Dodge Viper production ceased, plant to close August

The curtain is about to be drawn on the Dodge Viper, which will no longer be produced by the end of next month. Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit, Michigan, will be closed August 31, according to reports in the United States. The 87 employees who will be affected by this plant closure are set to be offered employment at other Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) locations, the automaker said.

“We are still committed to the City of Detroit, and the Conner Avenue facility will remain part of that,” FCA spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in a statement. Viper sales are up 33% to 402 units this year through June according to the news outlet, and more than 30,000 Vipers have been built in Detroit since its debut.

The iconic American coupe boasted of a V10 engine displacing 8.0 litres, 8.3 litres and 8.4 litres as it went through its first, second and third generations respectively, culminating in outputs of 645 hp and 814 Nm of torque. In its most potent ACR guise, it featured adjustable aero components, adjustable dampers, and carbon-ceramic brakes, among others, for the track day Viper enthusiast.

Production commenced in 1992 at the Mack Avenue Assembly Plant until 1994, and was moved to the Conner Avenue facility from 1995 onwards. Production was halted from July 2010 to December 2012 for plant refurbishment, in time for the 2013 model-year Viper. It will surely be missed, certainly by the ‘no replacement for displacement’ brigade among enthusiasts. Which is your favourite iteration of the Dodge Viper?

GALLERY: Dodge Viper ACR

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