1956 Chrysler 300B
For 1956, Chrysler’s 300B became the first American production car to achieve more than one horsepower per cubic inch (a milestone previously belonging to purpose-built racing machinery).
Production was limited to just 1,102 examples (including 89 convertibles), offered in three colors: Cloud White, Regimental Red, and Raven Black.
Virgil Exner’s “Forward Look” styling carried over from the 1955 C-300 with targeted updates: a revised tailfin treatment integrated the taillamps more cleanly into the body, and the egg-crate grille (shared with the Imperial) was redesigned as a single unit in place of the original two-piece arrangement.
The FirePower Hemi V8 grew from 331 to 354 cubic inches, with a standard output of 340 hp. Specifying the optional 10.0:1 compression ratio pushed that figure to 355 hp, slightly exceeding one horsepower per cubic inch.
The 300B backed its numbers at Daytona Beach, recording 139.9 mph in the Flying Mile (the fastest any American production car had run at that point), while Carl Kiekhaefer’s NASCAR team campaigned the model to 30 wins in 50 races that season.
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