07 Jan 1957 Chrysler 300C Convertible
Car of the Month – January, 2025
1957 Chrysler 300C Convertible
1957 Chrysler 300C Convertible
Engine – 392 CID V8 Hemi
Horsepower – 375 hp and 420 ft-lbs of torque
Transmission – Push button 3-speed TorqueFlite A488 automatic transmission
Curb weight – 4,235 lbs
0-60 time – 8.65 seconds
¼ mile time – 16.3 seconds
Top speed – 135 mph
Number built – 484
MSRP price – $5,359.00
The upswept tail fins on the 1957 Chrysler 300C represented what Chrysler Design Chief Virgil Exner called the “Forward Look.”
This was the second generation of the 300C and the first year that Chrysler offered the 300C as a convertible, but its appeal went beyond its luxurious looks. Underneath the car was a whole new chassis that featured a torsion bar front suspension.
Chrysler’s big V8s were known for their brute power and they were the inspiration behind what became the muscle car era a few years later. The 392 CID V8 Hemi engine, with two four-barrel carburetors, had NASCAR-inspired dual air filters and was rated at 375 horsepower with 420 foot pounds of torque.
The 300C had a very distinctive look: a low stance, unique grille, large windshield, front door vent windows, brake cooling ducts, and a red, white and blue emblem with the 300C logo on the quarter panel. The company referred to its tail fins as stabilizers and theorized that they steadied the car at high speeds.
Chrysler’s legendary 300 letter cars, also known as the “Beautiful Brutes,” were among the most desirable high-performance rides of the era.