Today at the Connor Avenue Plant in Detroit, 2013 SRT Viper
GTS VIN #001 rolled off of the assembly line surrounded by a crowd of people including
the crew that built the supercar, SRT boss Ralph Gilles, Chrysler and Fiat CEO
Sergio Marchionne and the future owner of the first Viper – Scott Thomas – who bought
the wife and son along to meet their new high performance Mopar sports car.In the image above Scott Thomas is standing
with his wife and son on the right side of the screen next to company CEO
Sergio Marchionne. SRT boss Ralph Gilles stands on the passenger side of the
Viper with his hand resting on the hood.
It is a bit interesting that 2013 SRT Viper GTS #001 is not
wearing the limited edition launch edition package that adds a handful of
unique attributes including a GTS Blue paint scheme with dual white stripes.If it was me and I won the very first SRT
Viper ever produced, I would want it to be sporting the most limited edition
form to enhance the future collector’s value. At the same time, having been privy to see the new Viper GTS in this
gorgeous deep metallic red paint scheme – I can understand why it was chosen as
it looks incredible in person.However,
regardless of the color or how rare this particular package may be, the Thomas
family is a fortune group to be the proud owners of a major piece of both
American motoring history and Chrysler history. Not only is 2013 Viper #001 the very first of the new generation Viper,
but it is also the very first production vehicle from the Street and Racing
Technology brand.Prior to the Viper,
SRT only handled trimlines of cars like the Charger and Challenger but with the
Viper – SRT has their first branded vehicle…and what a vehicle it is.
Scott Thomas, who resides in the Oklahoma City area, won the
first production level 2013 SRT Viper GTS at the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction
where he had a winning bid of $300,000. That money will go to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation – a charity
group that raises money to support pediatric cancer research and care for
patients.I suggest that all of you
visit the charity website by clicking here to see what they are all about.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
