Between 1954 and 1961, Detroit sold Plexiglas roofs, folding steel tops and pink trim packages alongside the 300-horsepower Chrysler C-300. Today, those same cars are regulars on the show field.
These eight earn a spot with a verified number each: a price, a horsepower rating or a production count. The source sits in every section, so you can check the figure yourself.
1. 1955 Chrysler C-300
Chrysler’s first letter car borrowed its two-piece grille from the Imperial and fed its 331-cubic-inch Hemi through twin Carter WCBF four-barrels. At Daytona it averaged 127.580 mph over the flying mile, more than seven mph clear of its nearest rival.
On the track, Tim Flock then won the 1955 NASCAR Grand National championship in a C-300. Chrysler built just 1,725, and conceptcarz calls the Chrysler C-300 the first postwar production car to produce 300 horsepower.
2. 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
Ford introduced the Skyliner retractable hardtop partway through the 1957 model year, and the design went on to a three-year production cycle. It was also the most expensive Ford of 1957, priced from $2,942.
Ford sold 20,766 that first season, a small slice of the company’s 1,655,068 vehicles, according to Supercars.net. The example profiled there carries a 312-cubic-inch “Thunderbird Special” V8.
3. 1955 Imperial Newport
For 1955 Chrysler registered Imperial as a separate marque, and the all-new cars carried Virgil Exner’s full styling influence.
Pricing started at $4,483, according to Supercars.net, which lists the Newport as a coupe or sedan. It also notes a Newport two-door hardtop that sold at auction for $49,500. The Imperial’s influence reached further, too, since its grille ended up on the C-300.
4. 1961 Chrysler 300G
By 1961 the letter series had reached G, and the 413-cubic-inch V8 came rated at 375 or 400 horsepower. Conceptcarz lists a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic and 8.00 x 15 tires.
Open cars were scarce, because Chrysler built 337 convertibles against 1,280 hardtops, or 1,617 in all. Prices ran from $5,410 to $5,840, according to conceptcarz’s 300G record.
5. 1957 Dodge D-500
Dodge’s own Hemi grew to 325 cubic inches for 1957, and the D-500 option turned it into a performance package. A single Carter four-barrel gave 285 horsepower for $72. Meanwhile, dual four-barrels and a hotter camshaft gave 310 horsepower for $125.
The same year brought Torsion-Aire torsion-bar front suspension and a new three-speed TorqueFlite. Over-Drive Magazine says Dodge built more than 17,000 D-500 cars, against only 101 D-501s with the 354-cubic-inch Chrysler 300B Hemi.
6. 1954 Mercury Monterey Sun Valley
Mercury’s Sun Valley put a Plexiglas section over the front half of the roof. That same year, the 1954 Mercury line also gained the new overhead-valve “Y” block V8 and ball-joint front suspension.
At $2,562, the Sun Valley ranked among the most expensive body styles in the Mercury lineup. Even so, it found 9,761 buyers, according to conceptcarz.
7. 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer La Femme
La Femme was a $143 option package on the $2,543 Custom Royal Lancer two-door hardtop. For 1955 it wore Sapphire White and Heather Rose paint, with pale pink upholstery covered in tiny roses.
A calfskin purse held a compact, lipstick case and cigarette lighter, and pockets behind the front seat carried a raincoat, rain hat and umbrella. Dodge later dropped the purse for 1956. Because La Femme was an option, no official production figures exist, and Mac’s Motor City Garage reports expert estimates of fewer than 2,500 over two years.
8. 1956 DeSoto Fireflite convertible
A Fireflite convertible paced the 1956 Indianapolis 500, and DeSoto followed with a limited Pacesetter package that listed for $71 more than a regular convertible. Curbside Classic counts 1,485 Fireflite convertibles that year.
Under the hood, a 330-cubic-inch Hemi with dual four-barrel carburetors made 255 horsepower and 350 pound-feet. The Audrain Automobile Museum’s page on the car lists it in two-tone Plum and Iridescent Lavender on a 126-inch wheelbase.
More from Fast Lane Only
