The first generation Viper is as raw and analog as it gets and considered by many to be due for meaningful appreciation as the Viper has been discontinued and fewer and fewer...
The first generation Viper is as raw and analog as it gets and considered by many to be due for meaningful appreciation as the Viper has been discontinued and fewer and fewer raw cars are available.
With just over 7,300 miles, this Viper presents extremely well and is complete with owner's manuals and all canvas top and windows. An excellent example at a tremendous value.
Great lease rates and Financing also available on any of our inventory!
Buy Sell Trade Consignments Welcome!
Please email concierge@fusionluxurymotors.com or call 1-818-773-8181
About the Viper:
The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1991 through 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two-seat super car began at New Mack Assembly Plant in 1991 and moved to Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in October 1995.
The Viper was initially conceived in late 1988 at Chrysler's Advanced Design Studios. The following February, Chrysler president Bob Lutz suggested to Tom Gale at Chrysler Design Center that the company should consider producing a modern Cobra, and a clay model was presented to Lutz a few months later. Produced in sheet metal by Metalcrafters, the car appeared as a concept at the North American International Auto Show in 1989.
Public reaction was so enthusiastic that chief engineer Roy Sjoberg was directed to develop it as a standard production vehicle. But then Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca delayed approving the $70 million needed to put the sports car into production, saying it was a lot to spend without assurance of financial return.
Sjoberg selected 85 engineers to be "Team Viper", with development beginning in March 1989. The team asked the then-Chrysler subsidiary Lamborghini to cast a prototype aluminum block for the sports car to use in May. Official approval from Iacocca came in May 1990. One year later, Carroll Shelby piloted a pre-production car as the pace vehicle in the Indianapolis 500 race. In November 1991, the car was released to reviewers with the first retail shipments beginning in January 1992.
The powerful two-seater, sold for roughly $50,000, ignited immediate interest in the Dodge brand among enthusiasts and the automotive press. Lutz hoped it would raise the spirits of the designers and engineers who were discouraged by the homely, unpopular cars that they had been commanded to produce. The popularity of the Viper overshadowed the recent failure of Iacocca's pet car, the TC, which cost five times as much to produce.
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Dodge Stealth, because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January 1992 as the RT/10 Roadster.
Lamborghini (then owned by Chrysler Corporation) helped with the design of the V10 engine for the Viper, which was based on the Chrysler's LA V8 engine. A major contributor to the Viper since the beginning was Dick Winkles, the chief power engineer, who had spent time in Italy overseeing the development of the engine.
Originally engineered to be a performance car, the Viper had no exterior-mounted door handles or key cylinders and no air conditioning (however, this was added as an option in later models, and climate controls featured a "snowflake" icon, which indicated a potential setting for the A/C). The roof was made from canvas, and the windows were made from vinyl using zippers to open and close, much like the Jeep Wrangler. However, the Viper was still equipped with some domestic features, including manually-adjustable leather-trimmed sport bucket seats with lumbar support, an AM-FM stereo cassette player with clock and high fidelity sound system, and interior carpeting.
Aluminum alloy wheels were larger in diameter due to the larger brakes. A lightweight fiberglass hard roof option on later models was also available to cover the canvas soft roof, and was shipped with each new car. There were also no airbags, in the interest of weight reduction. Adjustable performance suspension was also an available option for most Vipers.
The engine weighs 711 lbs and is rated at 400HP at 4,600 rpm and 465 lb⋅ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. The body is a tubular steel frame with resin transfer molding (RTM) fiberglass panels. The car has a curb weight of 3,284 lbs and lacks modern driver aids such as traction control and anti-lock brakes. The SR I can accelerate from 0–60 mph in 4.2 seconds, 0–100 mph in 9.2 seconds, can complete the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds at the speed of 113.8 mph and has a maximum speed of approximately 165 mph Its large tires allow the car to average close to one lateral g in corners. However, the car proves tricky to drive at high speeds, particularly for the unskilled driver.