Steric crowding in the cis isomer of ''Mini-3'', a chain shortened triene analog of beta-carotene, and hexakis-(2,2',4,4',6,6'-trifluoromethyl)stilbene forces the polyene chromophores to adopt a spiral conformation. Some of the associated unusual spectroscopic properties (W-VIS and NMR) of these compounds and a rare 1,7-H shift process are described.