Dodge Viper Classic Cars for Sale

Produced and manufactured by American brand Chrysler, the Dodge Viper RT/10 was a no-frills sports car built between 1991-1995. Envisioned as a competitor to the Shelby Cobra, the brute force of its powerful engine allied with a crude interior gave it impressive speed which made the Dodge Viper RT/10 an immediate hit with buyers.

The Dodge Viper: From Concept Car to Reality

Originally thought of in 1988, it was when Bob Lutz (Chrysler's president at the time) suggested building a competitor to the Cobra, that things stated moving forward in design and production for the Dodge Viper. This was developed into the concept car shown at the North American International Auto Show in 1989. Public response was so enthusiatic that chief engineer at Chrysler, Roy Sjoberg, was put in charge of bringing it to life. By mid 1991 the Dodge Viper was ready, first used as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 and then put on public sale in November.

From the beginning the Dodge Viper was to be a 'no frills' automobile. This was to make the car lighter and leaner, giving it the best possible chance of hitting its top speeds. Chrysler wanted to use the 10 cylinder engine already in use in their truck lines in order to add some grunt, but the weight of this engine meant that the car would need redesigning in order to make the most of the horsepower it harnessed. In the end the engine was sent to Lamborghini - at that time a subsidiary of Chrysler - for some reworking. The result was an engine block and heads cast in aluminium alloy that used its 8 liters to produce 400 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque.

Design of The Dodge Viper

Crude is inadequate in describing the interior of the original Dodge Viper RT/10. It had no roof, no exterior door handles, no side windows, no traction control and no anti-lock brakes. However the beauty of this was to allow it to do better what it was designed for - to drive very hard and very fast. Able to go from 0-100km/h and back again in less than 15 seconds, its totalitarian design is integral to its speed and part of its appeal.

Dodge Viper Today

Still in production in a different incarnation, the Dodge Viper is enduringly popular. Since 1995 the Dodge Viper has been updated and modified to include luxuries such as door handles and a hard roof, but its continuing desirability remains. An ever admired driver's car, it continues to appeal to those looking for an edge in their driving.