RE: [Chrysler300] Validation!

["Richard Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

It appears that Chrysler chose the interesting route of trying to make sure the bigger, more expensive cars (Chryslers)would out-perform the less expensive MoPars.  Eventually, Chrysler figured out their job was to sell cars, not to assure that the Chrysler owner could always blow the doors off a DeSoto, Dodge or Plymouth and started offering the monster 440’s, 426 wedges and 426 hemi’s in the Plymouths and Dodges and greatly increased their sales to everyman who watched King Richud and others dominate at the tracks on Sundays.  Otherwise, Chrysler could have shoehorned the big hemi’s into the little Dodge in 1953-56 and left no doubt as to who began the muscle car era.  As it was, I understand the little Dodges and De Soto Adventurers would occasionally challenge the big Chrysler 300’s.  I believe the ’54 Dodge was the Indy pace car that year.

 

Nevertheless, I believe the 1955 Chrysler 300 was the first muscle car.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  

 

I still remember the collective gasp issued by the general public in 1955 when they found out they could go right into their local Chrysler dealership and buy a beautiful, luxurious, stock and race-ready Chrysler with 300 HP. They “Flocked” to the showrooms, got sticker shock and more often than not, drove off in the very similar looking Windsor, New Yorker, FireDome or FireFlite.  The first muscle car did its job of generating traffic and sales.  Later muscle cars did even better for Chrysler, GM & Ford.

 

Rich Barber

Brentwood, CA

IF YOU FORWARD THIS E MAIL, PLEASE DELETE THE FORWARDING HISTORY WHICH INCLUDES MY E MAIL ADDRESS. IT IS A COURTESY TO ME AND OTHERS WHO MAY NOT WANT TO HAVE THEIR E MAIL ADDRESSES SENT ALL OVER THE WORLD. ERASING THE HISTORY HELPS PREVENT SPAMMERS FROM MINING ADDRESSES AND VIRUSES.

 

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rob Kern
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 6:47 PM
To: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Chrysler300] Validation!

 

  

Hello 300’ly to all!
While reading Randy Leffingwell’s CORVETTE FIFTY YEARS, validation for our Brutes as the original muscle car couldn’t be printed in a finer tribute or more credible. Page 186, on the topic of the ‘64 Corvette, reads: “Another group within GM, hungry for Corvette’s performance image, found a new direction. Muscle cars, born in the 1950s at Chrysler as big cars with powerful Hemi-head engines, spawned imitators who were quick studies.” He then goes on to discuss how Pontiac division manager “Pete” Estes launched the Tempest LeMans in ‘63 and the GTO in ‘64. Nice!! Rob Kern

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

To send a message to this group, send an email to:
Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx or
go to http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/join and select the "Leave Group" button

For list server instructions, go to http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm

For archives go to http://www.forwardlook.net/300-archive/search.htm#querylangYahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    Chrysler300-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    Chrysler300-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    Chrysler300-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/