1961 Plymouth Asimmetrica Concept Roadster

Concept cars and 'idea cars' of the 1950s were dramatic, employing an excess amount of chrome decor, wearing large tailfins, and often fitted with many futuristic designs. As designer Virgil Exner Sr.'s tenure at Chrysler was nearing an end in the early 1960s, management and public were increasingly seeking less flamboyant Space Age and dramatic automobiles. Bucking the trend, Exner went out with a bang, building a final show car, the Plymouth XNR, with the Italian coachbuilding firm of Ghia. The XNR, named for its outgoing creator, had a dart-like asymmetrical shape and large tailfins. Although the XNR never entered production, it attracted plenty of attention, resulting in Ghia and Exner continuing the project in hopes of creating a design that could be produced in a small batch for exclusive clients.

There remains some debate if the Asimmetrica project was begun by Exner while completing his tenure at Chrysler, then completed by Ghia, or was solely a Ghia design project.

The Asimmetrica was styled in a similar fashion to the XNR, but toned down. Using the XNR's original bucks for many of the body panels, it had a four-passenger interior, a full windshield, and a more conventional rear deck and tail. Like the XNR, it used a stock Plymouth Valiant chassis, drivetrain, and engine, but with the Hyper-Pack features of cast-iron split headers and a Carter AFB carburetor.

It is believed that 25 examples were planned to be built, but at most, only two roadsters were completed. The first appeared on Ghia's stand at the Turin Motor Show in 1961. It was simply labeled as the Asimmetrica, with no assigned manufacturer. It is also believed that the Turin car was later shown at Geneva, where it was purchased by Georges Simenon for his wife. The car was later sold by the Swiss dealer's Rob de la Rive Box and Roger Meyer of Villmergen to the Blackhawk Collection in 1989.

The car's original color was red, with a tan interior. It was later finished in green and then in a non-original white with red accents and a black interior. The Blackhawk Collection spent a year restoring the car to its original condition, including re-finishing it in its original color of red, with a tan interior and as near the original wheel covers as could be found.

After the car's restoration was completed, it was displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1990.

The Blackhawk Collection sold the car in 2000 to a collector in the Pacific Northwest, where it has remained. It has been shown sparingly, only being shown several years ago at the Forest Grove Concours d'Elegance in Oregon.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2018