1929 Chrysler Series 75 Roadster

Chrysler dropped its four-cylinder models for the 1929 model-year renaming them Plymouths and consequently all Chryslers that year featured six-cylinder engines. The new models were introduced to the public in June 1928 and divided into three series: 65, 75 and Imperial. These were the first Chryslers to feature built-in radiator shutters along with Lockheed internal hydraulic brakes and Lovejoy shock absorbers as standard. A 250ci, 84bhp six-cylinder engine provided the motivation for all three Series.

At a cost of $1,550 before options, the company produced 6,414 Series 75 Roadsters in 1929 and they quickly developed a reputation for, not only engineering excellence, but also for performance. Despite only being in existence for five years, the company committed to becoming involved in European motorsport and the surprisingly fast Series 75 Roadster was chosen to represent them. During the running of the 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans, a Series 75 finished 6th overall and 3rd in the Index of Performance (Stoffel/Benoist). That same year at the 24 Hours of Spa, two cars finished 6th (Stoffel/Rossignol) and 11th (Hommel/Delvaux); while at the Mille Miglia, a similar car won the 5.0-litre Class, driven by Leonardi and Barbieri. Interestingly, we understand that the Series 75 Roadster may well be eligible for the Mille Miglia and the Le Mans Classic.

This left-hand drive Chrysler has clearly lead a fascinating and well-travelled life. Sadly, it comes to us from a deceased estate and is being offered by his widow. It entered current family ownership and was UK-registered in 2018 having been imported from Sweden and there are various items of correspondence in the history file relating to its time there. It also appears that the car lived in Germany prior to this, having been purchased from a previous owner in Massachusetts in 1997.

Judging from the other cars in his collection, the late owner was clearly a real vintage enthusiast and we’re informed that the Chrysler was used regularly and well loved until his sad passing in 2022. An invoice in the file from January 2020 shows that a new mohair hood was ordered from William Marston Ltd.  With the possibility of using the 75 in prestige European events, very unusual for an American car of this vintage, this seems like superb value for money and an exciting opportunity for its next lucky owner.