Dodge Viper ownership group, The Viper Club of America, with around 25,000 members world wide, has agreed a deal to acquire parts, accessories and rare historical items directly from the automaker.
The agreement covers historic parts such as painted body panels from the Viper Competition Coupe that raced F-16 jets at Luke Air Force Base and select excess inventory items from the Conner Assembly Plant in Detroit, where the Viper is still built though its future is somewhat vague. The two parties are also looking to preserve older, legacy parts and tooling for those models that are no longer being built, such as the RT/10 and GTS versions that both ended production in 2002.
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“For some 15 years the club has worked hand-in-hand with Dodge to strengthen the bond between the consumer and the manufacturer,” said club president Chris Marshall. “This new agreement will help fund the club while the Viper is on hiatus, provide another source for OEM parts for Viper owners, and monetise inventory for the manufacturer where they may not have realised any income previously.”
The group has also announced the formation of Viper Parts of America, Inc to provide a sales venue for these parts. The company has already received a large number of parts to start immediately offering to Viper Club members and other owners.
“The Viper is a very important part of our performance car heritage, a true American exotic that first appeared on the North American auto show circuit back in 1989,” said Chrysler’s Dodge brand chief Ralph Gilles.
“Through our continued relationship with the Viper Club of America and Viper Parts of America, we want to preserve the Viper heritage for future generations. This agreement supports that and opens the door for Viper owners to take control of that preservation even after older models are no longer produced.”
