Shah of Iran's Plymouth XNR sells for $935000

CNNMoney - The 1960 Plymouth XNR, a one-of-a-kind concept vehicle by famed Chrysler designer Virgil Exner, sold at a California classic car auction Saturday for $935,000.

The final price includes a 10% fee paid to auction company RM Auctions.

Despite its wild lines and bizarre shape, the XNR was -- and still is -- a real, drivable automobile.

In fact, the XNR, which is powered by a 260 horsepower "slant six" engine, reached speeds of 150 miles an hour on Chrysler's test track, the automaker has said. That's especially impressive when you realize that concept cars, even today, are often nothing more than automobile sculptures -- three-dimensional doodles that are rarely functional.

But the most amazing thing about the XNR is that it has survived. In fact, it did so in one of the most dangerous places on earth: Beirut during the Lebanese civil war.

After the XNR's tour of duty as a show car was completed, Carrozzeria Ghia, the Italian coachbuilder that assembled the auto, claimed ownership. Ghia sold the XNR to someone who, in turn, sold it to the Shah of Iran.

After leaving the Shah's care, the XNR turned up in a Beirut parking garage where a Lebanese car collector found it. The car was moved several times to various hiding places throughout the city to keep it from destruction.