New Exhibit Opening – Chrysler Letter Cars

Chrysler Corporation stunned the high-performance auto world in 1955 with the introduction of the Chrysler C-300, a sleek, race-bred coupe for the road. No one offered anything like it.

The C-300 was Chrysler’s answer to the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird. But it was bigger and much more powerful. A simple and elegant two-door coupe, with clean, crisp, “Forward Look” styling by Virgil Exner and his talented team, the C-300 packed a hefty, 300-bhp FirePower Hemi V-8, with solid lifters and a racing cam, under its smooth hood.

Twin Imperial grilles and checkered flag theme badges ensured passersby knew this car was something special. Wire wheels were optional. Speed was standard.

And the “C” stood for cool!

Not surprisingly, the 300 was an out-of-the-box hit, and Chrysler followed it up with an exciting series of what became known as “Letter Cars,” from 1955 to 1965.

The first C-300, soon just called the Chrysler 300, anticipated the thrilling Muscle Car movement, with its GTOs, 409s and 442s, in the early 1960s.

On NASCAR tracks, a well-tuned 300 could top 128-mph, and on the street, they were unbeatable. You could say that the Chrysler 300 inspired the winged Plymouth Road Runner, Superbird, and the Dodge Charger Daytona — and you’d be right.

Chrysler Letter Cars will be on display May 5, 2026 – August 30, 2026 – Chrysler had a run of 10 years building high-performance luxury cars known as the Letter Cars. The exhibit will feature a mix of these incredibly designed vehicles.