SummaryThe crystal structures of (1 R,4R,5S,8S)-9,l0-dimethylidenetricyclo[6.2.1 .02.7]undec-2(7)-ene-4,5-dicarboxylic anhydride (3), (1 R,4R,5S,8S)-1 1-isopropylidene-9,lO-dimethylidenetricyclo(6.2.1 .02~7]undec-2(7)-ene-4,5-dicarboxylic anhydride (6), (1 R,4R,5S,8S)-9,l O-dimethylidenetricyclo[6.2.2.O2~7]dodec-2(7)-ene-4,5-dicarboxylic anhydride (9), (1R,4R,5S,8S)-tricyclo[6.2.2.02~7]dodeca-2(7), 9-diene-4,5-dicarboxylic anhydride (12) and (4R,SS)-tricyclo[6.1. 1.02~7]dec-2(7)-ene-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (16) were established by X-ray diffraction. The alkyl substituents onto the endocyclic bicyclo[2.2.l]hept-2-ene double bond deviate from the C(1), C(2), C(3), C(4) plane by 13.5" in 3 and by 13.9" in 6, leaning toward the endo-face. No such out-of-plane deformations were observed with the bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene derivatives 9 and 12. The exocyclic s-cis-butadiene moieties in 3, 6 and 9 do not deviate significantly from planarity. The deviation from planarity of the double bond in bicycl0[2.2.l]hept-Zene derivatives and planarity in bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene analogues is shown to be general by analysis of all known structures in the Cambridge Crystdographic Data File. The non-planarity of the bicycl0[2.2.l]hept-2-ene double bond cannot be attributed only to bond-angle deformations which would favour rehybridization of the olefinic C-atoms since the double bond in the more strained bicyclo[2.l.l]hex-2-ene derivative 16 deviates from planarity by less than 4".