Seeking to rekindle the "good old days" of sporty cars from years past, auto manufacturers are playing the nostalgia card to get buyers into dealer showrooms. Ford is about to introduce an all-new Thunderbird, which some sketches show will bear a strong resemblance to the original T-Bird of the 1950s. Ford also has flavored the 1999 Mustang with the look of the 1960s original. BMW introduced its Z3 sports car with some resemblance to the pre-World War II BMW 319/1 and the 1950s BMW 500 series sports cars.
    The latest of these nostalgia cars comes from Chrysler with its 300M sports sedan, which is intended as a resumption of Chrysler's 300 series (300 hp) sports sedans introduced in 1955. These were fast cars, created to compete with the early Thunderbirds and Corvettes. The series ended with the 300L in 1965, hence the designation of the new 300M.
    The 300M, however, looks thoroughly modern and swift, with no suggestion of the lines of the original series of Chrysler 300s except for the grill, which offers a hint of similarity to the old "egg crate" grills. A look inside the 300M reveals gorgeous white instruments with a 1950s era look.

The Chrysler 300M sports sedan picks up where the 300 series left off in 1965.

    The real treat in this car is getting behind the wheel and heading for somewhere. This car goes. For an American sedan, it is nothing short of incredible. The balance between the engine, transmission, suspension and steering is something usually found only in a European sports sedan. Driving this machine flat out, accelerating hard, throwing it onto back-country roads and zooming it back into your garage is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Those seeking a bigger smile can buy the performance package with upgraded antilock four-wheel disc brakes, stiffer suspension and steering, aluminum wheels and performance tires. The car corners flat, although the steering may be a little stiff and the suspension a little harsh for tootling around town.
    A fun piece of 300M hardware is the "AutoStick" for the transmission. To use it, a driver pulls the shifter back below "D," or drive, into a horizontal slot with a plus mark on one side and minus mark on the other. The car accelerates from a stop just like a regular automatic, but it stays in low gear until the driver taps the shifter toward the plus mark. Those wanting to have fun can keep the pedal down and as the revs build again, tap the shifter into third. Oops, by now I was going 80 mph, so I quickly tapped it into fourth and eased off the throttle.
    The machine quieted down like a baby, cruising along effortlessly at some unprintable speed. With a drag coefficient of 0.31 (that’s slippery), and a governed top speed of 118 mph, you'll get from A to B awfully fast (time out for ticket writing, of course). The speed governor is eliminated in the sporting package. Look for upwards of 140 mph, if you can find a place to do it.
    The all-aluminum, sweet-sounding overhead camshaft, 253 hp, 24-valve, 3.5 liter (215 cubic inch) V-6 engine is Chrysler's latest state-of-the art power plant, lacking only variable valve timing to challenge the latest designs from Japan and Europe. Chrysler recommends a maintenance interval of 100,000 miles for this engine. The 300M is designed as a world car, and will be sold around the world with a smaller 2.7 liter, 200 hp engine.
    The four-speed transmission shifts effortlessly, whether in full automatic mode or shifted manually using the AutoStick. The brakes are four-wheel antilock discs with air vents for extra cooling. The car comes with selectable traction control.
    For enthusiasts with families, and for weekend jaunts with grandparents, this car is huge inside, with all-leather comfy seats. The front two have all-power adjustments and position memory for two drivers. The enormous space in the rear compartment comes without cup holders; the front passengers can have coffee whenever they like, with two holders.
    Not too many options are available, or needed, on this car. Standard are automatic air, an alarm, power door locks and windows, heated power mirrors, heated all-leather power seats, fog lights, garage door opener, cruise control, dual air bags, trip computer and a 60/40 rear seat split for skis or other long stuff. The price is a reasonable $28,850 for the only model available. The performance handling group package costs an extra $400. A moonroof is $795, a full-size spare is $215, chrome wheels are $600 and a radio/cassette/CD upgrade with Infinity speakers is $215.
    Environmental Protective Agency estimated fuel consumption is 18 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, much better than the 1955 to 1965 300 sedans. The warranty is three years/36,000 miles, with a three-year/36,000 mile roadside assistance plan.
    The 300M is Motor Trend's 1999 "Car of the Year."
    This car is big, fast and fun, and should be test driven before making any $30,000 decision on a sports sedan. The helpful people at Balboa Chrysler/Plymouth on Balboa Avenue let me have my fun. The spirit of the 1955 Chrysler 300 lives on in this car. BMW, watch out.

Motoring since 1952, Austin Lynas has owned 54 cars and at one time raced mini-sedans in England. An aerospace engineer, he was instrumental in developing the anti-skid systems used in British military aircraft that preceded today’s ABS systems. Lynas can be reached by e-mail at osten@aol.com.