Some 400 vehicles from the old Chrysler Museum now live in the refurbished Dodge Viper plant.
Since Dodge Viper production ended last year, the automotive world has been wondering what would become of the Conner Avenue Assembly plant, where nearly every Viper was built. Today, we learned that the facility will now be known as Conner Center, serving as an internal meeting facility and the new home to nearly 400 historic Chrysler Group vehicles, including a formal display area for 85 vehicles.
The Conner Center
The hallowed grounds previously known as the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant will now be known as the Conner Center. The Conner Center will be used as an internal company meeting space while also serving as the home of the company’s vehicle collection. We don’t know what kind of meetings the company plans to have at Conner Center, but today, we got a look at an example of the vehicle display area and it was pretty incredible.
Some of the most legendary Chrysler Group production vehicles were on display with a spread of new and old concept vehicles, a few new production models and, of course, an array of Dodge Vipers. To name a few, the twin Hemi-powered Jeep Hurricane Concept was joined by an original 1968 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi.
One of the original Chrysler Turbine cars was there, as was the Dodge Viper that won LeMans in the ’90s and the Dodge Challenger GT AWD Concept from the 2016 SEMA Show. Of course, they also had the very first Dodge Viper Concept on display, sitting next to the very last Dodge Viper produced as Conner Ave, with samples of each generation in between.
“With a storied history of its own, the Conner Avenue facility is an ideal location to showcase the vehicles that have sustained the Company for more than 92 years,” said Brandt Rosenbusch, Manager, Historical Services. “We are proud of our history and have been working diligently in the daily care and restoration of these important vehicles. This move will allow us to house all of our collection under one roof and have the space to share that history with our employees.”
Right now, the company isn’t sure how they will handle tours or other means for the general public to check out the vehicles, but once the Conner Center facility has been completed, we are hoping for more news on how to visit the incredible collection of modern and classic Mopar machines.
See more of these historic cars from the Viper Plant on the next page!
"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.
