This 300F convertible is owned by Randy Guyer in Minnesota

The Last Chrysler 300F Convertible Produced

Facts

This Chrysler 300F was the last convertible produced for the 1960 model year. It is the 248th of 248 built. After making five more coupes, production ended to make way for the 1961 models. Produced only as hardtops and convertibles during their 11 years of production, the intention of Chryslers’ letter cars was to compete in the sports/luxury/performance class of automobiles such as Ford’s Thunderbird, and Buick’s Rivera.

Built on June 7th, 1960 it was shipped on July 11th to Plaza Motors Inc. in New Haven Ct. where Dr. Sidney Licht of New Haven Ct. was waiting to take delivery of this special vehicle. Of the total production of 1,212 300F’s produced for 1960, 248 were convertibles and 964 were hardtops.

This car was the most highly optioned 300F convertible produced for 1960. One of the unusual options on this car is vacuum powered door locks. Other options include, air conditioning, 6-way power seats, power antenna, remote control outside mirror, Golden Touch radio, and tinted glass.

• Body Type is #845 for Chrysler 300F convertible
• Paint Code is BB-1 Formal Black
• Trim Code #353 beige leather interior.
• Engine is 413 cu. In. wedge head design with long rams and dual quads, providing 375 horsepower.
• Transmission is the standard, pushbutton, three-speed, TorqueFlite automatic.
• The AstraDome gauge cluster is electro-luminescent and lights with a beautiful glow that reduces eyestrain and glare during night driving that Chrysler touted as a safety feature.
• All details are authentic and in working order.

Known History

As stated previously, this car was ordered and purchased new by Sidney Licht of New Haven, Ct. Mr. Licht would own and enjoy it until sometime in 1965 when he sold it to Wallace Lines of nearby Milford, Ct. with the odometer showing 77,673 miles. Mr. Lines then sold the car to Mr. Harry DeSiena of nearby Stratford, Ct. in Dec, of 1965. DeSiena was a finned car collector who appreciated the styling, beauty, luxury, power, and performance of these cars, often referred to as “beautiful brutes”. Enthusiasm led Harry and his eldest son Tommy to collect cars to the point of near bankruptcy. Stashed away in garages, and sheds near his home, his collection would stay hidden away for forty years. All the while, there had been rumors circulating around their area of this car’s existence, but no one knew for sure that it was still there because it had been decades since anyone had last seen it. It had become a legend, a faint and distant memory.

In 2001, Harry’s health failed, and he passed away. At that time, Tommy assumed custody of the [still intact] car collection.

In 2003, Tommy’s health also began to fail and so, he started selling some of the cars. He began with some of the least rare and least collectable ones, while hanging onto the most precious ones as long as possible. Unfortunately, Tommy also died in 2005.

In 2006, with Tommy deceased, Harry’s [second] and youngest son Richard (Rick) who was 20 years younger than Tommy, took charge of the estate, and rumored to be needing money, continued selling off the collection of cars. Eventually Rick pulled the 300F convertible from the shed and sold it to a local automobile broker, who immediately sold the car to a Mr. Schibley, in Texas who was a car collector too. The odometer read 83918 miles.

In May of 2007, after owning the car for less than one year, Mr. Schibley tried to sell the car at auction in Houston. The auction company had a projected sell price of $125,000-$150,000; however, it did not sell.

Later in 2007, Mr. Schibley sold the car to Andy Bernbaum, a MOPAR parts dealer and car collector in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Bernbaum held the car for around seven months thinking that he would restore it someday.

In June of 2008, I was introduced to Mr. Bernbaum through a mutual friend regarding my purchasing this special car. Andy invited me to see the car first-hand in early July of that year. The car was running, (roughly), mostly complete, and in relatively rust-free condition. It was mostly un-restored and original, except for one repaint many years ago.

After striking a deal with Mr. Bernbaum for its purchase, I took delivery of the car in August of 2008. Along with it came an old title dating back to December of 1965 when Mr. Lines sold the car to Mr. DeSiena. I still retain that old title, along with a current Minnesota title.

Restoration

Due to the rarity, uniqueness, and provenance of this car, it deserved a complete off-frame, rotisserie restoration. The restoration goal was to build the highest quality car that could be achieved regarding craftsmanship, and authenticity, and so the work began in January of 2009. The odometer read 83922 miles and remained at that setting through restoration.

The anticipated completion date came and went as these things do, and after employing two restoration shops and a repair service company’s involvement, the car was finally completed in Sept. of 2016, 8 years from my purchase. This is not unusual for a car like this with its complex mechanical systems and parts that are hard to find. Further complicating matters is that there are many more government regulations [with regard to paint and thinners, chemical strippers, Freon, oils, and even gasoline] that were not in place back in the day, making any car restoration project much more difficult and expensive. Nevertheless, these old cars represent a timeline of American history that should be preserved and displayed for everyone to enjoy.

Painted in its original color of Formal Black and all components of the car in working order, this high styled “cocktail cruiser” was one of the gateway automobiles that ushered in a new decade of American history of styling, horsepower, and prosperity. Fresh from Eisenhower’s creation of the U.S. interstate highway system, and the newly formed commercial jet-airline service of the 50’s, the space-age 60’s began with rockets blasting into outer space and President Kennedy challenging NASA and America to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. That miracle happened on July 20, 1969.

The 60’s began in elegance and sophistication, and ended with muscle cars, hippies, flower power, drugs, race riots, assassinations, and the Viet Nam war. It was one of the most incredible decades in the 20th century!

Click here to see Randy's other 300F convertible.