- The first-generation Dodge Viper was a 1990s nod to the original Shelby Cobras.
- With a 400-hp V-10 and a six-speed manual transmission, the Viper is hardly subtle.
- This example boasts a great and rare color combination, and you can bid on it between now and Thursday, February 22.
In wrestling terms, the Dodge Viper landed in the early 1990s like a folding metal chair to the back of the head. No windows. Side-exit exhausts that’d brand your leg like a Texas rancher. An 8.0-liter V-10—the same displacement as five of the fastest Honda Civics of the day. How is the referee allowing this? But the crowd couldn’t stop cheering.
Up for auction now on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is a part of Hearst Autos—is a stunning example of the first-generation Viper’s reptilian charms.
Whereas most early Vipers are red over gray, this car features a less common black exterior and tan interior, and a striking contrast. On the exterior, subtle cosmetic enhancements include a second-generation hood and H-pattern 18-inch wheels from a 2006–2010 Viper. It’s wearing a set of meaty Michelin Pilots out back that give this first-generation Viper even more visual swagger. Note, though, that investing in new rubber might be a good idea, as while there’s plenty of tread left, the date code indicates manufacture in 2007. Vipers can bite when pushed, and fresh tires will help tame that tendency.
Testing the Viper in 1992, Car and Driver was positively effusive: “With the wind ripping new configurations in your eyebrows, and the engine in full honk, you’re not going to give one whit about absent windows or door handles. Because this Viper is one of the most exciting rides since Ben Hur discovered the chariot.”
When new, that 8.0-liter V-10 produced 400 horsepower, and if you could stir the bulky shifter quick enough, a Viper could beat a Corvette ZR1 through the quarter-mile. The engine isn’t tuneful, loping at idle like a delivery truck, but past 3000 rpm puts out an ear-splitting roar. Each of those 10 cylinders is the size of a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, and a Viper at maximum attack sounds like it’s running on bourbon.
A mileage inconsistency is noted in 2012, but this appears to just be a clerical error, as it seems unlikely the previous owner managed to put 80,000 miles on this car in a single month. The odometer indicates 25,000 miles.
A first-generation Viper is inconvenient, slightly crude, and extremely cool. It will burn you or hurl you into a ditch if you don’t show it respect. As a 1990s homage to the devil-may-care brutality of an original Shelby Cobra, it’s now an icon in its own right.
Head on over to make your bid before the auction ends on February 22. Who’s going to stop you, the ref? Quick, while he’s looking the other way!
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.