In the 1950s, NASCAR was just starting to enter the national consciousness as the motorsport of the future. But for awhile there, Ford, GM, and Chrysler banned factory participation in a wide range of motorsports, fearing bad press and unwilling to invest in the technology and marketing. Even so, some engineers managed to sneak souped-up muscle cars out of the factory for competition, though few of these cars actually survived.
Hemmings Auto Blog reports that one of these rare rides, a 1960 Chrysler 300F GT Special, is heading to auction at Gooding’s Amelia Island Auction next week. This rare factory racer should bring big bucks by the time the gavel falls.
A true muscle car by any definition, Chrysler engineers reportedly built anywhere from seven to fifteen of these “GT Special” Chrysler 300Fs. Starting with the big-and-powerful 413 cubic-inch, 375 horsepower V8 engine, Chrysler engineer Burton Bouwkamp swapped out the long-runner intake for one with short runners, and replacing the hydraulic camshaft with a more potent solid-lifter cam.
Add to that iron headers, a limited slip differential, and a 4-speed manual transmission that replaced the 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic for a race-worthy muscle car ready to break records. With Racer Gregg Zeigler at the wheel, this modified Chrysler set the flying mile record at Daytona Beach at more than 144 mph.
Unfortunately, Chrysler distanced itself from this record, and most of these GT Special Chryslers would end up lost to history. When all is said and done though, that just makes this survivor all the more valuable. If it doesn’t bring at least six-figures at auction, we’ll be genuinely shocked.
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