It’s been a sign of the times for a long time.
The Audubon Chrysler Center dealership in Henderson, Ky., has had a Dodge Viper parked in an interesting spot for the past 28 years … on top of a 30-foot pole.
The iconic sports car was originally installed there in 1996, but was taken down this week to be freshened up.
However, when photos of the car were posted to the Viper Club of America Facebook group, many were surprised to learn that it wasn’t just an empty shell, but a complete car.
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The fiberglass body remains in excellent condition, but in need of fresh paint, while the engine bay has seen better days and appears to have been turned into a wildlife sanctuary at some point.
The car was brought down once before 15 years ago and an Audubon representative told American Cars And Racing it’s just going to clean it up and repaint it and isn’t planning to get its 8.0-liter V10 running again.
The 1996 Viper was an update of the first generation car that was launched in 1991 and was rated at 415 hp and 488 lb-ft. It could accelerate to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and cover a quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds, according to Car and Driver, and had a top speed of 173 mph. Prices started at $61,975, which is roughly the equivalent of $125,000 today.
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Dodge released a second generation car in 2003 that lasted through 2010. After a hiatus due to Chrysler’s bankruptcy and merger with Fiat, a third generation car debuted for the 2013 model year with a 640 hp version of the V10. It lasted through 2017 when it was discontinued for good.
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Dodge has no plans to resurrect it and is currently focused on the launch of the electric Charger Daytona, which should be in showrooms before the end of this year, but you probably shouldn’t expect to see one on the pole at Audubon Chrysler Center as it is more than a ton heavier than the Viper.