Chrysler boasted that its 300B was “America’s Most Powerful Car” – a claim validated at Daytona Beach, where, in 1956, the model set a world passenger car speed record of 139.9 mph. Luxurious, powerful, and stylish, the top-of-the-line 300B was produced in extremely limited numbers, with just 1,102 built in all. Chrysler made significant improvements to its Letter Car for 1956 with the increased displacement of the Hemi V-8, resulting in a gain of 40 hp. The chassis also benefited from improved brakes and a switch to 12-volt electricals. Documents from the Chrysler 300 Club International identify this car as one of very few equipped with factory air-conditioning as well as power steering, power windows, power four-way seats, Electro Touch tuner radio with rear speaker, and Solex tinted glass.

This 300B was originally delivered to Dewey Carr Motors in Allendale, Missouri, and its provenance is well documented, with just four owners from new. A painstaking concours-quality restoration was completed in 2015, in which the bodywork was refinished in its original colors of Raven Black with beige leather upholstery. Significantly, it was awarded the David E. Davis Jr. Trophy for the Most Outstanding Postwar American Car at the 2017 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and is accompanied by original sales literature.

This rare combination of Hemi performance and an award-winning restoration is not likely to be offered again. Its next owner has an opportunity for miles of early Letter Car dominance on the road.