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mogge65 - 2010-02-09 7:59 PM

"The Big Brute"

Better known as "The Big Brute", the Chrysler 300E, considered part of the New Yorker
series, continued the tradition of luxurious, high-performance driving pleasure. Minor
styling revisions and the use of a "wedge-shaped" combustion chamber engine were
changes. The new engine was said to have performance equal to or slightly better than
the 392 hemi engine which left no doubt as to the car's heritage. A revived grill on the
familiar theme eliminated the vertical bar look. A 300 insignia was placed on the driver's
side of the hood, in line with the headlamps. Swivel bucket seats were available and the
red-white-blue medallion was positioned in its usual place. The letter "E" was added to
the medallion to signify the new model as the 300E. This was the last year for separate
body and frame design.

The appearance of the 300 E was similar to the previous model. The most significant
change was the use of narrow horizontal red bars highlighted by four chrome bars in place
of the older eggcrate grille. Red bars were also used in the narrow air scoops for the front
brakes that were positioned below the headlights. Also new were the "300" letters located
on the lower, driver side portion of the hood. At the rear were new taillights and a larger
bumper with recessed back-up lights. The 300 medallion was positioned near the front of
the side sweep spear. Also new were wheelcovers with gear-shaped center portions.
Inside, the instrumental continued the tradition of easy-to- read gauges with two large
circular gauges. The left unit contained the odometer and the 150 mph speedometer. The
right unit contained the ammeter, fuel, oil pressure, and water temperature gauges.

300E I.D. NUMBERS:
Serial numbers and engine numbers were located as on previous models. All cars were
built in Detroit and numbered M591-100001 and up.

300E SERIES:
Model Body Style Body Type Shipping Total
Number Number & Seating Price Weight Production

MC3-H 592 2-Dr Hardtop $ 5,318 4,290 550
MC3-H 595 2-Dr Convertible $ 5,749 4,350 140

300E SERIES ENGINE:
V-8. Cast iron block. Displacement 413 cubic inches. Bore and stroke: 4.18 X 3.75
inches. Compression ratio: 10.1:1. Brake horsepower: 390 @ 5,200 RPM. Five main
bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Cooling system: 16 quarts. Carburetors: two (2) Carter
four-barrels Type AFB Model 2798S. The 413 Wedge also featured low-restriction air
cleaners, heavy-duty valve springs and dampers, and a fluid fan drive.

CHASSIS FEATURES:
Wheelbase: 126 inches. Overall length: 220.9 inches. Front tread: 61.2 inches. Rear tread
60.0 inches. Tires: 9.00 X 14 inches. The 300E suspension continued to use front torsion
bars and semi-elliptic rear leaf springs.

CONVENIENCE OPTIONS:
Power steering. Power windows. Power brakes. Pushbutton Chrysler Torqueflite 3-speed
automatic transmission. Power swivel seats. Air-temp air conditioning. Custom super
soft cushion rayon white sidewall tires. Stainless steel wheel covers. Remote control
mirror. AM radio. Power antenna. Solex glass. Heater. Rear window defroster. Auto-Pilot.
Windshield washer. Undercoating. Non-slip differential. Hand brake warning lights. Sill
moldings. Both the coupe and convertible were available in six different colors: ivory white,
formal black, cameo tan, metallic turquoise-grey, radiant red, or copper spice.

HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
This was the first year of the "B" block engines. It was the last year for separate body and
frame construction. Golden Lion was the new advertising theme. The 1959 models were
introduced on October 24, 1958.

PERFORMANCE:
Acceleration was fast at a claimed 8.3 second 0-60 time.

American Motorcars From Yesteryear
1959 Chrysler 300E