Chrysler Falcon
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The Chrysler Falcon was a two-seater roadster concept car designed by Virgil Exner, and built by Chrysler for the 1955 model year. The car was never put into production, but many of the ideas and styling elements used in it would be used in other Chrysler designs. Some elements would not appear for many years, like the exposed side exhaust pipes which wouldn't be used in a Chrysler production car until the Dodge Viper in 1992. The name Falcon was originally intended to be the name of the Plymouth Valiant, but Ford Motor Company released a production car with the name first, forcing Chrysler to scramble to change it at the last minute with a contest among their employees.[1]
Designed to be the basis for a competitor to the Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Corvette, the Chrysler Falcon had a carbureted, cast iron, 276 ci overhead-valve V8 engine, rated at 170 hp (127 kW), with 255 lb·ft (346 N·m) of torque, mated to a two-speed automatic transmission. With a weight of 3300 lb (1497 kg), it gave the car impressive performance for the time. Only a single vehicle was produced, which was shown at several autoshows. Eventually it was sold to a private owner.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Rearview Mirror: Automobile Industry History
- ^ A-Bodies: The Valiant Family, The 1955 Chrysler Falcon Concept Car
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