The "letter series" Chrysler 300 began as a high performance coupe spinoff of the New Yorker in the mid 1950s. From the 1962 model year on, the 300 badge was used as a line of sporty coupes and sedans from Chrysler with the letter series continuing as a limited production performance version. Sometimes called "The Banker's Hot Rod", the letter series Chrysler 300s were expensive, exclusive, and had explosive performance by the standards of the day.
The 1965 model year saw all the Chryslers get a serious restyling, and the 300 was no exception. Period ad copy described the 300 as "The sports-bred Chrysler. A brawling, hustling brute of a car with a heritage ten years deep."
The Formal Black '65 300L in the photos represents the last of the letter series cars, since plans for a '66 300M never materialized.
The 300L came with bucket seats split by a center console and a heap of luxury options as standard equipment.
For 1965 the only engine option was the 413 cubic inch "Golden Lion" Chrysler V8 with a single 4bbl, 10.1:1 compression, and dual exhaust, rated at 360 SAE gross bhp. The standard transmission was a 3-speed Torqueflite automatic, and the Hurst-shifted 4-speed manual, like the one in this car, was a no-cost option. The cars came with a 3.23:1 final drive ratio standard.
Only 2,845 examples of the Chrysler 300L were produced for '65, and only 108 had the four-speed transmission, making the car in the picture a rarity among rarities.
Motor Trend tested a 300L with the automatic and recorded an 8.8 second zero-to-sixty run and a 17.3 quarter mile at 82 miles per hour. Top speed was noted at 106 and the 4-wheel power drum brakes took 176 feet to haul the 4,660 pound test car to a stop from sixty. Price as tested was $5,931, or just short of sixty grand in today's money.
This one was snapped with an Olympus E-5 and a Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II zoom lens in October of 2022.
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