Doug Dutra

The year 1960 was an important one in auto manufacturing; it was the year all of the Big Three unveiled entrants in a new class of car called the compact. Chrysler's offering, the Plymouth Valiant, was paired with its redesigned 6-cylinder engine entrant, the Slant Six, known by its nickname the «leaning tower of power.» This engine powered the Valiants when they swept the top seven positions in the newly christened compact race that precluded the Daytona 500. With its legacy intact,...