Chrysler 300

This page is about the modern Chrysler 300. For the series of cars of the 1950s and early 1960s, see Chrysler 300 letter series.

The Chrysler 300 is a full-size car designed by Ralph Gilles. There have been many vehicles using the name, starting in 1955 and continuing to this day.

1979

The 300 name made a brief reappearance in 1979, as a limited special edition Chrysler Cordoba. This "300" had non-functional fender vents, red, white, and blue pin stripes, and a High Output 360 in³ engine (the most powerful engine in the lineup in 1979, as 400 in³ V8 production ended with the 1978 model year) mated to a special 3-speed automatic transmission. Surprisingly, the car was a fairly good performer in its time, as 1979 was not exactly a banner year for muscle cars, and the emissions equipment really strangled the engines of that time period. One test showed that it actually outperformed many of the "real" 300s of lore.[citation needed] Only 3,811 were produced. They come up on eBay from time to time, and are still quite reasonably priced. Very few options were available on these cars; the most notable were the T-top roof and moon roof.

1999 300M

Main article: Chrysler 300M

For the 1999 model year, DaimlerChrysler revived the 300 name with the 300M. This time it was a front-wheel drive, V6-engined car using the Chrysler LH platform. While not technically part of the famous "letter series" of the 1950s and 1960s, Chrysler did have a sense of continuity, using the next letter, M, after the last 300L. It was 10inches (250mm) shorter than the Concorde, and was priced above the Concorde. The 300M was a luxury car as opposed to the mainstream status on the Concorde, and, along with the LHS, was portrayed as one of Chrysler's "flagship" vehicles. The 300M was in production until 2004, when the Chrysler 300 replaced it.

2005

The current 300 is a full-size sport/luxury sedan which was first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car and first introduced in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model.