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Chrysler to Idle Viper Production Over Weak Demand

With only 91 SRT Viper supercars delivered through the first two months of 2014, Chrysler has announced plans to halt production of the coupe at the Conner Avenue Assembly in Detroit for at least two months.
2014 SRT Viper 1 photo
Photo: SRT
As a result, 91 hourly workers will be laid off starting April 14, with production to resume on June 23, the manufacturer said in a statement. Additionally, Chrysler said it had no less than 756 unsold Vipers in stock on March 1, which translates into a 412-day supply.

Last November, while talking poor Viper sales, SRT boss Ralph Gilles said that the Conner Avenue plant was booked solid and that production “could be increased starting next spring”. Well, it appears it didn’t go as planned and production of the 2014 SRT Viper will be suspended.

Chrysler declined to go into specifics regarding the future of the Viper, but said the V10-powered vehicle "is a hand-crafted American exotic car that is designed for a specific consumer that values performance, style and exclusivity. It has never been intended to be a mass-production vehicle as less than 29,000 vehicles have been produced in the past 20 years.  The ability to increase and decrease production at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant allows the company to continue to our consumer’s desire to keep these special cars exclusive."

The 2014 SRT Viper is priced from $102,485, but the sticker can blast beyond $118,000 for the TA special edition model and $124,000 for the GTS model.

In case you missed it, you can check out the 2014 SRT Viper test drive review we posted earlier this month.

Story via AutoNews
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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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