Some have heard me say, "Viper was the last great automotive development program that could have been killed at any moment by anyone. Under the great leadership of Roy Sjoberg and a passionate team, Viper inspired millions around the world who are as passionate today as ever."

I do not think we or the car community fully grasps how innovative Chrysler had been and was in the 80's and 90's. Why, because they had to to survive. K-cars and common platforms, Mini-vans, turbo charging for power and fuel economy, cab forward design, convertibles, etc. A big part of the reason Iacocca, Lutz, Sperlich, Dauch, and others joined Chrysler was because of the challenge. In challenge, everything could be rethought. It was change or die. Even several current employees at the time like Tom Gale were drawn to Chrysler's scrappy image in the 60's fit right in with the 80's mentality and leadership.

As a kid whose father was a Chrysler exec at the time, the "Chrysler kids" looked at the Ford and GM kids knowing that Iacocca was "the man." There was energy, buzz, and excitement the others didn't have.

The year Viper was shown at the NAIAS in Detroit, changed my life and many of us. That same year, Chrysler and Dodge change the truck market as much, maybe even more, than Viper would change the sports car world.

I was fortunate to be a part-timer at Dodge City in Warren, MI from 1986 to 1991 filling on the line Monday and Fridays - usually putting on 70lb step bumpers 450 times a night. When the Cummins came out and started down the line, every assembly employee knew it was a game changer. The sound at start-up and off the line was magical.

To understand the environment that created Cummins with Ram and the Viper with the V-10 is to understand why Stellantis and the rest will never impact the automotive industry close to this level. Chrysler's history is littered with engine history - slant 6, 340, 383, 440, 426, I-6 4.0 Jeep, I-6 5.9 Cummins, 8.0 V-10, and more. Great cars with dream inspiring engines, but we also owe it to a long lineage of scrappy, creative engineers lead by some of the most historic leaders.


https://www.hemmings.com/stories/202...ign=2022-01-13