Blue 1996 Dodge Viper GTS Has 4K Miles; Owned by Legendary Mopar Designer
This 1996 Dodge Viper GTS belonged to the John Herlitz, designer of the Barracuda and other notable Mopar rides over the decades.
In today’s world, it isn’t terribly uncommon to come across low-mile examples of sports cars, exotics, and other collectible rides – not to mention economy cars, sedans, and even wagons owned by folks that simply didn’t drive them much, for various reasons. However, while some low-mile auction finds are, well, not exactly something that one might call desirable, that certainly isn’t the case with this 1996 Dodge Viper GTS currently up for grabs at Bring a Trailer.
You see, this 1996 Dodge Viper GTS has spent its entire life in the possession of the same family, which would make it special enough on its own regard. However, its original owner was none other than automotive designer John Herlitz, who spent his career working for Chrysler. During his time there, Herlitz designed some seriously notable rides such as the Barracuda SX show car that had a big influence on the production 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, the 1970 Barracuda and ‘Cuda, the 1971 Plymouth GTX and Road Runner, and the Dodge Copperhead concept.
Sadly, Herlitz passed away back in 2008, at which time his son took possession of his beloved Viper. Now, the iconically styled machine is up for grabs looking good as new in its Viper Blue paint with white stripes – marred only by a couple of scratches, along with 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
Peek inside the cabin, and one will find a stellar black interior filled with leather bucket seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, air conditioning, adjustable pedals, power windows, and an Alpine CD stereo. Power, as is the case with all Vipers from this era, comes from the venerable naturally-aspirated 8.0-liter V10 that sends 450 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential.
As special as this Viper is on its own regard, it certainly isn’t every day that we get the opportunity to buy any vehicle that was owned by a legendary automotive designer – especially one that had such a big influence on the industry as a whole. And for that reason alone, this 1996 Dodge Viper GTS is a truly incredible find.
Photos: Bring a Trailer
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