ROBERT ACKERSON
Features
1-A complete history of America's legendary letter car.
2-Complete specifications and model features of a great American
automobile.
3-A fact-filled, colorful portrait of the Chrysler 300.
4-A complete history in words and photos of the Chrysler 300.
5-The most detailed history of the Chrysler 300 available.
6-Complete specifications and details of all Chrysler 300 models.
7-Contains hundreds of Chrysler 300 color photos.
8-Detailed information on all the engines that have powered the
Chrysler 300.
9-Detailed analysis of Chrysler 300 performance and and
appearance options.
10-An unequaled study of the Chrysler 300's role in high
performance history.
Description
This book is a must for enthusiasts of outstanding high-performance
automobiles. It examines in detail all the great Chrysler 300 models
from 1955 to the latest versions including the 425 horsepower 2005
300C SRT-8 model and the 300's running-mate, the 2005 Dodge
Magnum. With hundreds of color and black & white photos, a carefully
researched text, production and sales data and a year-by-year study
of each Chrysler 300, this is a high quality book celebrating the origin
and return to glory of one of America's most respected high
performance automobiles.
Synopsis
This carefully written and well illustrated book presents the history of
one of America's greatest automobiles, the Chrysler 300. First
produced from 1955 through 1965, it returned in 1998 as the front-
wheel drive 300M. In 2004 a new rear-drive 300, available with a HEMI
V-8 became an overnight sensation, attracting the attention of
celebrities, sports stars, performance fans and automotive
enthusiasts in record numbers. Every 300 model's features,
performance, options and role in Chrysler history is examined in
detail. Joining the book's accurate text are hundreds of illustrations,
most in color, of every 300 model, along with close-up shots of their
unique interior and exterior features. Highlights of the book's
appendix include sales and production records and a review of the new
300's close relative, the 2005 Dodge Magnum.
Independent Reviews
by Peter Grist of Talkflite magazine
BOOK REVIEW
CHRYSLER 300, Pedigree, Power & Performance since 1955
New books on Chrysler vehicles are few and far between, and for the most part, are regurgitated older books with well-used images to go with them. It was refreshing when the latest release from Veloce Publishing landed on my doorstep. Chrysler 300, Pedigree, Power & Performance since 1955 is a fresh look at the legendary 300 series. Written by professional American writer Robert Ackerson, the story of Americas most powerful car starts with the history behind the Hemi engine that powered the first 300 in 1955, along with the development of the car itself. Ackerson explains how the ghost of the 1934 Airflow still haunted Chryslers design house and lead the Corporation into building well-engineered but dull as dishwater vehicles. With the post-war sales boom, this was not a problem, but as buyers became more selective, GM and Ford released exciting new designs; Cadillac had their new V8 and by 1953, Chrysler was left far behind.
Enter Virgil Exner and the 1955 Chrysler 300C. Each chapter then concentrates on a specific year of the series and offers new colour photos of restored examples along with a host of archive pictures that I had previously not seen. Some readers may find the technical jargon a bit much; the balance between telling the history and technical specifications doesnt quite work, unless axle ratios do something for you. Particularly when it came to the chapters covered by the Exner years, so much more could have been said about the designs and designers. Never the less, it is an incredibly well researched, unbiased and extensive piece of work on Chrysler Divisions performance model. The book finishes with 2005 models and the new Hemi-powered Dodge Magnum. It could be argued that the inclusion of the 1990s 300M and todays latest 300C is unjustified, but having driven one of these beasts I can assure you, the 300 tag is well deserved on this latest incarnation and the story would be incomplete without it. Peter Grist