Photo: Classic Auto Mall
The first generation Dodge Viper is a mythical folk hero of an American automobile. The first true to form American sports car since the Shelby Cobra, subsequent generations failed to capture quite the same level of magic.
With no airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, or any safety precautions besides a federally mandated seatbelt, this 1994 Viper is available via the Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. After close analysis, it has to be one of the bargains of the century. One would think a sports car of such great significance would be an easy six-figure automobile all day long.
But with a shade over 38,000 miles (61,155 km) on the odometer, even all the torque of the Viper's mighty eight-liter V10 engine fails to stop the relentless onslaught that is depreciation. When looking at this Viper, it's clear that depreciation is a phenomenon not at all tied to human emotions, the stunning Viper Red paint scheme we've all come to know and love makes any car rocking it look like a million bucks.
As for the grey leather interior in the 94 Viper, it appears spartan and bare-bones because it absolutely is. In the years after the first-generation Viper, interior quality would indeed improve gradually. But back in 1994? It was like stepping inside a car from the late mid-80s, even if it was built in the mid-90s. But do you think any red-blooded American gearhead cares about any of that? Heck no!
If anything, the raw, unimpeded intensity and brutality that is the first-generation Dodge Viper is precisely the reason why it's so profoundly beloved. That's why the asking price of this particular example has our jaws hitting the floor. The price for it all? A measly $64,000, or around $36,000 less than we'd ever expect a car with this level of prestige to sell for. A classic American icon for less than $100 grand? Sign us the heck up.
But with a shade over 38,000 miles (61,155 km) on the odometer, even all the torque of the Viper's mighty eight-liter V10 engine fails to stop the relentless onslaught that is depreciation. When looking at this Viper, it's clear that depreciation is a phenomenon not at all tied to human emotions, the stunning Viper Red paint scheme we've all come to know and love makes any car rocking it look like a million bucks.
As for the grey leather interior in the 94 Viper, it appears spartan and bare-bones because it absolutely is. In the years after the first-generation Viper, interior quality would indeed improve gradually. But back in 1994? It was like stepping inside a car from the late mid-80s, even if it was built in the mid-90s. But do you think any red-blooded American gearhead cares about any of that? Heck no!
If anything, the raw, unimpeded intensity and brutality that is the first-generation Dodge Viper is precisely the reason why it's so profoundly beloved. That's why the asking price of this particular example has our jaws hitting the floor. The price for it all? A measly $64,000, or around $36,000 less than we'd ever expect a car with this level of prestige to sell for. A classic American icon for less than $100 grand? Sign us the heck up.
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