Back to the Sixties, digitally: Chrysler’s space-age 300X

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Eleven years after the introduction of the Chrysler 300—the fastest and most powerful production car in the land of opportunity—the company had a real eye-catcher touring the show circuits. This far-out 300-X had no door locks. To get in, you had to insert a personalized, encoded punched card into a slot, which would then unlock the door.

Inside, the front seats could rotate, with the passenger seat capable of turning a full 180 degrees. When conversation—or the scenery—got a bit dull during the ride, the passenger could press a button to start a program on a TV screen, which could be adjusted along a monorail. Television also replaced the rearview mirror. A lens scanned the road through an opening above the rear bumper and projected the image onto a small screen on the dashboard.

In this one-of-a-kind Chrysler, built on the standard 300 convertible platform, you wouldn’t find a conventional steering wheel either. The 300-X featured dual-lever steering, and instead of an ignition key, it used the same punched card to start the engine.

Some of its other futuristic features included self-emptying ashtrays (thanks to a pump that sucked out cigarette butts), a talking time clock, and even a mobile phone—handy in case you forgot your punched card.

Photo by Frank van der Heul

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