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Few early-1960s Mopars carry their credentials as proudly as this one, and fewer still have the hardware to prove it. A 1963 Chrysler 300 Sport Pace Setter Convertible is headed to the block with Broad Arrow Auctions at The Audrain Auction 2026, offered entirely without reserve against a pre-sale estimate of $60,000 to $80,000.
The story starts on May 30, 1963, when Parnelli Jones scored his only Indianapolis 500 victory. Leading the field of 33 on the pace lap that day was a striking turquoise Chrysler 300 convertible driven by 1957 Indy winner Sam Hanks, marking the fifth time Chrysler had been handed the honor at the Brickyard. The automaker celebrated the way Detroit did best, with a limited-edition model: the 300 Sport Pace Setter.
This convertible is one of 1,861 Pace Setter ragtops built, and it wears the full commemorative kit. The Pace Car Blue paint is correct, the two-tone White and Black Alabaster vinyl interior is unique to the package, and the "Chrysler Official Pace Car" vinyl decals and small checkered flag badges tucked beneath the front Chrysler 300 emblem are the details that separate a Pace Setter from an ordinary 300 Sport.
Under the hood sits a 383ci FirePower V8 rated at a smooth 305 horsepower, routed through a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic worked by Chrysler's famous push-button controls. Power brakes, power steering, power windows and a power-operated White Haartz Pinpoint vinyl top round out a car that was built to make all of this look effortless.
It has also been restored to a standard most cars in this estimate range never see. Research indicates Harbor Auto Restorations in Florida spent four years on the job under prior ownership, with expenses cresting six figures. The results spoke for themselves on the East Coast show circuit in the early 2000s, where the Chrysler collected three AACA awards including Senior honors and a First Place finish at the 2004 AACA Annual Grand National Meet in Buffalo, New York.
Better still, those trophies come with the car. So does a 1963 "Race to Indy" sales campaign letter originally dispatched to Chrysler dealers, along with a white tonneau cover for open-top cruising.
Chrysler's 300 family has been quietly building momentum with collectors, whether it is a trio of rare 300 letter cars crossing the block at once or a clean 1959 Chrysler 300E convertible surfacing on the market. Add genuine Indy 500 pace car heritage, a trophy case, and a no-reserve consignment priced well under what the restoration alone cost, and this big blue Pace Setter looks like one of the more compelling ways to buy into 1960s American style right now.
