During a recent broadcast interview with the media, SRT
President and CEO Ralph Gilles stated that around 1 in 5 Chrysler Group
dealerships around the US will have the opportunity to sell the 2013 SRT Viper.Gilles believes that the 2013 Viper will
bring in a new type of customer and to make sure that these new supercar buyers
have a great experience – both in buying and owning the new Viper – the Chrysler
Group is laying down some serious requirements for dealerships interested in
carrying the new Mopar supercar.
There will be a variety of determining factors that will go
into helping Chrysler Group management decide which of their 2,400 dealerships
will get to sell the 2013 SRT Viper but the financial wellbeing of the
dealership will play a major role. Dealers that wish to sell the 2013 Viper will have to be willing to buy
a collection of special tools and other equipment to service the Viper while
also providing special training for technicians and the sales staff.Dealerships who sell the Viper will also be
expected to make some renovations to their facilities that will likely include
a special area to showcase the new supercar.
Gilles believes that only about 1 in 5 Chrysler Group dealerships
will be able to perform these requirements but even then, not all of those
dealers will be approved to sell the 2013 SRT Viper.The Chrysler Group management will also
consider the past Viper sales success and the current SRT brand sales figures
of those dealerships who apply to sell the Viper – meaning that even if a
dealer can pay for the special items, the special area and the special
training; if they haven’t sold enough Vipers in the past or SRT models
recently, they may not be granted permission to sell the Viper.
In the long run, Gilles believes that as few as 15% of their
dealership body will carry the 2013 SRT Viper with the number topping out around
20% – leaving a great many dealerships around the country without the new
supercar.This will not have much effect
on those smaller dealers who likely wouldn’t sell a Viper anyway but it sucks
for those Mopar enthusiasts in Anytown USA who are hoping for their smaller
local Dodge dealer to get a Viper to check out in person.
"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.
During a recent broadcast interview with the media, SRT