Well, the simple answer is that it is the ultimate incarnation of the features that make the letter cars famous as ultimate examples of the American GT car: a full-sized two-door sports sedan; durable, reliable and powerful Chrysler V8 engine; gearing to optimize mid-range performance; large power brakes (discs in front, metallic brake pads); sophisticated heavy duty suspension (using some Police Package parts) with front and rear anti-sway bars; firm-feel steering; heavy-duty transmission; alloy wheels; luxury interior (including high-quality leather on individual bucket-type seats); full instruments and remote-control rear-view mirrors; and of course unique Chrysler 300 styling features consistent with the letter cars.

Thus, the 1979 300 has the characteristics of a letter car, with some added bonuses including: (as noted) disc brakes; computerized engine control; modern air conditioning; sticky tires (from the factory); and arguably the most sophisticated suspension and handling of any Chrysler up to 1979. As a consequence, the 1979 300 offers the most advanced driving experience that one can have without giving up that genuine Chrysler 300 feel. In short, the best of the traditional Chrysler 300s. If you don’t believe it, take one out for an extended drive on a road like Route 66 - - there is nothing else like it, and it is one of the best-kept secrets of the Mopar world.

VIII. Epilogue – Some Personal Notes

Your author owns two 1979 300s. The first (car No.1) was purchased by my father in 1979 and immediately resold to me at my request after I saw and drove the car. He then purchased the second 1979 300 (car No. 2) to replace the one he sold me. I have kept car No.1 all of these years and later inherited car No. 2 from my father. Both cars have just over 100,000 miles; both were used extensively as daily drivers and for interstate travel, so they show normal wear and tear. Neither is a show car or garage queen, but both run like a Swiss watch and are a blast to drive.

Beyond this their histories diverged. Car No. 1 sat outside in the elements and Oklahoma’s weather took its toll. The dashboard cracked and was replaced; the leather interior dried and cracked from the sun and was replaced (to my later regret) with vinyl (the correct color, but not nearly as supple). The paint faded and when I delivered it to a paint shop they apparently took it for a joyride and hit a telephone pole. The damage was superficial and they repaired it but repainted the car in the wrong white color. It was subsequently repainted elsewhere in the correct color and even now (25 years later) the repaint looks pretty good, but it is no longer original. These are the kinds of things that happen to a daily driver over a nearly forty year period (which is a reason that original survivors are so rare).

In contrast, car No. 2 is all original, including paint, dashboard, interior and mechanicals. The original air conditioning system works just fine. It even has an original Mopar lean-burn engine computer (not the original one, but when that was replaced over twenty years ago the original manufacturer’s item was still in stock, and was installed - - it still operates today). Car No. 2 still rides on its second set of tires, now well over twenty years old (mandating a cautious driving stance, but so far so good).

Obviously these two cars are used for different purposes. Car No. 2 is exercised regularly but sparingly, and is occasionally displayed at car shows (winning two trophies, but I must confess that in both cases it was the only 1975 - 2000 Mopar in that class). But it stays within twenty miles of home (those old tires and lean-burn computer are reasons enough for this), and ventures out only in nice weather. In contrast, car No. 1 is used more like a normal car. It has newer tires and a modern electronic ignition system, and a replacement air conditioner. It has had some other minor repairs (ignition switch, wiper-motor, radiator, water pump, etc.) and I would be confident driving it anywhere.

Both cars are great to drive. There is nothing like the experience of driving a car with a torsion-bar suspension and a Chrysler V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor. In their book (the 1979 Chrysler 300 Handbook), Burkhardt & Veatch lament that young people accustomed to fuel injection do not appreciate the advancement it represents over carburetors (and I must note that the carbs on both of my 300s have been overhauled or replaced). Others have made the same observation and undoubtedly it is true. I have basically the same E58 360 cu. in. engine, as in the 1979 300, in my 2003 Dodge Durango R/T, except with throttle-body fuel injection, and it is very smooth and efficient indeed. But in the Durango I miss that throaty-roar that comes when you open the two extra barrels in the 1979 300. Together with the very firm suspension in the 1979 300 (from the Police-spec components), the car’s low center of gravity and the excellent design of the torsion-bar suspension, the E58 carburated engine provides a unique driving experience.

Notably, the 1979 300 package includes a firm-feel steering gear. It provides excellent driving characteristics. On my car No. 1 (the modified one), I decided to experiment to see if I could get further improvements. I installed a medium-range aftermarket firm-feel steering gear (an item that I knew from previous experience to be an excellent product). Much to my surprise, in the 1979 300 there was no perceptible improvement whatsoever. This is a testament to the excellent original equipment provided in the 1979 300 package (as detailed in the Burkhardt & Veatch book). Both of my cars also have the “360 four barrel” chromium-look decal on the air cleaner (which brightens an engine compartment otherwise devoid of chrome), though Burkhardt & Veatch indicate this is only on “a minority of vehicles.” Unfortunately neither of my cars has a limited-slip differential (which was an option, and would seem to be appropriate for a car like this).

I doubt that Burkhardt & Veatch have any idea how much I appreciate and value their 1979 Chrysler 300 Handbook. I have read and re-read it multiple times over the years. (I believe it is still available through this club.) The technical data is of immense value, and the commentary and other text is fascinating. I wish it could be updated and expanded into a larger volume (though, given the lack of broad interest in the 1979 300, I suppose it would only sell about five copies - - including the two I would buy!). I have noted that few (if any) of the new members who join the club own 1979 300s, and the regular transitions between generations (and the lack of high-profile collector interest) likely mean that appreciation of the 1979 300, the last generation of traditional Chrysler 300s (and in some ways, at least, the best), is fast becoming a lost art. Bummer.


1 Your author is indebted to Dale Burkhardt & John Veatch, for producing their seminal work, THE 1979 CHRYSLER 300 HANDBOOK (1989), the “bible” of the 1979 300, which describes in considerable detail the features and importance of the 1979 300.

2 There are a number of sources available on The Mexican Road Race. One example, with lots of photos (many in color, especially for the post-1988 revival), though with excessive emphasis on European entries and not enough about the Chryslers, is JOHNNY TIPLER, LA CARRERA PAN-AMERICANA (Veloce Publ. Ltd. 2008).

3 Although the “vintage” cars are often, i.e., rebodied modern race cars. See, E.g., Tipler, id., Part 2: The Modern Era.

4 See, e.g., infra notes 6 & 9.

5 See, e.g., JOHN GUNNELL, CHRYSLER 300 1955-1961 (Classic Motorbooks photo facts) at 8-10 (1992).

6 The Chrysler-powered Monteverdi 375L has been compared to its Italian super car contemporaries (e.g., Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborgini). See, e.g., Martin Buckley, Welcome to the Jet Set, Classic & Sports Car, Dec. 2016, at 120 (comparing the Monteverdi 375L, Maserati Mexico and Ferrari 365GT 2+2). In essence, the Chrysler V8-powered 375L is regarded as having supercar performance comparable to the best 12-cylinder European GT cars. But much the same can be said for a variety of Chrysler 300s, including the 1979 300. At 375 (gross) horsepower and a weight of 3,665 lbs., the Monteverdi has a weight advantage of 162 lbs. over the 3,827 lbs. of the 1979 300 (a small difference in your author’s view). The 195 net horsepower of the 1979 300 equates to about 280 gross horsepower; this gives the Monteverdi a 95 horsepower advantage over the 1979 300, a not inconsiderable difference. On the other hand, anyone who really wants it can easily coax another 95 horses out of the E58 Chrysler V8 engine in the 1979 300, thus achieving similar performance, at considerably less cost than the roughly $350,000 current value of the Monteverdi 375L. A Ferrari will set you back even more, making the 1979 300 a screaming GT bargain.

7 See, e.g., Mike Taylor, The Commander, Classic Cars, July 2013, at 99 (regarding Chrysler-powered Bristol GT cars).

8 Again, recounted in appropriate detail elsewhere. See, e.g., supra note 2.

9 See, e.g., supra note 6. This GT orientation became more pronounced in the letter cars of the late 1950s and early 1960s. For example, the 1960 300-F was one of the first letter cars to come with “all the trim and trappings” of a pure GT car, and by 1961 the 300-G was being marketed primarily as “a grand touring automobile.” See Gunnell, supra note 5, at 54 - 55 & 65 (emphasis in original). Clearly this does not diminish the cars’ appeal. As noted in Britain’s Classic Cars magazine (quoting Ray Brock in Hot Rod magazine), the 300-F was “head and shoulders above any other car on the road.” The article concludes that a person who appreciates these cars is “one of the few who knows how close America came to making the best cars in the world.” Nigel Boothman, Finned, Fast & Furious, Classic Cars, Oct. 2011 at 90, 94. Thus, the intrinsic (as opposed to historical or racing) appeal of these cars lies in their GT car attributes.

10 Thus requiring a ruggedness for which many European GT cars are not noted. Those who may view the Route 66 experience as largely as series of boring interludes between diners and curio shops are missing this essential aspect of the road and its history.

11 Likewise the slightly more aerodynamic R-body police cars with the same E58 engine reportedly have a top speed advantage of maybe 5 mph. See Burkhardt & Veatch, supra note 1, at 13 & Figure 9.

12 Again, as suitable for sustained high-speed travel on challenging roads such as Route 66. See supra Part V.

13 See Boothman, supra note 9.

14 Id. See generally supra Part V.

15 Perhaps the closest thing to an appropriate racing history, though the connection is far too tenuous for many people to recognize, can be found in Brock Yates’ book about the famous Cannonball Run (“Officially” the Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash). See BROCK YATES, CANNONBALL! WORLD’S GREATEST OUTLAW ROAD RACE (MBI Publ. 2002). This was a completely unsanctioned and illegal cross-country road race (parts of it on Route 66, as the race predated completion of the Interstate Highway System). For the 1972 race, Brock Yates chose a Dodge Challenger optioned much like the 1979 300. The basic engineering components are quite similar between these cars, the Challenger running a 340 cu. in. small block V8 (later increased to 360 cu. In. in the 1979 300), chosen because Yates knew the car could run almost continuously at 90-100 mph, for days on end, across the entire country (stopping only for gasoline and bathrooms). The car finished second, crossing the country (New York City to the California Coast) in 37 hours and 26 minutes (a mere ten minutes after the first place winner), at an average speed of 77.8 mph. This was an incredible achievement, given the roads of the day. The same car finished third in the 1975 race, with a time of 38 hours and three minutes. A series of successful full-length feature movies (including Vanishing Point, Gumball Rally, Cannonball Run, and Smokey and the Bandit) loosely celebrated the race. As the C-300 was almost a clone of the Mexican Road Race Chryslers, so also the 1979 300 is essentially a variation of the Brock Yates Cannonball car and, just as the C-300 barely missed the Mexican Road Race, so also the 1979 300 barely missed the Cannonballs, being introduced in early 1979 after the last Cannonball had already been organized. I am not saying a 1979 300 would have been entered, given better timing, only that it should have been.

16 As noted a few years ago in Mopar Action magazine, the 1979 B-bodies (e.g., Cordoba and Magnum) are “the last B-body performance cars (360-4 E58 equipped).” See Richard Ehrenberg, Resto Topics, Mopar Action, Dec. 2014, at 14. Perhaps concerned about offending his drag racer readers, the author went on to say “[w]whether you agree with that or not, they were indeed, the last B-bodies.” Id. That was a little tacky. But my real quibble is that the magazine feature pictures a 1979 300 and labels it a “79 Cordoba (shown).” By this logic perhaps the 1955 C-300 should be labeled as a “Chrysler New Yorker (with-300 package)”? In any event, unless you limit “high-performance” to drag racing or a very high top speed, the 1979 300 is clearly the last traditional high-performance Chrysler 300.