XNR

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Background:

Plymouth XNR

• XNR is named after its designer – Virgil M. Exner (XNR = Exner)
• Ghia in Italy pounded out the body
• It was released for the Show circuit in 1960
• The color was Red
• It was powered by a 200HP Six-Banger.
• The 1961 Valiant looks to have some of the styling cues of this car – especially the trunk lid (less the fin) and size.
• It was being built during the time when Exner was frustrated with what was happening to his 1963 designs.

History:

Far offset position of the hood scoop suggests that the XNR may have been equipped with "Hyper-Pak" long ram 4-bbl. intake and ductile cast iron split exhaust (it is known to have had dual exhaust). The street Hyper-Pak used a re-jetted Carter 2948S AFB and generated 194 horsepower. In a 1960, 30-mile compact car race at Daytona Beach (televised nation-wide on CBS, sponsored by Chevrolet), Hyper-Pak Valiants took 1st through 7th place, defeating all Falcon and Corvair challengers. First place Valiant driver Marvin Panch's average speed was 122.282 mph.

Other Valiant-based concept cars: Chrysler 250 (Ghia body, Chrysler built), Asymmetrica (Ghia body, but not built by Chrysler, "St. Regis" (Ghia body, but not built by Chrysler). Then, of course, there was Tex Smith's, Steve Swaja-designed, "XR6" which was built by Barris Customs, Gene Winfield, Gordon Van's Body Shop and Smith himself. This car was cover feature of August 1963 HRM (on which it is pictured parked next to an F-104). This car was slant-6-powered and featured triple Weber DCOE side-draft carbs.

The XNR was sold to a collector in Europe, and then to the Shah of Iran. It was rumored to have been lost in the war in Beirut, Lebanon; and was also rumored to have been in Kuwait during the first Gulf War in 1990, then carried away by Saddam's troops as booty and taken to Baghdad -- but was safely stored in a basement. As of July 2009 -- it is still owned by a private Middle Easterner -- and is currently in the US being restored.

Technical:

Body was made by Ghia.

Engines

XNR used a 170 cid slant 6 for power---Chrysler claimed it to be rated at 101 horsepower, in a Valiant, but sources claim the version in teh XNR was worth 200HP.

Transmissions

3-speed, floor-shift, manual transmission.

Specifications:

• Length:195.5"
• Width: 71.0"
• Height: 46"
• Wheelbase: 106.5" (based on Valiant chassis)
• Tires: 8.00 X 14

Wiki Topic References:

• XNR information from an article by Jack Poehler which appeared in Slant 6 News #32.
• Hyper-Pak information from an article by Kevin McCabe which appeared WPC News Volume X, Number XII.