1996 DODGE VIPER ROADSTER

THE DARK DAYS…….
FROM 1973 TILL 1990 THE AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE WORLD WAS INFECTED WITH A TERMINAL DISEASE CALLED MEDIOCRITY …. OUR HIGHWAYS AND DEALERSHIPS WERE STOCKED WITH SHEET METAL SLOTHS THAT WERE AT BEST MEDIOCRE . CARS BECAME NOTHING MORE THAN TOOLS TO MOVE ONE OR MANY FROM ATO B …. THEY WERE SIMPLY TRANSPORTATION…..
THE STREETS ARE POPULATED WITH K-CARS , PACERS , AND RELIANTS ...OH MY!!!!!... THIS IS LIKE THE ROLLING DEAD.!!
THE FOLKS IN WASHINGTON DETERMINED THAT NOBODY IN THE U.S. COULD POSSIBLY DRIVE SAFELY AT ANYTHING OVER 55 MPH SO THE POLITICIANS , IN ALL OF THEIR WISDOM , PLACE A NATIONAL SPEED LIMIT AT 55 MPH….. THE DARK DECADES ARE HERE……..
THE KEEPERS OF THE CARS COULD NOT EVEN BUY FUEL TO POWER THE BEASTS THAT WERE BEING HELD IN SUSPENDED ANIMATION GARAGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY….OH THEY WERE THERE , THEY WERE JUST WAITING TO BE REVIVED BY A PASSION FOR MORE POWER …. THEY WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SPARK THE INTEREST IN THE CONCEPT THAT DRIVING SHOULD BE EXHILARATING NOT DEBILITATING….
IN 1989 CHRYSLER DEVELOPED A NO FRILLS , NO TOP, NO WINDOWS , NO OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES , FIRE BREATHING , FOSSIL FUEL FEASTING, INSATIABLE SNAKE KNOWN AS THE VIPER..!!! THE FIRE WAS SET , THE DESIRE WOULD RETURN AND SPEED LIMITS WOULD RISE ONCE AGAIN.!!!!
IN 1990 DODGE HAD SLATED THE TWIN TURBO DODGE STEALTH TO PACE THE INDY 500...WHEN EVERYBODY REALIZED THAT IT WAS REALLY A MITSUBISHI 3000GT VR-4 AND NO ONE WANTED A JAPANESE CAR AS THE PACE CAR……… DODGE WAS ABLE TO COBBLE TOGETHER ONE OF THE CONCEPT VIPERS , AND THAT VIPER BECAME THE INDY PACE CAR FOR 1991 WITH NONE OTHER THAN CARROLL SHELBY , FRESH FROM A HEART TRANSPLANT , DRIVING THAT CAR , THAT CAR SPARKED SO MUCH INTEREST THAT DODGE MOVED MORE LIKE A STARTUP , THAN A BEHEMOTH AND IN JUST ONE YEAR TOOK THAT CAR FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCTION…. WHAT A FEAT !!!!
THIS CAR IS , AS SOME WOULD SAY , GEN 1.5… 1996 IS THE YEAR THAT THE GTS DEBUTED SO FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF THE YEAR THE VIPER ROADSTER WAS BUILT WITH REAR EXIT EXHAUST AND THE “NEW MOTOR “ AT 415 HORSEPOWER…….ONLY 721 OF THESE SNAKES WERE BUILT WHEN THEY PULLED THE PLUG AND BEGAN BUILDING THE GTS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR . PRODUCTION #S FOR THE GTS IN 1996 WERE 1166 ……...THIS CAR IS EXCITING, WONDERFULLY IMPRACTICAL , MACH 2 HAIR ON FIRE FAST , AND GOING UP IN VALUE EVERY DAY…. THIS CAR IS A BARGAIN...