The original Chrysler 300 hit showrooms in 1955 with the intent to enter the car into competition—hence the placement of the firm’s most powerful engine under the hood. A wonder of the period, the 331-cubic-inch V-8 produced 355 horsepower and, for a time, allowed the model to be marketed as the world’s fastest stock car.

Chrysler would continue to employ the formula of combining high power and luxury within a full-size platform for the next 10 years, resulting in the 300L model in 1965. The final model in the series represented a major departure stylistically however. With the departure of Virgil Exner as lead designer, Elwood Engel penned clean, sharp lines, slab sides, and a tall greenhouse for the new range. Under the hood, a 413-cubic-inch V-8 breathed through a single four-barrel carburetor and produced a respectable 360 horsepower. As with previous models in the letter series, the 300L was offered in both coupe and convertible body styles.

The 300L Convertible on offer is one of just 440 convertibles produced in the final year of "letter series" production. Handsomely finished in black with a white interior, the car entered the current owner’s collection in 1994 and has remained in his care since. The 413-cubic-inch V-8 is said to have received a rebuild in 2013. As the high-performance flagship of the Chrysler range, the car benefits from a suite of standard equipment including power steering, brakes, bucket seats, a deluxe steering wheel, and a center console-shifted three-speed TorqueFlite transmission. The well-appointed interior additionally boasts air conditioning, power windows, and an AM/FM radio as factory cost options.

Handsome, rare, and performance-oriented, this 1965 Chrysler 300L Convertible is an ideal fair-weather cruiser for friends and family.