1930 Chrysler Series 70

History

The Chrysler Corporation has been in existence since the early 1920's with its first vehicle offered for mass production being the Model B-70. It was introduced to the public at the New York Auto Show held at the city's Hotel Commodore. The vehicle was very versatile with nine body styles being offered that ranged from $2725 through $3225. The vehicles were offered in a variety of two- and four-door configurations with seating that could accommodate up to five passengers. Mounted under the hood was a six-cylinder L-head engine that displaced just over 200 cubic inches and produced nearly 70 horsepower. The engine was mated to a three-speed manual gearbox with floor shift controls, shaft drive, and a conventional clutch. Braking was by four-wheel hydraulics. All body styles rode on a 112.75-inch wheelbase and had a length of 160 inches.

The response was positive, with nearly 80,000 examples of both the Chrysler and the Maxwells sold. As such, little was changed in the following year.

The Series 70 would remain in production until 1931. It had withstood the onset of the Great Depression and by the early 1930s, was feeling its age. A new look had been introduced for Chrysler in the early 1930s, though little changed on the Series 70. For 1931, the list of models included the Series CJ with its six-cylinder engine, the CD and CG with eight cylinders, and the CM which was also known as the 'New SEries Six'. The Series 66 and Series 70 had both been carried over from the prior year with few changes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2007