I saw somewhere above a mention that the Green Brick was an inspiration. Thanks for that, it was meant to be exactly that, to prove that brains and clever engineering (mostly Chrysler's) can level the playing field vs. bucks and stupidity (read: Chevies).
I've been asked: "what inspired me"? Watching the '60 NASCAR Mopars at the Glen, then sneaking out on the track at night for a slew of hot laps in my '65 Valiant played a part, to be sure, but the real foundation was laid by the 1960 NASCAR Valiants. If you don't recall, it was a slaughterhouse, with every other brand going though the meat grinder! They were the only cars ever certified by NASCAR to run without a cage -- Chrysler Engineering was able to demonstrate that the unibody was a strong as the competitor's caged cars.
