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The 1961 Plymouth Asimmetrica Roadster was a Ghia-bodied show car built largely from Plymouth Valiant components. Its flowing, asymmetrical shape recalled Virgil Exner’s radical Plymouth XNR, but the Asimmetrica was designed as a more usable four-passenger roadster, with a full windshield and a conventional rear deck. Its authorship and planned production remain uncertain.
What was the Plymouth Asimmetrica?
The Asimmetrica was a one-off-style design exercise presented by Italian coachbuilder Ghia on its stand at the 1961 Turin Motor Show. Under its distinctive body, it used a largely stock Plymouth Valiant chassis, engine, and drivetrain, with added Hyper-Pack components. The combination gave Ghia a platform rooted in a production Plymouth while allowing it to explore a far more expressive body.
RM Sotheby’s describes the Asimmetrica as a toned-down companion to the Plymouth XNR. The auction catalog says many of its body panels were formed using the XNR’s original bucks, linking the two cars visually without making them identical in purpose or layout. RM Sotheby’s 2018 catalog
How was it different from the Plymouth XNR?
| Design feature | Asimmetrica | XNR relationship established by the catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Overall character | A more restrained, practical interpretation | The XNR was the more extreme design |
| Passenger space | Four-passenger interior | The catalog identifies the Asimmetrica’s accommodation, but does not provide a full technical comparison |
| Windshield and rear body | Full windshield and conventional rear deck | The Asimmetrica omitted the XNR’s oversized rear fin |
| Platform connection | Largely stock Plymouth Valiant chassis, engine, and drivetrain | The cars shared a design relationship; a complete technical comparison is not established |
That balance is the car’s defining idea: XNR-like visual drama, but with a less radical body layout and room for four. It was not simply an XNR with different trim.
#1 Best Overall
- 1:25 scale, skill level 2, paint & glue required
- 129 parts
- Molded in white, clear, transparent red, with some chrome-plated parts
- Black vinyl tires
- Metal Axles
What powered the Asimmetrica?
RM Sotheby’s says the car retained a largely stock Valiant chassis, engine, and drivetrain, and identifies its Hyper-Pack additions as cast-iron split headers and a Carter AFB carburetor. These details establish its production-car mechanical basis, but the catalog does not present a complete factory specification sheet.
An enthusiast article supplies further figures: a 170-cubic-inch slant-six rated at 101 horsepower, a three-speed manual transmission, a 3.55:1 rear axle, four-wheel drum brakes, torsion-bar independent front suspension, and a solid rear axle with asymmetrical leaf springs. Those specifications should be treated as that article’s account rather than factory-confirmed figures. Enthusiast article
Rank #2
- Revell Model Kit #14531, Skill Level 5, Contains 77-Parts, Recommended for ages 13 and up
- Detailed 440+6 V-8 engine, hood scoop that can be positioned open or closed
- Detailed interior with separate side panels and a front bench seat
- Molded in white and clear with chrome plated parts and black vinyl tires
- Illustrated assembly instructions. Requires paint and glue. (not included)
Who designed it, and how many were built?
It is not established that Virgil Exner designed the Asimmetrica alone. RM Sotheby’s says accounts differ: Exner may have started the project near the end of his Chrysler tenure, with Ghia completing it, or it may have been a Ghia project from the outset. The car’s resemblance to the XNR supports a design connection, but does not settle who authored it.
The production story is similarly uncertain. The auction catalog says a run of 25 was generally thought to have been planned, but that at most two roadsters were completed. That is a reported account, not a verified production register, so “25 built” is not a sound description of the car’s history. RM Sotheby’s catalog
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- Revell Model Kit #14528, Skill Level 4, Contains 100-Parts, Recommended for ages 12 and up
- One-piece lift-up 1970 Plymouth Duster funny car body. Easy-to-assemble fully detailed tube frame.
- Blown-and-injected 426 HEMI race engine with a soft rubber blower drive belt. Vintage-style emergency light bar with loud speaker.
- Molded in white and clear with chrome plated parts and black vinyl tires.
- Illustrated assembly instructions. Requires paint and glue. (not included)
What is known about the car’s history?
- 1961: Ghia showed the Asimmetrica at the Turin Motor Show. It is believed to have appeared later at Geneva.
- After Geneva: French novelist Georges Simenon reportedly bought the car for his wife, Denyse. The auction catalog quotes Simenon recalling, “On the Chrysler stand I am struck by a splendid flame red car, with a new and unseen line,” and references his memoir and David Burgess-Wise’s history of Ghia.
- 1989–1990: Swiss dealers Rob de la Rive Box and Roger Meyer sold the car to the Blackhawk Collection in 1989. After a year-long restoration to its original red paint and tan interior, it appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1990.
- 2000: Blackhawk sold the car to a Pacific Northwest collector. RM Sotheby’s described it as privately held when it was offered in 2018.
- 2018: Chassis 1102224086 sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction for $335,000. The official results state that listed selling prices include the applicable buyer’s fee. This is a historical auction result, not a current valuation. Lot catalog · Official Monterey results
- 2020: Wikimedia Commons records a photograph of the car at a concept-car exhibition at Château de Compiègne, dated January 11, 2020. Photograph record
The available history here does not establish the car’s current owner or present display location.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- STOCK OR DRAG BUILD – Two build styles with racing and street options.
- NEWLY TOOLED PARTS – Updated body, hood, grille, and interior components.
- MOPAR ENGINE DETAIL – Includes air cleaner, valve covers, and exhaust detail.
- PAD-PRINTED & DRAG TIRES – Goodyear Polyglas and Blue Streak slicks.
- RETRO MPC PACKAGING – Classic styling for collectors.
Rank #4
- Brand new box. Real rubber tires. Has opening hood. True-to-scale detail. Detailed interior, exterior. Comes in a blister pack. Officially licensed product. Die-cast metal body and chassis. Manufacturer's original unopened packaging. Dimensions approximately L-3.25 inches long.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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