Exner’s Last Stand
1963 Chrysler 300-J—the rarest of all the 300 Letter cars.
story and photos by Cliff Gromer
Things were slow at Barrett-Jackson. It was the first
night of the auction some 5 years ago, and Jim
Lawson was there for the 1963 Chrysler 300-J he had
seen on the B-J’s website. When the car rolled onto
the block, It caught the interest of 3 or 4 other bidders. A couple
dropped out as the bids rose close to 20 grand. Jim raised
his card when the bid went to 25. The auctioneer begged for a
higher number but was met with a barrage of silence.
Jim’s newly acquired 300 joined a second 300-J inside his
garage. That car had been bought years ago and was slowly
being restored. Jim’s brother, Butch, would come to Michigan
once a year for the Woodward Cruise, and he and Jim would
spend a week or so working on the car. Who knew if they
would ever get finished.
Jim’s affinity for the J began in ’63 when he was 15.
Butch was a year older. Their father had been transferred