While the February 2012 sales report from Chrysler reported
a whopping 40% improvement over the same month last year, there was some sad
news on the company report – there was not a single Dodge Viper sold in the
month of February.
I did some digging through company records and I was unable
to find a month since the Viper was introduced in 1992 where the company failed
to sell a single Viper. Even though the production of the Dodge Viper ended at
the Detroit Connor Avenue plant in July 2010, dealerships around the country
have been selling 2010 model year Vipers over the past 20 months.
During the years where the Dodge Viper was selling at its
best rate, the company was moving hundreds of Vipers each month but as
production ended in July 2010, the sales rate dropped significant – down into
the single digits during some months. Post production was highest immediately after production ended in the
late summer of 2010 but sales hit a record low of just 5 units sold in November
2011 before spring back up to 19 and December 2011 and 20 in January 2012.
While the 2013 SRT Viper debut is right around the corner,
the fact that zero Dodge Vipers were sold last month brings about the end of an
era.In honor of the last 20 years of consistent
Viper sales, enjoy the video below of Dodge Vipers doing some big, smokey
burnouts.
"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.
While the February 2012 sales report from Chrysler reported