Overview and History

1956 was the second year of the wildly successful Chysler 300 series and aptly named after the second letter of what became known as the Chrysler “letter” series cars. The V-8 powered series eventually went as far as the 300L of 1965, however the letter series continued one more time as the V6 powered FWD 300M model in 1999. The standard engine was a 394CID (5.8L) “Hemi” V8. The available dual 4 barrel carburated “hemi” topped out as the first American V8 to produce one horsepower per cubic inch or 394HP, a fantastic accomplishment of the day. The car was available in three colors: Regimental Red (37), Cloud White (41) and Black.

The Kit

The entire kit is well molded in a quality grey plastic, all parts and decals are bagged. The assembly instructions are very clearly written and include numerous color photos of the completed model to be used as a painting and decalling reference. Moebius should be lauded for being a leader in clear, colorful and concise assembly instructions. Be prepared to spend time cleaning up small parts before assembly as the smaller more detailed parts have additional sprue points that enabled Moebius to produce such delicate and small parts in the kit. The body required minimal cleanup of mold lines.

The Build

Readers of my past reviews know that I like painting the car bodies first after a thourogh sanding of mold lines and quick scrub in soapy water. I generally prefer to use factory correct paint colors (lacquer or enamel) on my models and I wasn’t too crazy of the limited paint pallete of the “B”. So a quick check of the available colors for the ’56 Chrysler line included a “spring color” called Crocus Yellow (261). The “story” behind this color choice is fantasy that supports my color choice. This car was purchased by one of Chrysler’s board members as a college graduation present for his daughter “Muffy”; her favorite color was pale yellow and Croscuses were her favorite spring flowers, therefore the non-standard color. The closest color fitting this imaginary preference is Model Master 2 part basecoat/clearcoat Ford Phoenician Yellow (81444) 2 part spray bomb. The interior was airbrushed with my Passche model H with Tamiya Modern Desert Yellow XF-59. Painting the interior was greatly aided by the color photos included in the instructions. The 394 Hemi engine is a work of art in its own right and is made up of 27 separate pieces including a dip stick for the mighty Powerflite transmission….awsome! Attention to detail is repeated in the cabin which includes (of all things) a floor mounted headlight dimming switch, part #74.

For younger modelers, the forerunner of today’s column mounted high beam switch lever was the floor mounted “dip” switch that you trounced on with your left foot to switch from lo to hi beam headlights. In those days your left leg got a workout with the dip switch and clutch pedal.

There were no issues with any of the assemblies, there are 12 separate sub-assembly diagrams and care should be taken to follow the instructions. Some parts are very small and if you have big hands and fingers like me be prepared to search for errant parts that are propelled out of your fingers and onto the floor. Overall I would say this is probably one of the best and most modern engineered US designed automotive kit rivalling the almighty Tamiya brand for fit/finish and execution.

Conclusion

Mobius has another hit on their hands following the Hudsons and the 1955 Chrysler C300 in prior introductions. The kit is a bit challenging from the standpoint of complexity (many small parts requiring careful prepartation prior to paint or assembly), I would not recommended it for my grandson’s first car model. But that is a small price to be paid for the excellent outcome of the finished product.

Thanks to Mobius for supplying this review kit, IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it.