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What were they thinking? Vipers ordered destroyed


White Spyder

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We are Mopar lovers. Otherwise why would we wand to do what we do with our old cars from thhe various divisions that make up Mopar. What is your take on the recent order by the big wigs to destroy many valuable Vipers ? They claim it is to limit liability but I am sure there are other ways to do that and not destroy the cars. Part them out, have the buyer sign a release, something other than what is ordered. These are rare and historical cars. :(

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I don't think many, if any of the executives have much heart or soul when it comes to this. I remember seeing an interview with Iacocoa (or however you spell it) and they were talking about the old Mustangs douching the occupants of the car with gas during a rear-end crash, and the brand loyalty of the people restoring the old Mustangs. His comment was: "Get a new Mustang, it's a better car". As far as he was concerned, all the old Mustangs should just be junked, and the people should then get new ones.

 

I think they have no idea about car collecting, old cars, etc. The Vipers to them are just an old pair of jeans, or some other garbage that's been around too long.

 

Just a thought. !!!

 

ken.

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there is nothing wrong in the manner of which they are conducting their business...this happens all the time...surely the tax man cometh and that is prime reasoning..again..the entire story is not in play..how many forum members bought a Viper when they were new to be so up in arms about this business shift of the car to scrap..crying over spilled milk gets you nowhere..100 years from now what will it matter?      driving.gif

Edited by Plymouthy Adams
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I read that the Vipers were donated to schools for instruction purposes only and were not road worthy. They had a few manage to get on the road either by students or teachers and were involved in accidents. Chrysler has been sued because of this and they ordered all the others crushed to avoid any more lawsuits. 

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That makes sense.    

Over the years the manufacturers have destroyed experimental vehicles and all sortsa other things.

 

Most or all of the "dream cars" were sent to one or more junkyards around Detroit.  One operator

saved many of them, and now they have been bought by fellows like Joe Bortz who has brought

them back to life.  Some did not even run when new and on the show circuit.

 

Occasionally the company would sell an unusual car to a top executive for his personal use.   Some of

those got sold to others after a period of time.   

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I read that the Vipers were donated to schools for instruction purposes only and were not road worthy. They had a few manage to get on the road either by students or teachers and were involved in accidents. Chrysler has been sued because of this and they ordered all the others crushed to avoid any more lawsuits. 

 

 

Actually it seems Chrysler corrected that impression, saying it had no record that any of the cars had been crashed. Rather, the company claims, the cars have no more educational value because of their age, and -- this is the shocking part -- no collector value, either.

 

Considering one of them is the fourth-ever Viper and was built with a hard top long before that was ever offered on a production car, I'd argue they're very, very wrong about it's value, in particular.

 

Instead, why doesn't Chrysler order the vehicles either returned or sold into museum hands, for non-road use? The schools could buy new tools or set up scholarships with the money.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As an aside, a Plymouth Prowler is currently entombed in Tulsa, OK......put in an above ground crypt a few years ago--- to be  exhumed in 50 years.  Like the buried

57 Plymouth there, dug up in 2007.  

 

Chrysler Corp per se had nothing to do with it far as I know. 

 

I don't know how the Prowler sold vs sales for the Viper.

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As an aside, a Plymouth Prowler is currently entombed in Tulsa, OK......put in an above ground crypt a few years ago--- to be  exhumed in 50 years.  Like the buried

57 Plymouth there, dug up in 2007.  

 

Chrysler Corp per se had nothing to do with it far as I know. 

 

I don't know how the Prowler sold vs sales for the Viper.

Lets hope the Prowler comes out in better shape than the 57 did!

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