The Dodge Viper as we know it is dead. In fact, by the time you read this, the last example of this iconic sports car has probably rolled off the assembly line at the Conner Avenue plant. Fiat, Chrysler’s newest overlord, has said that there are plans to revive the model in 2012, but we’re not holding our breath. The good news is that the 88 remaining plant employees have all be reassigned to other jobs, albeit less exciting ones.
It was nearly 10 months ago when the word first leaked out that the Viper was living on borrowed time. Moving about 2,000 units per year, the Viper was not exactly a cash cow and admittedly its halo status has faded some over the years.
That being said, we can remember the sensation the car caused in the early 1990s and how quickly Chrysler with Tom Gale, Bob Lutz, and others at the helm, managed to turn it from awesome concept car to showroom reality. The Viper was one of the key pieces in Chrysler’s revival in the 1990s. We were in our early ‘teens when the big V10 powered monster hit the streets and it was truly captivating.
Early examples of the car were pretty brutal. The didn’t have windows, only side curtains, a manually operated top, side pipes that torched legs, and the ergonomics of an Abrams tank. On the track they would snap over steer with virtually no notice, but were capable of running with and beating Corvettes.
We have a sinking feeling that the two year sabbatical will last infinitely longer than that. If it does come back, we hope to hell it retains it brutish American manners and isn’t weenie-fied into a refined Italian sporty car. Yes, we’re ugly Americans, and damn proud of it.
Farewell friend….hope to see you again soon.
Source — WSJ.com — Chrysler to Halt Viper Production Friday
