It was reported in June of 2016 that the Dodge Viper would not live out the 2017 model year and that Fiat Chrysler would be blowing it out in style by producing five special editions.
Well, super fans of the super car had a year to revel in the fun, but now things just got real. FCA announced this week that it would be closing down its Detroit-based Conner Assembly plant on August 31st. According to MSN, the Viper has been hand-built there since 1995, save for a short hiatus in 2010-13. Apparently, The Prowler was also built there, too, from 1997 to 2002.
80 workers are being impacted by the shutdown, but since Fiat Chrysler has had a lot of time to plan, it says that it will be able to find new roles for many of these employees.
MSN says that despite the Viper’s cult following, not many of them are actually sold – 630 last year, to be exact. Some speculate that Fiat Chrysler competes too heavily in muscle cars with its own other models like the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger, the Charger SRT Hellcats and the new 840-horsepower Challenger SRT Demon. But the real, final nail in the coffin was said to be regulatory. MSN said the vehicle simply couldn’t comply with new safety requirements going into effect.
In one final homage to the Viper, we’ll close with some cool footage that’s been making the rounds recently, showcasing an epic tug-of-war between a Viper, a Charger Hellcat and a Challenger Hellcat.
I’m Anna Wells, and this is IEN Now.
