Body style: Coupé (two-door)
Segment: Coupe
Production years: 1955, 1956
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.
ENGINE SPECS - 5.4L V8 3AT (300 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 5425 cm3 |
Power: | 223.7 KW @ 5200 RPM 304.2 HP @ 5200 RPM 300 BHP @ 5200 RPM |
Torque: | 345 lb-ft @ 3200 RPM 468 Nm @ 3200 RPM |
Fuel System: | 2 Carburetors |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 128 mph (206 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 10.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 3-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Drums |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 8.00 x 15 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 218.6 in (5552 mm) |
Width: | 79.1 in (2009 mm) |
Height: | 59 in (1499 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.2/59.6 in (1,529/1,514 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 126 in (3200 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.5 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 4079 lbs (1850 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 12.4 mpg US (19 L/100Km) |