1964 Chrysler 300K

Chrysler introduced its 300 'Letter Series' in 1955 and at the time, was the most powerful American automobile of the year and equipped with a modified 331.1 cubic-inch Hemi engine with a full race camshaft and two four-barrel carburetors developing 300 brake horsepower. It had a heavy-duty suspension, and a full leather interior, and wore the all-new Virgil Exner-designed '100 Million Dollar Look' styling. These were Chrysler's entries to winning on the racetrack and provided the engine technology for the Plymouths and Dodges that were very successful in the NASCAR competition. The 1955 Chrysler 300 is often credited as being the first real muscle car.

For 1956, the '300' became the '300B', and styling changes were similar to those applied to other 1956 Chryslers. The third version, the 1957 Chrysler 300C, continued to reign as the fastest and most powerful production car in the country, with its 392 CID V8 now rated at 375 horsepower. Production of the 300 'letter series' lasted from 1955 to 1965, with successive model years given the next letter of the alphabet as a suffix, although 'i' was skipped, and reaching the 300L by 1965, after which the model sequence was discontinued. The most potent standard engine installed in the 300 'letter series' was the 1964 300K, rated at 390 horsepower.

Chrysler touted the letter series as the finest 'Gran Tourismo' automobiles in the world and the list of standard equipment was not short of sport-style luxury. The 300 received another complete Exner restyling in 1963, and for 1964, it mirrored the regular 300 series, but with a more luxurious interior and a more powerful engine. The front bucket seats were ample and the rear high-back seat design featured the lowered center trim divider with 300K callouts.

1964 was the best year for sales of the entire 'letter series' with 3,022 examples of the coupe and 625 of the convertibles sold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2021

After a one-year absence from the lineup, the Chrysler 300 Letter Car series 'convertible' Bodystyle made its return. They took their styling cues from the regular 300 Series, but were given several distinguishing features such as lettering and a more luxurious interior. There was standard and leather trim available, and a between-the-seats center console. The overhead-valve Cross Ram 413.8 CID V8 offered nearly 400 horsepower and came standard with an automatic gearbox. A convertible and hardtop coupe was available, with the convertible costing an additional $500 over the coupe. It is believed that 615 examples of the convertible were produced and 3,022 of the Hardtop Coupe. Just 138 convertibles are known to still exist.
By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012