Article Archive

---

Chrysler brought back the 300 nameplate to 1979; sort of

The year was nineteen hundred, seventy-nine. Margaret Thatcher became the first woman prime minister of Great Britain (May 3rd); U.S. president Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the ‘Salt II’ agreement promising reduction and limitation of nuclear weapons in military forces around the world (June 14th); and The FIN MAN transported his wife some twenty miles in a blinding snow storm to St. Johns Mercy Hospital, driving a customized Ford Pinto. Just a few hours after arrival, Sabrina Rae Kunz was born (January 11th).

In the world of automobiles, the excitement that characterized the fifties and sixties had bottomed out. It was the end of what was, for the most part, a rather dismal decade in automotive history. Oh sure, there were a handful of ‘good’ American cars, but consumers were still numbed by laundry list of automotive ‘bummers’ including de-tuned engines with anemic power ratings, boxy bumpers plated in some sort of gray/silver process that was supposed to look like chrome, but was far from it... and the near disappearance of convertibles. What was there to celebrate?

The marketing men of Mopar weren’t letting the doom-sayers get them down, however. After an eight year hiatus, the ‘300’ nameplate was dusted off and resurrected as a ‘limited edition’ option package (RPO Code A74) on the mid-sized Cordoba two-door coupe.

A late comer in the model year, the 300 didn’t arrive in time to make the Cordoba sales brochure, however, a dedicated, two-page folder exclaimed, “CHRYSLER RECREATES A MEMORY.” The ad men went on to call the new 300 a “contemporary automobile reflecting one of our unique design concepts of the past.

Three-Hundred aficionados would likely be miffed at the thought of a comparison between the ‘79 model and the original... a car which many followers consider the first of the so-called ‘muscle car’ genera. Nonetheless, Chrysler designers made a ‘Valiant’ (sorry, I couldn’t help it) attempt to bring back the excitement of the original car, including optional REAL wire wheels and ‘semi-wide’ whitewall tires.

Styled aluminum wheels with white letter tires, as shown in the illustration above, were standard fare. The obligatory cross hairs grill, circa 1957, was replicated in a tastefully updated style and the classic “300” emblem, done in patriotic red, white and blue, emblazoned all four sides in one form or another.

While power was played down in the seventies, engineers did find it in their hearts to drop the largest available V-8 under the lengthy Cordoba hood– a capacious 360 cubic inch (that’s 5.9 liters to all you ‘gen-xers’ and later in the crowd) mill fueled by an old school, Carter four-barrel carburetor. A dual exhaust arrangement finished out the performance package.

 Rated horsepower was a scant 195, but this was rated under the newer ‘net’ horsepower which took into consideration all accessories, e.g. alternator, power steering pump, automatic transmission, etc.

Three-Hundred’s beauty wasn’t just skin deep. Inside, the comfort designed bucket seats, with passenger recliner, were trimmed in lipstick red Corinthian leather, as was the 3-spoke steering wheel. Adding to the bad boy persona was a dash panel and floor console finished with an ‘engine-turned’ surface and a tachometer. And, just in case you forgot what a special edition car you were commanding, ‘300’ identification was posted on the instrument panel as well as door panels.

Now I know what you’re thinking. That ‘lipstick red’ interior must have looked pretty disgusting in a ‘Teal Frost’ Cordoba 300. Not to worry. The ‘300’ was available only in Chrysler ‘Spinnaker White’, much like the original model.

And, those nasty, oversized bumpers were made much more palatable by matching them to the body color. Base Cordoba buyers had a choice of 10 exterior colors (in addition to Spinaker White), with seductive names such as:

• Cordoba Dove Gray
• Frost Blue Metallic
• Nightwatch Blue
• Teal Frost Metallic
• Teal Green Sunfire Metallic
• Chianti Red
• Regent Red Sunfire Metallic
• Light Cashmere
• Sable Tan
• Sunfire Metallic
• Formal Black

The ticket to ride a 300 cost buyers a lofty $2,040.00 over and above the $7,666.00 base Cordoba.

Despite the image-building 300 trim, and Ricardo Montalban’s seductive TV commercials touting Cordoba’s sumptuous Corinthian leather... series sales fell by 37% for the 1979 model year, totalling 73,195. Of this number, only 3,811 were 300 models.

The lofty option package price, combined with the late year introduction, diverted most Cordoba buyers to the basic model... a handsome car but one which lacked the excitement factor and the nostalgic connection of the 300 package.

And, speaking of options... when the time came to sit down across the desk from your friendly, plaid -jacketed salesman to sign the order form, Chrysler marketing made the process considerably more easy as most of the options you could ask for were included as standard equipment.

Furthermore, the higher-ups didn’t want anyone monkeying around with the car they created, so nearly every performance and convenience option was unavailable when ordering a 300, but then the RPO Code A74, left little to be desired.

And when it came to appearance items... "fa get about it." While the lack of choice didn’t do much for individuality, it certainly made the buying process much easier. And, with the low production numbers, you might say individuality was also standard equipment.

Trivia Questions (answers below)

Chrysler 300 Trivia Questions of the Week:

1. What model year was the first Chrysler 300 offered for sale?
The first Chrysler 300 was offered as a 1955 model and was officially dubbed ‘C-300’. The 300 stood for the car’s horsepower rating. Basically a race car designed for the road, the Chrysler 300’s 331 cubic inch Hemi V-8 (5.4 liters) was fitted with two 4-barrel carburetors, a race inspired cam, solid lifters, competition suspension and a performance, dual exhaust system. It was the first American car to reach the 300 horsepower mark.

2. On December 9, 1979, this virus was certified as being eradicated– the first, and to date, the only human disease driven to extinction. What was this once dreaded malady?
Smallpox

3. On December 3, 1979, eleven fans were killed during a stamped for seats at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. What was the name of the rock band that was to perform that night at the coliseum?
The Who

4. What automobile manufacturer, on September 7, 1979, asked the United States government for one billion dollars in order to avoid bankruptcy?
It seems history has repeated itself, for in 1979 it was Chrysler Corporation that recieved a bailout in order to stay afloat.

5. What pop star released the breakthrough album entitled ‘Off The Wall’, selling 7 million copies in the U.S. alone and earning it 7x platinum status?
Michael Jackson

6. Who was president of the United States in 1979?
Jimmy Carter

7. The average cost of a gallon of gas in the United States in the year 1979 was:

    A. $0.39
    B. $0.86
    C. $1.39
    D. $2.19


8. What innovative personal music player was introduced by Sony in 1979 for a price of $200.00?
the ‘Walkman’

FIN MAN DETAILING TIP OF THE WEEK:
When washing your car, be it a collectible or your daily driver... don’t forget to wipe down those hidden areas that often go untouched. Take a damp towel and wipe down the door jambs and mating door edges.

This may seem unimportant, but if you’re going to sell your car some day, get in the habit of cleaning these areas because it will make a difference when a prospective buyer looks at your car... and besides, you’ll feel better just knowing they are clean.