From 1955 to 1965, the Chrysler brand released a series of amazing high-performance luxury cars branded as the 300 letter series. Known as the “bankers hot-rod”, the luxury coupes sat below the New Yorker in the lineup and were blazing fast on the street and the race track.
This beautiful 1961 Chrysler 300G convertible marks the third generation of the iconic nameplate. In 1961, 300G received a new grille design, a set of quad-headlamps that canted inward at the bottom, while the parking lamps below the headlamps were likewise slanted and V-shaped. The front bumper was canted up at each end, to create a scoop-like appearance. At the rear of the vehicle, the taillights were moved from the fins from the previous 1960 Chrysler 300F to the tail below them, and the fins were made sharper pointed.
The 300G featured power windows and rear bucket seats with a full-length console from the dashboard along the tunnel containing the driveshaft were now standard equipment. The “AstraDome” instrument cluster which was sometimes called the “gumball” or “jukebox” due to its appearance, was installed on all Chrysler vehicles for the 1961 model year.
Due to cross the auction block at Barrett-Jackson tomorrow, Saturday, July 2nd, this particular car is finished in the beautiful Formal Black exterior paint with a light tan interior and matching convertible top. Documented by the 300 Registry as 1 of only 337 built and 1 of only 124 known to exist, this 300G convertible shows the Chrysler brand at its finest hour.
Under the hood is a 6.8-liter (413 cubic-inch) “Golden Lion” V8. The Golden Lion was rated at 375 horsepower (280 kW) @ 5,000 rpm and 525 lb.-ft. (712 N⋅m) of torque @ 2,800 rpm. The engine was exclusive to the 300 and Imperial lineups and feature a Cross-Ram intake and dual four-barrel carburetors. This car features the optional 3-speed TorqueFlite A488 automatic transmission.
To aid in brake cooling, the hubcaps, and pressed steel wheels were introduced with slots to allow airflow across the drum brakes.
The Golden Lion was enough to push the 300G to a speed of 143 mph (230.1 km/h) at the Daytona Flying Mile. The top-6 fastest speeds ever recorded on the Daytona Beach were recorded by 300Gs, as the event was moved off the beach in 1962.
At the time, the 1961 Chrysler 300G convertible has a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $5,841 (or about $57,100.37 USD in 2022).
UPDATE: This beautiful car ended up taking in $194,700 when it crossed the auction block.
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