Mardi Rouge

Ruby Tuesday
(a.k.a. Red Car Day at Chez la Vache!)
Plymouth XNR at the RM Monterey Auction

«Louis» previously wrote about the Plymouth XNR HERE. He learned that the car would be offered at the RM Auction at Monterey, California and drove the Vachemobile to Monterey to see it (and the other cars he has featured in recent posts). In the original post, he wrote that Chrysler styling chief Virgil Exner, who had created the mid-'50s craze for fins on cars, planned to make an asymmetrical look "the next big thing." To introduce the idea to the public, the XNR was created. The look was planned for the 1962 Chrysler lineup: Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge and Plymouth. Chrysler management got cold feet and the look was scrapped, but the basic design of the 1962 Chrysler products was set. In the previous post, we saw how the XNR set the shape for the 1962 Plymouth.

The influence of the XNR is clearly seen in this 1962 Plymouth Sport Fury

The XNR also influenced the shape of the Plymouth Valiant compact car, which was introduced in 1960. The shape of the front and rear fenders on the Valiant was clearly derived from the XNR.
The six cylinder engine used in the Valiant, the famous "slant six", also powered the XNR.

1960 Plymouth Valiant

The XNR sold at the Monterey auction for $935,000.

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See more Ruby Tuesday entries HERE.

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National Empty Chair Day, Cont'd