1956 Chrysler Diablo Concept dances with the devil for $1.375 million at Barrett-Jackson [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Videos, Chrysler, Specialty, Design/Style

It's always special when a classic concept car goes up for auction, and that was surely the case as this 1956 Chrysler Diablo Concept crossed the auction block at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson event with a top bid of $1,375,000.

Designed by the famed Virgil Exner Sr. in collaboration with Italian styling house Ghia, this show car is said to have been designed in a wind tunnel after being drawn by Exner himself. Underneath the beautiful bodywork lies the chassis of a 1956 Chrysler 300, fitted with a 392-cubic-inch V8 engine with dual four-barrel carbs.

You may have a hard time telling from the live image gallery above, but this machine measures just under 21 feet long. That's classic Americana with Italian flair. Read the official auction description and watch a video of the Diablo Concept crossing the auction block below.

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1956 Chrysler Diablo Concept dances with the devil for $1.375 million at Barrett-Jackson [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jan 2013 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare 1957 Chrysler Diablo Concept up for auction

John Neff — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Chrysler, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the 1957 Chrysler Diablo Concept

When we think of the words 'Chrysler' and 'Diablo' together, memories come to mind of a time when the American automaker owned Lamborghini and unveiled a successor to the iconic Countach model. But that's not what this is. The Chrysler Diablo Concept actually dates back to 1957 when it was the star of the U.S. auto show circuit. Most of the Autoblog staff wasn't alive back then, but they tell us it was like when the Dodge Viper Concept first debuted in 1989. The car was originally conceived by Chrysler's renowned design head, Virgil Exner, and is an example of aerodynamic design study in the '50s. It's said that the car's shape was inspired by watching ink blots blown by 200 mph winds across the surface of plastic models, which we don't really see in the svelte shape but we'll take their word for it. The 22-foot-long car is built on a shortened 1955 Chrysler 300 series chassis and features a soft convertible top that was added by the Italian styling firm Ghia, who tweaked the car's design by reworking the fins and painting it red (it was originally black) before the car debuted on the 1957 U.S. auto show circuit. The Diablo reportedly cost Chrysler over $250,000 to develop, and we imagine that it will sell for a lot more when it goes up for auction at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in the RM Auctions' Sports & Classics of Monterey event. Check out some gorgeous high-res photogrophy of the Chrysler Diablo Concept in the gallery below because, like us, that's probably as close as you'll ever get to it.

Gallery: 1957 Chrysler Diablo Concept

[Source: RM Auctions]

Rare 1957 Chrysler Diablo Concept up for auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 May 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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