This created a decision for FCA: should they retool the Viper considerably, costing a fair bit of money in the process, or shut down production entirely? The straw that broke the camel’s back was when new federal safety standards required side airbags in street legal cars.The Viper in its current form does not have these side airbags. These monetary issues made the Viper live in a precarious position. There’s also the issue that the Viper is handmade in uses a proprietary platform to make it that is not shared with any other FCA vehicles. So while the Viper may indirectly contribute to FCA’s bottom line via the halo car effect, in terms of direct revenue and profit generation it doesn’t do much. This absolutely massive international company makes much more profit on its mid-range trucks and SUVs than it does selling the Dodge Viper. There are a few contributing factors that led to the end of the Viper.ĭodge AKA Chrysler has merged with Fiat to create Fiat Chrysler Auto, or FCA for short. The basic idea is that Dodge is spending money through creating Vipers in order to get as many people “through the door” as possible into their brand. But he likes the way a Viper makes him feel, and he feels another Dodge can make him feel the same way. He doesn’t have the purchasing power to buy a Viper. So maybe 16-year-old Jimmy drools over the Viper in a copy of Motor Trend and decides that his first car is going to be a used Dodge Challenger as soon as he can save up enough money. The idea is that everyday Joes and Janes will see these cars, be impressed by how amazing they are, and then want to buy another car from that company. Indeed, Ford and Dodge often lose money on each individual sale of their halo cars like the Viper and the Ford GT. These cars are designed to be marketing investments that pay off in terms of brand image. Car companies don’t expect to make a lot of money through selling their halo cars either. However, companies don’t create halo cars just for the sake of making a cool car. Halo cars are high-end, performance-oriented vehicles that are supposed to represent the pinnacle of an automobile company’s capabilities and excellence. The Viper is in a class referred to as “ halo cars.” It’s just a reality of business.Īs Dan Carney wrote about the Viper: “The Viper was introduced in 1992 as a raw, no-compromises, no-amenities 400-horsepower missile meant to cast a halo over the rest of Chrysler’s product line, which at that time was entirely composed of pathetically sad, cheap, front-drive economy cars.”
While they may be staffed by automobile enthusiasts, their fundamental loyalty is to their shareholders first and to car lovers second. Why Is Dodge/FCA Stopping Production of the Viper?Īt the end of the day, car companies are about profits first and foremost.
The financial and experiential reasons to buy a Viperīut before we get into all that, let’s answer one question that may be on your mind: why did Dodge decide to stop making the Viper in the first place?.How the Viper stacks up against the foreign competition.The different incarnations throughout the years.To honor the Viper, we put together our first article here on American Supercars. It represents an unfiltered, rock you to your core approach to the sports car. The Viper is known for its insane levels of torque, acceleration, top speed, and overall power. Referred to by car journalists as the last great American car, the Viper has inspired feelings of adrenaline, envy, admiration, and pure driving enjoyment for its dedicated fan base over the last 25 years. After 25 years, production of the Dodge Viper stopped on August 31st, 2017.
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