Some 1-(2-substituted phenyl)- and 1-(1-naphthyl)-2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium perchlorates were treated with potassium hexacyano ferrate(III)-potassium hydroxide reagent to give the title pyrroles. Restricted rotation around the C-N bond in the products is demonstrated by NMR experiments with homochiral shift reagents, by semiempirical PM3 calculations as well as using their atropodiastereoselective and enantioselective transformations. Racemisation barriers for the (