1930 Chrysler Series 66

Walter Percy Chrysler was the works manager for Buick in 1910 after being plant manager of the American Locomotive Company. By the time he left Buick in 1919, he had reached the top of the management ladder and served as its president. With approximately $10 million for the sale of his stock, these resources were later used to start his own automobile company. In the interim, he accepted a job from Chase National Bank which had a controlling interest in the troubled John North Willys automotive business (Willys-Overland of Toledo, Ohio). Chrysler was tasked with streamlining the business, for which he was paid approximately $1 million dollars. He remained with Willys for two years and during that time was unsuccessful at taking control from John Willys. The Maxwell Motor Corporation had recently merged with Chalmers, and Chrysler saw an opportunity to acquire a controlling interest in the ailing Maxwell Company, absorbing it into his new firm, the Chrysler Corporation, In Detroit, Michigan, in 1925. The Chrysler Company was followed by the Plymouth and DeSoto marques, and in 1928 they acquired Dodge Brothers, renaming it Dodge.

Walter P. Chrysler was named Time magazine's Man of the Year for 1928, his Chrysler Building in New York City was completed in 1930, and he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1967.

The first Chrysler automobiles of 1924 were powered by an L-head six-cylinder engine with a 201 cubic-inch displacement, seven main bearings, a Ball & Ball carburetor, and offered 68 horsepower. The wheelbase measured 112.75 inches and prices ranged from $1,200 to $2,195. The Town Car was priced higher, at $3,725. The transmission was a three-speed manual with stopping power provided by four-wheel hydraulic brakes.

In 1926, a four-cylinder model, a continuation of the Maxwell, joined the Six and had a wheelbase size of 109. The Six now rested on a standard 120-inch platform or a 127-inch version for the seven-passenger models. A larger 133-inch was available on a special order basis. The four-cylinder engine had an L-head design, 185.8 cubic-inch displacement, solid valve lifters, and delivered 38 horsepower. The Six now displaced 218.6 CID and produced 68 horsepower, while a larger 288 CID version had 92 horsepower.

The 'Imperial' joined the Chrysler lineup in 1927 and was positioned as the company's prestigious model. The lineup continued to grow as the 1920s were coming to an end, with four- and six-cylinder power offered on six-wheelbase lengths. Two and four-door models with up to seven-passenger configurations were offered, including both factory and custom coachwork from builders such as LeBaron, Dietrich, and Locke.

In 1929, the four-cylinder line was moved to Plymouth, leaving only six-cylinder options. Six-cylinder would be the sole engine option for 1929 and 1930, joined in 1931 by an inline-8.

The 1930 Chrysler model lineup included the CJ-6 on a 109-inch wheelbase, the Series 66 with a 112.75-inch platform, the Series 70 at 116.5-inches, the Series 77 at 124-inches, and the Imperial measuring 136-inches. Prices on the 66 ranged from $995 to $1075, the Series 70 was priced from $1,300 to $1,450, the Series 77 at $1,670 to $1,800, and the Imperial at $3,000 to $3,575.

The Series CJ (CJ-6) was priced from $795 to $850. It was positioned as a smaller, more economical version of the Chrysler. it was introduced in February of 1930 and had a low-slung chassis, rubber spring shackles, hydraulic shock absorbers, and hydraulic internal brakes. Unlike other Chrysler models up to this point (except for the 1924 and 1925 Chryslers and the Imperial designation), the Series CJ was not named with a model designation indicating its top speed. The engine in the CJ was the first Chrysler six to have four main bearings instead of seven.

The Series 66 was initially powered by a 195.6 cubic-inch inline-6 with 65 horsepower. This engine was later replaced by a 218.6 CID six with 68 horsepower at 3,000 RPM. Both the CJ-6 and the Series 66 used a three-speed manual transmission while the other Chrysler models received a four-speed 'multi-range' manual. All models had hydraulic brakes.

Styling modifications on the 1930 Series 66 over its 1929 counterparts included bowl-shaped headlights, pennon-type hood louvers, and changes to the fenders and radiator profile. Many of these styling updates were implemented throughout most of the 1930 Chrysler line. Standard equipment included rubber spring shackles, a new three-spoke steering wheel, and a Delco Remy ignition.

The Royal Seda was the most popular Series 66 body style with 13,753 examples built. The business coupe, Royal Coupe, and Brougham sedan had similar sales figures, at 2,014, 3,257, and 2,343 respectively. A total of 1,213 examples of the roadster were built and a mere 26 of the phaeton. The Series 33 accounted for approximately 29 percent of Chrysler's 1930 production.

The Series 66 was named for its 66 mph top speed.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2020