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Chrysler brought back the 300 nameplate to 1979; sort of
 The limited edition '79 Chrsyler Cordoba 300. (www.tocmp.com) Chrysler 300 Trivia Questions of the Week: 1. What model year was the first Chrysler 300 offered for sale? 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? 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? 4. What automobile manufacturer, on September 7, 1979, asked the United States government for one billion dollars in order to avoid bankruptcy? 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? 6. Who was president of the United States in 1979? 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 or D. $2.19? 8. What innovative personal music player was introduced by Sony in 1979 for a price of $200.00? Trivia answers may be found at the FIN MAN’s web site at http://www.thefinman.com. Send The FIN MAN your comments, questions and kudos at mailto://the_fin_man@msn.com. 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 and 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. 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. EVENT REPORT: The second annual Muscle Car Reunion and Nostalgia Drags, held recently at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, proved to be a huge success, despite a late start on Friday and Saturday due to water seeping up onto the track in the early morning hours. The three-day event had a larger turnout of both racers and spectators as well. The weather was spectacular and the event included not only nostalgic drag racing, but a car show and small swap meet area. In only its second year, this show, produced by a half dozen Missouri gear heads, has solidly placed itself in the ranks of big time drag events. I predict this show will continue to grow from year to year. I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits again this year and he is a very interesting fellow. The three-day event featured the nostalgia drags, the main attraction... plus a car show and swap meet. If you’re bummed out because you missed it... don’t worry, be happy. You can catch it in Kansas City on September 11, 12 and 13, 2009. For information, go to http://www.musclecarreunion.com. UPCOMING, ‘DON’T MISS’ LOCAL EVENTS: If there’s any doubt in your mind that the old car hobby isn’t stronger than ever, consider the fact that there are no less than EIGHT car events this weekend alone in the St. Louis metropolitan area including the following: JUN 13 SAT ~ DENNY’S RESTAURANT CAR CRUISE NIGHTS ~ hosted by the PISTON PUSHER’S CLASSIC CAR CLUB ~ Dash Plaques 1st 75 participants ~ 50/50 Drawing ~ Attendance Prizes ~ 50’s and 60’s Music provided ~ info: EMAILor (618) 931-0035 ~ located at 4111 Timberlake Drive, off of I-270 onto Hwy 111 south ~ PONTOON, BEACH, IL. JUN 13 SAT ~ There Pick-N-Pull Auto & Truck Dismantlers Classic Car Cruise ~ hosted by The Bad Boyz Street Rodz Car Club ~ Noon until 4pm ~ Music and Entertainment is provided by The Bad Boyz ~ 50/50 Drawing ~ Raffle tickets for an Engine Voucher and a Transmission Voucher.Drawing same day as Cruise. ~ held at Pick-n-Pull Self Service Auto and Truck Dismantlers, 7557 Hall St ~ ST. LOUIS, MO. JUN 13 SAT ~ Cornerstone Apostolic Church Car Show ~ register 8am ~ Event, 10am till 2pm ~ Dash Plaques & Goodie Bags 1st 100 participants ~ Door Prizes throughout the day ~ FREE Food & Drinks! ~ One registered owner will WIN a $300 Mitchell & Ness St. Louis Cardinals, Ozzie Smith #1 1982 Jersey. ~ Must be present to win Jersey, drawing will be after trophy presentation. ~ info: (636) 379-8919 ~ held at Cornerstone Apostolic Church, 452 May Road ~ WENTZVILLE, MO. JUN 13 SAT ~ East Alton McDonald’s Saturday Night Cruises ~ hosted by Time Machines Unlimited, Inc. ~ 6pm till 10pm ~ Dash Plaques 1st 100 participants ~ 50/50 Drawing ~ Door Prizes ~ Music ~ and of course, plenty of great McDonald’s food!~ info: (618) 377-2556 or ~ EMAIL~ or visit at www.tmucarclub.org ~ held at the East Alton McDonald’s ~ EAST ALTON, IL. JUN 13 SAT ~ Hyway Rockers Car Club Car Cruise ~ register 6pm ~ Cruise 6pm till 9:30pm ~ Attendance Prizes ~ 50/50 Drawing ~ Hoola Hoop Contest for the kids ~ Music by Hyway Rockers DJ ~ info: (314) 691-1308 or (314) 550-8031 ~ location at Burger King - I-55 south to Hwy Z (Pevely exit) - Left on Z to Burger King on Right ~ PEVELY, MO. JUN 13 SAT ~ All Pontiac Buick GMC Display ~ sponsored by the Gateway GTO Club ~ Reg~ 10:00am to 2:00pm ~ 10:00am to 3:00pm ~ Prizes ~ Trophies ~ Hot Dogs ~ info: (636) 928-5548or EMAIL~or www.gatewaygto.org ~ Located at Behlmann Pontiac Buick GMC, 820 McDonnell Blvd. ~ HAZELWOOD, MO. JUN 13 SAT ~ Fat Daddy’s Car Cruise ~ hosted by Party Tyme Kruzers ~ 3pm till 9pm ~ Dash Plaque 1st 50 Drivers ~ Washer Tournament $20 entry, 2 man team, Cash Prizes ~ Music ~ Full Menu including Fish, Fried Chicken, Tacos, Burgers, Pizza, BBQ and more! ~ held inside Smithton American Legion, located at 104 N. Main Street ~ SMITHTON, IL. JUN 13 SAT ~ Belleville Gear Jammers Monthly Cruise at Geo’s Wings ~ 5pm till ??? ~ All Cars Welcome ~ located at Geo’s Wings, 4307 West Main Street ~ BELLEVILLE, IL. The information above was clipped from the Lakers Car Club calendar of St. Louis Area and Southern Illinois Car Shows. As they recommend, double check the information before heading out! Event dates, locations, etc., may change. Always contact the event sponsor to be sure the event is still on. Did you know they’re still ‘cruisin’ at the Chuck-A-Burger on St. Charles Rock Road? It seems there were a bunch of people who thought the old Chuck in St. John had closed down. Not so. Unfortunately, the newer Chuck-A-Burger in St. Charles did close a few weeks ago, due to the sluggish economy and stiff competition in the area. But the St. John location is still humming along like a well tuned Bel Air, and folks gather there in mass on Friday nights to check out the latest customs and newcomers to the old car hobby. Help support owner Ron Stille and his crew at the only remaining Chuck-A-Burger, an icon in St. Louis drive-in restaurant history. Visit Friday or any other day of the week. The menu is still the same and curb service still rules! ‘The FIN MAN’ is available for your group’s special occasions. In addition to his seminar schedule, he has been a guest speaker at group meetings including car clubs, engineering clubs and other professional associations. He has also acted as host or emcee at a number of special events including trivia parties, holiday parties, social and professional club events, benefits and fund raisers. During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties. His program includes a fascinating Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana. Guests also have the opportunity to play “FINS for FUN,” the video game he produced in 1987 which inspired his nickname, in which players compete to identify the year, make and model of cars from tightly cropped photos of fins and taillights. Those who score the highest win auto-related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors. For more information, go to http://www.thefinman.com. We are currently accepting bookings for the remainder of calendar year 2009 and 2010. The FIN MAN is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians and the St. Louis Chapter of the Buick Club of America. He is also a past member of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, the DeSoto Club, the Imperial Owners Club and the Edsel Club of America. He welcomes your questions, comments and suggestions regarding the column or old cars in general. See you at the next Chuck-A-Burger cruise on the Rock Road in St. John.
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