One-of-one Dodge Viper GTS/CS Prototype Headed to Auction
Viper with the Carroll Shelby Street Competition package features a unique look and improved performance.
The Dodge Viper is sure to be well represented at the Mecum Kissimmee Auction in January 2021, but none are as rare as the Mopar supercar shown here. This car is fitted with the Carroll Shelby Street Competition package and is one of 25 GTS coupes planned for production. However, Shelby’s health took a turn for the worse during the project and only one GTS/CS was built.
This rare 1997 Dodge Viper GTS/CS is still in the possession of the original owner, but that will all change at the big auction next month. For the first time ever, this one-of-one supercar will be sold, with the highest bidder scoring one of the rarest of the Shelby-modified vehicles.
Carroll Shelby Street Competition Viper Coupe
Back in the 1990s, the Dodge Viper had proven itself to be one of the greatest performance cars in the world. Carroll Shelby had a heavy hand in the original concept, so it made sense that he would be interested in building some special edition models with his high performance touch. To do so, Shelby teamed up with longtime friend Dan Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Motorsports in Laconia, New Hampshire. Their plan was to build a total of 50 Vipers with the Street Competition package, 25 roadsters and 25 coupes.
The team built 18 Viper roadsters and just one prototype coupe before Carroll Shelby’s health issues halted the program. The program never restarted, so there was only that one prototype version of the hard-top Viper with the Shelby Street Competition package. That car has remained with the original owner since it was built, but he is finally looking to let it go, choosing the high-rolling crowd of the Mecum auction circuit to find a bidder who is looking to pay big money.
According to the listing on the Mecum website, this 1997 Dodge Viper GTS/CS is expected to fetch north of $200,000.
Street Competition Coupe Details
The upgrades of the Shelby Street Competition package begin on the outside of the 1997 Dodge Viper GTS. Up front, there is a unique fascia that wears the Carroll Shelby badge, with a large central opening that lacks the familiar crosshair grille. From the front, you can also see the LeMans-style stripes that run across the length of the car. Along the sides, there is a set of custom lightweight 18-inch wheels with Carroll Shelby logos on the center caps. There are also unique side vent strakes and Shelby’s signature on the front fenders, right below a unique badge that shows a young Carroll Shelby, along with the years of his birth and death.
The inside of this 1997 Dodge Viper GTS/GS is heavily clad in red leather, with gold stripes running down the middle of the seats and gold trim throughout the cockpit. The seats are fitted with racing harnesses for added safety. There are also unique door sill plates with the GTS/CS logo while Shelby’s signature and “1 of 25” Street Competition” is emblazoned on the passenger’s side of the dashboard.
In terms of performance, the Street Competition package adds a unique engine air intake system with K&N filters, a high-flow exhaust system and an engine calibration that yields a peak output of “approximately” 480 horsepower. That is an increase of around 30 horsepower over stock, but thanks to the addition of 3.73 gears, this Viper is likely quite a bit quicker than a stock GTS coupe.
Performance aside, this unique Dodge Viper GTS/CS is the only one of its kind, making it one of the most collectable of the special edition Mopar supercars. If you have $200,000 to spend on a new-to-you supercar, you can buy this car at next month’s Mecum Kissimmee auction.
Photos: Mecum
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