Descending the west side of Monarch Pass on U.S. 50 toward Gunnison, I locked the transmission in 3rd gear for more controlled slowdown in the 2015 Chrysler 300S, braking only occasionally in a tight line of seven cars and trucks.
The Chrysler’s rotary dial shifter on the center console, in sport mode, can be set in any gear; left to its normal mode it will, of course, automatically shift up and down through the 8-speed automatic transmission. The electronic shifter is tied to a fuel-efficient 3.6-liter V-6 engine.
The full-sized sedan carried us into Gunnison for the annual Gunnison Car Show. The community of 7,000 population is surrounded by beauty, look any direction. That makes it one of the finest car-show settings in the country.
We were there to help in presentation of the prestigious Lee Iacocca Award to Keith Martin of Portland. He’s producer of the tv show, “What’s My Car Worth,” publisher of two car magazines and a major car collector, and was selected for this year’s honor at Gunnison.
As Lee Iacocca has passed the 90-year mark, the Iacocca Foundation has called an end to the yearly award presentation. This is the award’s final year.
I received the Iacocca award at Gunnison in 2012, and, for this reason, was invited back last week to assist in the presentation to Martin. In doing so, Martin and I shared the stage with two other Iacocca winners – song writer and car collector Dean Dillon of Nashville and Jim Schmidt, Ocala, Fla., owner of the largest classic car parts operation in the U.S. Dillon received the award in Gunnison last summer and Schmidt, along with his son Rick, was honored in 2011.
Iacocca recipients are honored for “dedication to excellence in perpetuating an American automotive tradition.” The award was launched in 2006 in California.
In talking of the award last Saturday, Mike Callihan, president of the Gunnison Car Club, said, “Mr. Iacocca feels the time is right to retire this prestigious award, making it a limited edition.” Callihan, who fell in love with Gunnison when he attended college there more than 40 years ago, for eight years served as Colorado lieutenant governor under Gov. Roy Romer.
Best-known among Iacocca recipients around the country have been Jay Leno, Carroll Shelby and Big Daddy Don Garlits.
Best of Show winner among Saturday’s 400 cars at Gunnison was a 1961 Volkswagen Beetle, owned by Gary and Kathee Thompson of Montrose. It is powered by a Ford 302-cubic-inch V-8 engine, is built on a custom tube frame with a reverse-opening hood.
The redesigned 2015 Chrysler 300S, in all-wheel-drive form, was a standout on the weekend drive. It is available with either the V-6 or the powerful 5.7-liter V-8. The V-6 and 8-speed combination averaged almost 30 miles per gallon for the run to Gunnison and back, somewhat amazing for a sedan this size. In 700 miles of overall driving, including 100 miles of in-town maneuvering, it averaged 26.4 miles per gallon. It burns regular unleaded fuel. The Chrysler uses a capless fuel-filler tube, similar to that installed by Ford several years ago.
The Chrysler 300 was born 60 years ago. To create a credible vehicle for Chrysler’s upgraded 331-cubic-inch Hemi V-8 engine, company designer Virgil Exner placed the front of a ’55 Chrysler Imperial on the body of a ’55 Chrysler Windsor. That Hemi was the first mass-produced American car to reach the 300-horsepower mark, hence, the 300 name. The 300 dominated the NASCAR race circuit with 51 victories in the 1955 and ’56 seasons.
Today, more and more purchasers are opting for the economical V-6 over the Hemi. For us, it handled the climbs with little effort; it is of 300 horsepower and 265 lb.-ft. of torque. I did notice its speed varied considerably in acceleration and deceleration demands of the uneven terrain with the cruise set.
The four-door is roomy as can be, with trunk space for six bags or more. It is of 16.3 cubic feet.
The 300 comes in four trim levels – the Limited, the 300S, the 300C and the upscale 300C Platinum. The S model we drove comes with
- dual sport exhaust,
- the sport driving mode and shift paddles,
- remote start,
- black-out styling elements,
- foglights,
- sport front bucket seats,
- a rearview camera and
- a 10-speaker Beats Audio sound system, including subwoofer in the trunk.
The sport mode speeds shifts and firms up the sport suspension; even with that, the 300 is one of the most comfortable sedans in the full-size field. It gets little pitch or roll in curves.
The Chrysler weighs in at 4,235 pounds on a wheelbase of 120.2 inches.
Sticker price on the 300S is $39,560, including the 8.4-inch UConnect display with audio, Bluetooth and navigation.
Though my drive to Gunnison three years ago was in the ultimate – a $120,000 Mercedes-Benz SL550 – this year’s $39,000 Chrysler drew its share of positive comments from showgoers. Several mentioned in particular the jazz blue exterior finish.
