1961 Chrysler 300G - Jay Leno's Garage 

That is one of the single most attractive interiors and instrument clusters I've ever seen. Pure mid-century perfection.

This is probably my favorite episode this year. Having people like Bob on the show makes it times better. Thanks for sharing.

I adore these late '57-'61 yank tanks. Absolutely insane overkill styling, huge engines, massive cool factor. Nothing today compares, you could drive this thing through London next to a Lamborghini and it will out pose the bull every time.

As a millennial, it's so bizarre to see how inventive and well-made these old Chryslers were... thank you for re-introducing me to the company, Jay!

that was the longest I've seen Jay listen to someone talk and not interrupt them much.

It is almost like therapy to listen to somebody so knowledgeable about older cars

I watched the 58' Imperial and the 66' Lincoln. Now the 61' Chrysler 300. I can't stop drooling.

That era styling never ceases to be ultra-cool. Art form.

I love how that guy knows EVERYTHING about this car, but as soon as he gets in Jay's his face lights up like it THE best example he's ever seen. Just beautiful.

This expert sure knows his Chryslers. Jay has such wonderful guests on his car videos! So enjoyable to watch!

Jay Leno: Thank you for your efforts to help preserve this aspect of the history of the people of the USA. Your garage is a private museum and the content is priceless in terms of history.

My grandfather had a ‘61 300G that looked just like this one. Only difference is that the interior was red with his. I loved that thing. I loved how the headlights angled out, the big speedometer and how cool it looked at night. Also I loved the push button transmission. In 1963 when I was 5 my grandparents took me with them on a trip from Amarillo, TX to California. It was a wonderful trip and I had that whole back seat to myself. But I had no idea that they cost so much. Now I wonder how he was able to afford his car. My grandparents were very much middle class and I bet did not make more that $7,000 a year then. $6,000 was almost what their two bedroom house was worth then. Thanks again for this. It really brings back memories of that car.

I've been waiting for this episode for 3 years

Bob was a great guest. A lot of guests are annoying or constantly trying to win the "hand shake battle". Bob was a very thoughtful and intelligent guest. Good vid. Great car.

Thanks Jay for featuring this 1961 Chrysler 300 G. A great looking car with great Chrysler Corporation engineering. I was 6 years old in '61 and I came from a Chrysler family. My grandfather worked for Chrysler for over 33 years. I had 2 uncles that had both a '61 and a 62 300 I remember as a little kid being mesmerized by the Astrodome dash cluster and that spectacular Panelesent lighting. It literally glowed in the dark with it's bright red needles, there was nothing else like it GM had boring dull white lighting, so did Ford until 1963 when they introduced their bluish green lighting, it was cool and I really liked it, but nothing beat Chrysler's Panelesent. I loved going places at night in those cars. I also loved the canted headlights that Lincoln introduced in 1958, the way Chrysler designed the front around them looked great! I have always have had a special attraction to Chrysler Corporation cars. Besides the 300s we also had New Yorkers and a few Imperials, the last was a 1966 Crown 4 door hardtop , was the first year for the 440 engine. It was fast even in that huge Imperial. Man I loved the way it sounded, the engine and exhaust Their styling, the push button drive that ended in 1965, and who didn't love the sound of the Chrysler starters that lasted to the early 70s. AKA the Highland Park Hummingbird. I follow the American auto industry pretty closely and know how many times Chrysler has suffered financially, almost to becoming extinct a few times. I will tell you I was always glad they managed to survive one way or another. The Chrysler Corporation has brought us so many automotive engineering firsts, too many to list here, of course the Panelesent instrument lighting was over the top beautiful and in a league of its own. My family drove Chryslers until the mid 70s at which time they switched to Lincoln Town Cars and Mercury Colony Park wagons which we all loved too. But those full-size Chryslers from the 60s will always have a special place in my heart. Actually I love all our American cars from the 50s to the 1990s. You pointed out how our American cars had fantastic color combinations aa you said "they made you smile. Today's cars are all so boring, like Henry Ford said " you can have any color you want as long as it was black". Now it's black, silver and off white with different shades of gray interior. I'm so glad I lived through America's Golden Age of cars. I feel sorry for today's kids for not living through that era. I love those cars the way you do, I wish I had as many as you do and the large garage to keep them all safe. Maybe some day I will, but for now I have my collection od 1:18 scale diecast models to look at. By the way I see what appears to be a '57, or '58 white Imperial in the background of your videos. I would love for you to feature that one in one of your reviews.

I had a Chevy 409 factory experimental in a '61. I thought I was fast until one of these 300G's was beside me. We both hit the gas and I can still remember watching the tail lights heading into the distance. It was a shock.

This man is qualified to have an opinion. Remarkable how he simply explains the complete design process. Jay clearly likes these sort of videos; no poser, just a knowledgeable expert on the subject, who loves to drive these cars. Very Cool. Excellent work, Jay.

That guy is enthused with the 300G, he really digs it lol

That has to be one of the most beautiful cars I've ever seen in my life.

This is what a real car is. My dad said if only you could still buy one like this new today. He's 75 years old.

When design still mattered. What a lovely car.

Love these automotive savants full of trivia that Jay finds and actuality listens to .

What a beautiful car! My Grandfather was an attorney in Long Beach CA and always drove a 300 in the 50’s, 60’s & early 70’s. He loved the Chrysler 300’s and then the last Chrysler he owned was a Newport. Great memories driving with him when I was a kid. Thank you for taking the time to show these cars. Love this series.

These guys make me smile. They are so passionate and knowledgeable about cars. Nothing beats a well engineered vehicle.

That has to be the best sounding V8 I have ever heard on Jay's show. That car is incredible, and yes the AC works (wow).

I love the design of 50's and 60's cars so much. I always wonder what it would be like if we brought that style back, it's so cool

I love the last statement. It illustrated why Jay is into cars. It's his outlet into communicating with people because being a celebrity its hard to have normal conversations. Cars are his way he can interact without the disruption of being in the entertainment business. His joy of the community and excitement is youthful and refreshing. Good for you Jay!

The 60 and 61 Chrysler's have been my favorites ever since they came out. This one is extra special.

that thing just oozes cool.

Jay, please do more on 50's and 60's cars. Those were when cars were CARS. Love the show.

Help! It’s 1.30am and I’m stuck in a Jay Leno 60s cars wormhole!

21:49 This is such a gem of a moment. You can tell that guy _really_ likes those cars. Very wholesome.

what a beautiful car, i wish some manufacturer would go back to these old style cars, bet they would sell like crazy

I love how Bob asks " Hey did your guys do the tune up? Did they follow the service manual cuz that's the way to go.." He was referring to the factory manual that had a special section for the G's tune-up and engine performance section. Extremely detailed, it tells how to set up each carb, then set up the linkage to make them work together, then set up the trans kickdown linkage for proper up AND downshifting. It was all about performance, and getting everything possible from the drivetrain and be a 'livable' package in daily use. Very cool car! Chrysler actually made very little $ on its letter series, it was a prestige car, an image. Bean counters ruined that.

Jay comes across as one of the nicest and most personable guys that you could ever meet, and his love for cars is contagious. I’ve been binge watching these and I love seeing all of the cars in his collection and both his own knowledge and the knowledge that his guests bring as well.

Thanks, Jay for the Video. It really brings back memories. My Dad was a big Chrysler fan of the ’50s. He was a salesman and loved DeSoto’s and Plymouth's. Most notable cars were ‘57 and 60 DeSotos. 57 had a Hemi in it and the ‘60 had the dual quad with ram induction. It passed everything but a gas station. We would go through a 26 gal gas tank before we got to Redding from Redwood City (about 200 mi). When we stopped for gas you should have seen the look on the attendants face when they popped the hood! They had to ask dad where everything was. Although the DeSoto was not as fancy as your 300G it was fast, of course, no AC not in N California. It had plenty of Power to spare and yes handled great with torsion bar suspension. Ahh, but everything had a downside and that was build quality. You always need to take the new car back and get all the things that did not work in the first week or so. We could not use the new ‘57 for a trip to our uncles when we got it because of the window wipers did not work. The ‘60 was much worse as it was in the shop many times till they gave him a new one. Once you got them working they were fine cars. The 60 D had a record player in it. Also noticeable were the cigarette suction trays that would suck the butts into a jar in the engine compartment. I think that was in the 57 or maybe 60 not sure of that. On another note, another nice car he had was a 69 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ wonder if you have any car like that. Anyway thanks again for the show.

Wow, of any of the big 3, Chrysler is the only manufacturer to still maintain a plant within Detroit city limits. They also has a major operation on the west side of the city when they bought AMC. Jeeps are still made within Detroit. And as Jay pointed out in another video, the jet propulsion engine was engineered and built on the west side in Detroit. Great history.

This is the official car of the 50's-60's Retro Era. Nothing can say classic like this can.

I owned a 62 Chrysler 300 convertible, not a letter series, with the 413 engine with a single 4 bbl carb. My major problem with the styling was the rear view mirror being mounted on the dash. If you had a passenger in the middle of either seat, your vision to the rear was totally blocked. Of course, that's where my girl friend liked to sit! Oh, and about that 250volt power pack for the instrument cluster? I got nailed good by that while trying to repair the lighting! Detroit heavy iron with enough power to step out smartly.

Saw him today in pasadena driving this beauty! I had to say hello and Mr Leno was so kind!!!

Love how it doesn't jump up when he puts his foot in it, that's how you can tell it was engineered for that power.

One of the best episodes yet. Very fun, interesting, and educational. I hadn't a clue how unique this car is.

Absolutely gorgeous car! And Bob, the guest was terrific. One of the most knowledgeable and well spoken guests on the show ever!

I worked at a gas station part time back in 1968. I'll never forget when a guy pulled a Chrysler in to the pumps and asked me to check the oil. When I opened the hood there was the offset two four barrels we just saw in this video. I was in awe.

Love Cars With Fins

Maybe it`s just me...but I would like to just sit in it in the dark and experience the panalescent lighting.

375hp, torsion bars, fuel runners, swing-out seats (four buckets) maneuverable side mirrors, panelescent cluster lighting, big trunk, nice suspension, beautiful fins...etc. This work of art had it all. Love it.

490 ft/lbs of torque - what was then called "power for passing" on America's "super highways".

Gotta love Bob. I could listen to him all day.

The chair swivel feature should definitely be in modern cars.

Dad bought a 55 Custom Royal new. I’ve been tinkering with that car since I was young boy. It’s sat in the garage most of it’s life. Dads been gone 14 years. I take good care of that Exner car with the Hemi!

mind blowing technology. In its own right, even more impressive than today's.

Excellent episode. Only thing missing was a more detailed view and explanation of the interior.

Finally! What a fantastic car! I love the Chryslers of the early 60's (and late 50's).

My dad had one in ‘61. It was the car of his life. He used to drive it at 100 mph on the highways. It was great on gravel road too ! He talked about that car even in the ‘70s and how powerful it was. After that 300G, he had a New Yorker in 64. That was something too. I do remember the New Yorker ‘64. It was futuristic, with a press buttons transmission selector on the dash board. Wow!

I remember when the "super highway" was constructed around 57 -59 thru New England. Before, we had two lane blacktop mostly. Then....in a matter of months...an astonishing four lanes in each direction of wide white concrete... Plus...breakdown lanes on both sides of travel, for each direction... for a total of Six lanes .... making it a TWELVE LANE highway!! A twelve lane wide highway! Wow!!!! People used drive slowly along the pristine roadways at first, mouths open in awe.... with the driver turning to the passenger saying something such as, "Well, lookie here, Clyde, count 'em! Twelve lanes!! Do you believe it? Incredible!"

what a knowledgable guy, I really enjoy this episodes

What a beautifully styled car, Bob was very informative and Jay who normally controls conversation was interested in all the facts & figures of the car. You really cannot beat the designs of the cars of 50-70's very unique to each brand.

3:35 omg couldn't get a better expert on the car. Impressive! You can tell Jay appreciates him knowing all these little details, makes for a great video

A high school friend's dad had one of these, and I've thought that the instrument cluster on these cars was the coolest design.

Super!!! Great show, Wow, $6,000 for a car that's a lot of $$$ in 61. My dad paid $12,000 for a brand new 4 bedroom, 2 bath house in 62, east side San Jose, in the country. Didn't know the 300G was so rare. Great MOPAR info, very interesting about Daytona and the records and the HEMI info, love it👍

What a gorgeous, traditional, American luxury boat. I just love it.

When I was a teen; the local, playboy, a lawyer, had one of these beauties. It was unique and turned heads every time he drove down the street.

It's impossible to over-state how Great Jay Leno is!! I was always a Leno vs Letterman guy. I love all of the Leno's Garage episodes!!

Funny how they mention the space race at 17:00. My dad was on a team building the mercury space capsules in the dark and in complete secrecy. He bought a lightly used black 300D in 59 with his capsule building earnings.

this is the rolls Royce of Chrysler

I love the styling of that era. And this is one of the best looking of them all

I could listen to guys like Bob all day. Not only are they super knowledgeable, but there is obvious passion for the car.

"..........I like everything to work" Hahaha. best line ever, nice one Jay.

My Dad had two Chryslers a 69 and a 71 Newport.....the 69 had a nice 383 and we loved the torsion bar suspension. The 71 had an emission choked 400....not so good. But both were big road cars that lived on the highway...and the torqueflight trans was indeed bullet proof....my brother and I thoroughly tested it ;>)

So good to see real cars preserved !!!

This episode is everything that is awesome about Jay Lenos garage

The 30-inch long ram intakes were tuned to maximize torque in the mid-range. The actually hurt power a bit above 4500 rpm. The 59 and 62 300's in-line dual quad 413's were rated at 380 hp vs the 60-61 long-ram's 375. The 400 hp (60-61) and 405 hp (62) optional motors, as well as the 390 hp (63 and 64) had intakes that looked similar to the long rams, but the internal dividing walls were shortened to make the ram tubes effectively 15 inches vs. the standard long ram's 30 inches. The short rams developed peak torque at a significantly higher rpm and made more peak horsepower - and the difference was surely greater than the 25 hp the factory claimed; especially with the short ram's hotter cam, probably more like 50 hp. Hot Rod Magazine won runner up in SS/A at the 62 Winternational drags with a short ram 62 Chrysler 300. Then the so-called Max Wedge 413 and 426 Dodge's and Plymouth's of 62-64 used short ram intakes that looked different than the long or short-long ram Chrysler 413's, but the tuning theories of the intakes were the same.

Finally, I've been waiting to see this thing since it's been sitting in all the videos since a long time ago.

Nice to see this car in such great shape! I like the dash, the instruments, and the rear-view mirror mounted on the dash. Funny old space-age stuff. As if we're post-space-age now. Reminds me of my first car -- a 1961 Dodge sedan with push-button gear selection, cool see-through speedometer, terrible brakes. I bought it in June 1968 as a car for the summer when I was a student. Paid $150 for it and sold it for $150. I was too broke to keep it. Fun memories.

Absolutely one of the most beautiful cars ever made.Inside and out,I think so. The 300 series are works of art.

cars back then were works of art....cars today YAWN

The old Chrysler 300 was such a beautiful car. One of my favorites! Thanks for this episode!!

21:50 He's so excited

I had a nonletter 1970 300 with the 440. Fast fun, and luxury.

my grandfather had one of these back then and when he passed in 1963, my grandmother got rid of it claiming that it was too much car for her.

Mine was a 1964 300 but a non-letter car. Electro luminescent lighting was beautiful. I had that lighting in a 1966 Dodge Charger.

22:34 that guy sounded so genuine "im that way too"

The conversation about how Air Conditioning was a newer thing, back in the day, reminded me of a situation. In 1954, my parents were visited by a couple they had known, that had met and married in our town of Seattle...but they had moved down to Ft. Worth Texas, and had decided to drive up to Seattle in the summer. They had a new 1954 Mercury--a nice car--equipped with Air Conditioning. So the visitor took his car down to the Mercury dealership, to have the AC serviced. When they opened up the hood, the head mechanic threw his hands in the air, and apologized: "Sir, we have never seen an AC unit on these cars here in Seattle...we cannot help you" Our Texas friends could not believe how "backwards" we folks in Seattle were! But even now, AC is not usually really needed in our area, although most new cars have AC as a standard thing nowadays. I was 8 years old in 1954, and was astounded with that cold air emanating from the dash...unbelievable!

Yoo I'm dying!! The old man almost had a seizure from how wet he was from hearing the engine @21:55 hahahaha

My grandpa would talk about this car sometimes, but I have to admit it's a nice looking car. I love the dash and the wheels and it was a pretty powerful car during the time.

Gotta love Jay… Dude says wow and the clock even works… JL: Yeah I like everything to work 😊😎

I was realy hoping to see that fancy cluster lighting in action.

You can tell Jay respects this guy.

You sure Cantel, how much the Chrysler 300 expert loves these cars. Nice to see that kind of passion, especially when Jay opens up the throttles.

I love these big wedge powered beasts.

I found a whole new respect for these automobiles...great video, thanks for posting!

Beautiful car. Looks great in motion or stationary. I love the styling of the early-to-mid 60's Chryslers.

One of my favorite segments. I have watched it at least 10 times. I think there is a Mr Drysdale fan club, I'll find out more about it and post it for Jay ;-)

I know this video was put out a while ago but I haven't come across it yet. What a beautiful car!!!! Makes me sad, because Chrysler has gone a long way from its roots of making the best cars in North America. Those wheels suit that car so well... Just looks fantastic... Much love

Its also nice to see somebody with Jay's status to turn out to be such a regular guy and share his collection

This car is the like the Pagani of the 60:s. Specially that dash looks so artistically done, like today's Pagani cars. 1961, the same year I was born :)

There will never be another Jay!

a total classic, beautifully designed. give me cars from the 50's and early 60's anyday

wonderful dialogue in this one J! You're a great host who knows when to let a guest take centre stage, thank you and very informative