If your interests are more focused on sports and performance cars, but you’ve been curious about the world of American luxury cars of the mid-20th century, the offerings from Chrysler should sound like a good gateway drug – with a greater focus on handling and performance than, say, Cadillac or Lincoln, you can have the large-car experience without having to give up all pretense of roadholding. You also get the what-was-once-old-is-new-again mid-century modern styling, of which some of the best examples are the Elwood Engel-designed Lincolns and Chryslers. Plus, you get to say your car was designed by a guy called Elwood. Let’s take a look at this 1966 Chrysler 300 for sale for $4500 in Seattle, WA.
Red is generally not a good color for larger cars, but it really works on this luxury coupe, which might have had some sporting pretensions. Said to be all original, and currently with its second owner, it looks to be in very appealing condition. The sides of the car look glossy, but the low-angle photography obscures the condition of the horizontal surfaces, which you’d expect to be faded if the paint was 50 years old. Hubcaps with pseudo-knockoff fasteners, quad headlamps, and faux fender vents add to the luxo-sport vibe.
These micro pictures have to be from a circa-2008 cell phone, as they don’t help you see the car in great detail. What is visible, though, looks straight and complete, and the lower areas of the vinyl roof look in good shape. Speaking of which, that black vinyl should keep the red paint from dominating the car’s looks. There’s no mistaking its size, though, but if you’re trying something different from your usual diet of sports cars, this is as different as you’ll get.
The engine is pretty hard to see, but it’s said to be a 383 4-barrel, which in gross terms, gave 330hp and a stonking 460 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s said to be a strong running engine, and the only issue the seller mentions with the car is a little rust on the rear quarter panel. The engine compartment looks driver-clean, leaving room for you to use it without having to do constant tidying, or to easily take it to show level.
The interior is in excellent condition for the age, and clearly owes a debt to Lincoln and its own Chrysler forebears. Even the rear seats look comfortable, and the trunk retains its factory mat. Imagine taking off for the weekend, four or six up, and all in one car – not an SUV, not a van, but a car. Where would you take your first road trip?
Rusty But Trusty 
July 19, 2016 at 8:11 am |
I like the clock in the console… Our family had a 1965 Sport Fury, it also had the gigantic brake pedal shown in the above picture. The ironic thing was the power brakes seemed to be overly boosted as you could stop quickly just pressing on the pedal with your big toe.