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I
came across a few window stickers and sales papers for some Letter
Cars.
This gives an idea what it was
like
to
purchase a new Letter Car back in the day.
1955
300
The base
price is $4,055. The papers I have are not specific on options, just
a delivered price of $4,200. Available options would have been: power
steering ($113), power seat ($70), power windows ($102), standard
radio ($110), heater ($92), wire wheels ($617).
1956
300B
The base
price is $4,312. The papers I have are not specific on options, just
a delivered price of $5,150. Available options would have been:
manual transmission ($70), AC ($567.00), power steering ($97.00).
1958
300D
This is a
white coupe. We have the sticker for this car. The base price was
$5,173. This car added a heater ($93.30), a radio with rear speaker
(114.90), power seats ($101.90), and power windows ($107.60). The
sticker reads $5,954.
1958
300D
This is a
white convertible with fuel injection. We have the sticker for this car. The base price was
$5,603. Add Fuel injection ($400.00), power seat ($101.90), power windows ($107.60), power antenna ($25.80), heater ($93.30), SureGrip ($51.70), left remote mirror ($13.80), Touch Tune radio ($124.10), and Solex glass ($15.90). The
sticker reads $7,262.45.
1961
300G
This was a
white coupe. The base price was $5,411. This car had a heater
($101.90), power antenna ($21.90), and AM radio with rear speaker
($117.10). The sticker is $5,817.90.
1961
300G
This was a
white coupe with a manual transmission. The base price was $5,411.
Add a heater ($101.90), power antenna ($21.90), AM radio with rear
speaker ($117.10), manual transmission ($150.60) and you get a
sticker of $5,974.50.
1964
300K
This was a
white coupe. The base price was $4,043. Add leather seats ($93.30),
the ram package ($375.40), power windows ($107.60), AM radio with
rear speaker ($110.10), AC ($510.40), and power seats R&L
($186.45) for a sticker of $5,721.85.
1964
300K
This was a
black convertible. The base price was $4,522. Leather seats ($93.30),
the ram package ($375.40), power windows ($107.60), AM radio
($92.80), AC ($510.40), and a driver power seat ($93.30) for a
sticker of $6,045.40.
1965
300L
This is a
turquoise convertible. The base price was $4,618. It had a power
drivers seat ($78.95), power windows ($107.60), AM radio with rear
speaker (110.10), and out the door price of $5,307.95.
1965
300L
This is a
pink-silver coupe. The base price was $4,168. Add a power drivers
seat ($78.95), power windows ($107.60), AM FM radio with rear speaker
(174.30), AC ($414.55) for a total of $5,200.45.
1970
Hurst
The base
price was $5,939. AC ($405.85), AM FM search tune radio ($186.90) to
sticker at $6,729.00
If you
could go back in time and order a new Letter Car, what options would
you pick? $617 wire wheels in 1955? How about AC? No matter what
year, AC was a $400-$500 option. Power seats? I was surprised that
power windows cost as much as the radio.
And while
we are in the process of buying a new Letter Car, did you ever wonder
what the warranty was back then? In 1955 it was 90 days or 4,000
miles. Hard to believe, but that was the industry standard and that
warranty policy goes back to 1935! It wasn't until 1963 when warranty became
5 years or 50,000 miles.
Here
is a summary table of the price of a Letter Car
and
the price of an average new car for the same year.
|
Year
|
Letter Car
|
Average New Car
|
|
55
|
$4,200
|
$2,400
|
|
B
|
$5,150
|
$2,400
|
|
D coupe
|
$5,954
|
$2,500
|
|
D convertible
|
$7,262
|
$2,500
|
|
G coupe
|
$5,817
|
$2,850
|
|
G coupe
|
$5,974
|
$2,850
|
|
K coupe
|
$5,721
|
$3,250
|
|
K convertible
|
$6,045
|
$3,250
|
|
L convertible
|
$5,307
|
$3,250
|
|
L coupe
|
$5,200
|
$3,250
|
|
Hurst
|
$6,729
|
$3,500
|
A new
Letter Car would be about double the price of the average new car.
But
take a look at this table where we compare the
Letter
Car to the dollar of 2026.
|
Year
|
Old Money
|
2026 Money
|
|
55
|
$4,200
|
$50,800
|
|
B
|
$5,150
|
$61,375
|
|
D coupe
|
$5,954
|
$67,000
|
|
D convertible
|
$7,262
|
$81,000
|
|
G coupe
|
$5,817
|
$63,050
|
|
G coupe
|
$5,974
|
$64,765
|
|
K coupe
|
$5,721
|
$59,850
|
|
K convertible
|
$6,045
|
$63,250
|
|
L convertible
|
$5,307
|
$54,588
|
|
L coupe
|
$5,200
|
$53,505
|
|
Hurst
|
$6,729
|
$56,200
|
Compare
the 2026 price of a Letter Car with the $80,000 price of a new
HellCat and you can make the argument that buying a new Letter Car
back then would have been bargain.
If
you could, which new Letter Car would you order, and what options
would you get?
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