The 2013 SRT Viper set another monthly sales record this past month with 65 examples of the newest American supercar heading to dealerships around the country. The previous record was April, when there were 60 Vipers shipped to fortunate new owners with an additional 3 shipped in March and 1 unit in April. In total, the company has delivered 129 copies of the incredible 2013 Viper this year.
The Connor Avenue Plant in Detroit built 228 new Vipers last month. This is a substantial increase over the 92 units built in April so production is ramping up quite a bit ahead of the rumored 2014 model year changeover expected in July. Should those rumors be true, this month could be the final month of full production for the 2013 SRT Viper and unless there is a massive spike in production figures this month – the company will likely build well under a thousand Vipers for the 2013 model year. Since production started earlier this year, just 506 new Vipers have been built and the difference between production numbers and delivery figures is due to the intense quality control process being administered to every example of the new Viper built before they are shipped to dealers. There were approximately 377 new Vipers at Connor Ave that are complete and ready to be shipped so as the company works through the quality control process, we should see a steady increase in delivery numbers over the next few months.
The steady increase in both deliveries and production of the new SRT Viper should continue over the next few months up to and including the launch of 2014 model year production this summer. However, we shouldn’t expect production numbers to increase too much over the next few years. Bear in mind that the company plans to offer around 2,000 units each year and that equates to only 166 Vipers built per month. Numbers are higher than that average right now due to the shortened model year but once the company has met the demand – we should expect production numbers to level out.
The slower than expected early production and delivery phases are reportedly going to require the company to build some 3,000 units for the 2014 model year in an effort to satisfy the high demand for the new Mopar supercar. After the 2014 model year, it is expected that Chrysler will drop production to just 2,000 units per year.
"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.
