1960 Plymouth Valiant

It may be a contender for the title of America's Ugliest Car, but the 1960 Plymouth Valiant introduced one of the most successful engines of all time and it was also the foundation of many of Chrysler Corporation's best-loved products of the 20th century.

The '60 Valiant was the first car built with Chrysler's all-new Slant-6 engine. Chrysler would eventually build more than 13 million copies of the Slant-6. It was available in the Dodge Dakota pickup as late as 1987, and the final Slant-6 was built in Mexico in 2000.

From the New York Times,

"Initially available in either a base 170-cubic-inch (100-horsepower) or slightly taller 225-cubic-inch (110-horsepower) version, the cast-iron Slant Six’s main mission was clearing the unusually-low hoodline and relatively short engine compartments of the ’60 Valiant and ’61 Lancer drawn by Plymouth designers. Angling the cylinder bank reduced the new engine’s vertical height, while laterally offsetting its water pump shortened overall length. Additionally, the space created on the driver side enabled longer intake and exhaust manifolds whose nearly-equal length produced excellent airflow through the engine.The engine’s tilt lowered its center of gravity, which contributed to its handling characteristics. The combination of power and handling was so successful, a pack of Valiants won the top seven places in Nascar's compact car race in 1960."

The Plymouth Barracuda and Duster were both derived from the Valiant. A 1970 Valiant was used for the Stephen Spielberg movie Duel.

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