RE: [Chrysler300] Chrysler C-300

["Rich Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

Someone may have an authentic answer, but here are some facts.  Chrysler had
been using the prefix "C" for many years to designate Chrysler models.  The
other Chrysler models in 1955 were C-67:  Windsor, C-68: New Yorker, C-69:
Imperial and C-70:  Crown Imperial.  Plymouth models start3ed with a P,
Dodge with a D and DeSotos with an S.  The 1955 Chrysler service manual
refers to the 300's as C-300's, so that makes it official.  Their
advertising in 1955 also referred to it as a C-300, as did the many magazine
articles written about it that year and since.

Chrysler's 1955-58 Parts Manual designates the 1955 300's as C68-300, the
1956 300's as C71-300 and 1957 300's as C76-300, all suggesting the 300 was
a sub model of the New Yorker each year.  In 1958 the New Yorkers were
designated LC3-H and the 300's were designated LC3-S.

There is speculation that the C prefix was to honor sportsman Briggs
Cunningham who raced and developed early hemi Chryslers.  His cars carried
the C prefix for that fine auld Scot-Irish surname (shared by our Microfilm
Archivist and Honorary Cuzzin Gil Cunningham and my Grandfather Harry
Cunningham, himself a Chrysler man).  Briggs Cunningham's cars were
designated C-1, C2R and C4R, the C4R being most successful and powered with
Chrysler hemi's.  Those designations do not directly lead to C-300, but did
indicate Mr. Cunningham had some sense that he might be creating a series of
race cars..

My own observation is that, since the new 300 was a separate and
high-profile model, it did need some specific designation for parts,
service, registration and marketing.  It appears that no one at Chrysler had
the guts to assume they were creating an icon and starting a model that
would last for over 50 years.  If so, they could have called the 1955 a
Chrysler 300A.  As you can see, the Service and Marketing Departments called
it one thing and the Parts department called it another.  

I like our '55-'56 consultant John Lazenby's personalized plate on his 1955
Chrysler 300 reading "PRE B".  I tried to get a personalized plate "1955
300" here in CA and found that, even though it had not been issued, I could
not have it as 7-digit plates are CA EXEMPT plates for fire trucks, police
cars, ambulances & etc.  So I chose "1955 CCC", just to confuse the
witnesses.  One spectator at a car show tried to tell her that our 1955 was
not a letter car since it did not have a letter suffix.  Ruthanne set that
poor misinformed guy straight!

Probably room for additional documentation and speculation here and,
undoubtedly, more than you asked for, but there it is from my perspective.

C-300'ly,
Rich Barber
Brentwood, CA
1955 Chrysler C68-300/C-300/300 PRE B, but never called a 300-A

-----Original Message-----
From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Josh Mishler
Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 1:11 PM
To: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Chrysler300] Chrysler C-300

Hello Everyone,
I was just curious if someone could tell me if the C
in C-300 stood for anything other than Chrysler?  I
was thinking I read that it didn't just stand for
Chrysler, but thought I would check with a panel of
experts.  I just thought that if it would be redundant
if it did stand for Chrysler. That would make it the
1955 Chrysler Chrysler-300?  Just puzzled.
Thanks,
Josh Mishler


      

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