Dodge Viper

It isn't the type of car that will win the hearts and minds of the environmental set, but the Dodge Viper race car is one model that has certainly had a larger than life impact on the Dodge brand. For that reason alone Chrysler's decision to keep the Viper humming is being welcomed by Mopar enthusiasts everywhere.

Low Volume Viper Up For Sale

Many months before Chrysler approached the federal government for bail out money, Chrysler LLC had announced that its low production sports car was up for sale. Powered by a V10 engine producing 600 hp and getting just 16 mpg, the Viper is the most powerful car built by America's third largest automaker and has been credited with raising Dodge's visibility like no other model. The Viper along with the Challenger give the Dodge brand a distinctly sporty look, cars which have kept Dodge relevant as the automaker emerges from bankruptcy restructuring.

The Viper compares favorably with the Chevy Corvette, but unlike its GM competitor the Dodge sports car is a low production vehicle. Chevrolet builds more Corvettes annually than what Dodge has sold to date, a car introduced in 1992 and only recently having passed 25,000 copies sold. But, with a starting price at $91,000 which is double the price of the standard Corvette, the Viper's appeal is that only one to two thousand buyers step up to purchase the iconic race car each year, making it uncommon which keeps its resale value high.

Rejecting An Offer From Devon Motorworks

Chrysler had been shopping Viper for about one year when the automaker decided to keep the model in house. Analysts were surprised to learn that the asking price for the Viper brand was just ten million dollars, likely a depressed figure given the current market conditions. Chrysler turned down a low ball $5.5 million offer from Devon Motorworks whose own GT coupe is being underpinned by the Viper platform. Apparently, even Chrysler saw that the "fire sale" offer by Devon was not enough, deciding to rethink selling Viper.

"The Dodge Viper has successfully captured the hearts and imagination of performance enthusiasts around the globe," said Mike Accavitti, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dodge Brand. "We're extremely proud that the ultimate American-built sports car with its world-class performance will live on as the iconic image leader for the Dodge brand."