Re: [Chrysler300] Chrysler C-300

["Ron Stewart" <ronstewart31@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

 the c stood for coupe. C300 ron
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rich Barber 
  To: 'Josh Mishler' ; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 5:19 PM
  Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] Chrysler C-300


  Someone may have an authentic answer, but here are some facts. Chrysler had
  been using the prefix "C" for many years to designate Chrysler models. The
  other Chrysler models in 1955 were C-67: Windsor, C-68: New Yorker, C-69:
  Imperial and C-70: Crown Imperial. Plymouth models start3ed with a P,
  Dodge with a D and DeSotos with an S. The 1955 Chrysler service manual
  refers to the 300's as C-300's, so that makes it official. Their
  advertising in 1955 also referred to it as a C-300, as did the many magazine
  articles written about it that year and since.

  Chrysler's 1955-58 Parts Manual designates the 1955 300's as C68-300, the
  1956 300's as C71-300 and 1957 300's as C76-300, all suggesting the 300 was
  a sub model of the New Yorker each year. In 1958 the New Yorkers were
  designated LC3-H and the 300's were designated LC3-S.

  There is speculation that the C prefix was to honor sportsman Briggs
  Cunningham who raced and developed early hemi Chryslers. His cars carried
  the C prefix for that fine auld Scot-Irish surname (shared by our Microfilm
  Archivist and Honorary Cuzzin Gil Cunningham and my Grandfather Harry
  Cunningham, himself a Chrysler man). Briggs Cunningham's cars were
  designated C-1, C2R and C4R, the C4R being most successful and powered with
  Chrysler hemi's. Those designations do not directly lead to C-300, but did
  indicate Mr. Cunningham had some sense that he might be creating a series of
  race cars..

  My own observation is that, since the new 300 was a separate and
  high-profile model, it did need some specific designation for parts,
  service, registration and marketing. It appears that no one at Chrysler had
  the guts to assume they were creating an icon and starting a model that
  would last for over 50 years. If so, they could have called the 1955 a
  Chrysler 300A. As you can see, the Service and Marketing Departments called
  it one thing and the Parts department called it another. 

  I like our '55-'56 consultant John Lazenby's personalized plate on his 1955
  Chrysler 300 reading "PRE B". I tried to get a personalized plate "1955
  300" here in CA and found that, even though it had not been issued, I could
  not have it as 7-digit plates are CA EXEMPT plates for fire trucks, police
  cars, ambulances & etc. So I chose "1955 CCC", just to confuse the
  witnesses. One spectator at a car show tried to tell her that our 1955 was
  not a letter car since it did not have a letter suffix. Ruthanne set that
  poor misinformed guy straight!

  Probably room for additional documentation and speculation here and,
  undoubtedly, more than you asked for, but there it is from my perspective.

  C-300'ly,
  Rich Barber
  Brentwood, CA
  1955 Chrysler C68-300/C-300/300 PRE B, but never called a 300-A

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
  Behalf Of Josh Mishler
  Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 1:11 PM
  To: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: [Chrysler300] Chrysler C-300

  Hello Everyone,
  I was just curious if someone could tell me if the C
  in C-300 stood for anything other than Chrysler? I
  was thinking I read that it didn't just stand for
  Chrysler, but thought I would check with a panel of
  experts. I just thought that if it would be redundant
  if it did stand for Chrysler. That would make it the
  1955 Chrysler Chrysler-300? Just puzzled.
  Thanks,
  Josh Mishler

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