This might be a stupid question ?

[Anonymous]

How did Sneaky Pete get his name?

[Luisv]

Somebody gave him the name...







Sorry.... sorry.... could not help myself.

I've found a few things over the years. It seems that Bob Lutz and Tom Gale agreed on the "Viper" name on travel back from some event. However, not much is mentioned on the "Sneaky Pete". All the logos have names. "Sneaky Pete" was first for the Gen 1 & 2. "Fangs" is the snake for Gen 3 & 4. "Stryker" is the Gen 5 snake. I think the most common story is that the person that designed the first logo, drew it up, named it "Sneaky Pete". After that, there is probably some corporate committee that now spends 5 weeks coming up with the new name....

In the end... yep... I think that somebody just named it and from then on Chrysler liked the idea of giving it a name....

[Shooter]

Sounds like a JonB question. He knows his snake Hisstory

[Anonymous]

Anyone?

[VYPR BYT]

Anyone?

pulling out the big guns... below is from Grail Keeper - hang tight

"Mike.....

The name for the logo came quite a number of years after the program started. I think it came from one of the clubs. I'll forward your note to Roy and see if he knows. Stay tuned.....hjh"

Mike

[Coloviper]

Alright! Jon B still has time to chime in. Ha! Ha!

[Luisv]

My money sits with the original designer of the logo that named it...

Funny would be that the designer was a guy/gal in some little design firm and now drives a Prius....

[GuitarSteve2112]

Sneaky Pete: A stylized snake with a mischievous grin on its face, mouth partially open to expose two razor sharp fangs. Mischief is associated with being sly or sneaky. By far my favourite Viper "mascot."

Fangs: Gen 3 and 4: Once again a stylized snake but looking more aggressive with a wide open mouth showing off its fangs.

Stryker: Gen 5: A snake, ready to strike its prey. Can we assume its prey will be an American car with a sting ray badge and flags on it? Oh my my, oh hell yeah!

[Anonymous]

Still doesn't explain the Pete part!

[Luisv]

Sneaky Pete: A stylized snake with a mischievous grin on its face, mouth partially open to expose two razor sharp fangs. Mischief is associated with being sly or sneaky. By far my favourite Viper "mascot."

Fangs: Gen 2 and 3: Once again a stylized snake but looking more aggressive with a wide open mouth showing off its fangs.

Stryker: Gen 5: A snake, ready to strike its prey. Can we assume its prey will be an American car with a sting ray badge and flags on it? Oh my my, oh hell yeah!

Fangs is Gen 3 and 4. Pete is Gen 1 & 2.

[Bill Pemberton]

A sly and sneaky smile.......................hmmm, makes one think of that ironic look infamous Viper Engineer Pete Gladysz normally has on his face, so......................I vote that the guys on Viper Team said, " That Snake has that sardonic grin just like Gladysz?" The response would have been, " Yep, he is another sneaky Pete!!! "

[Luisv]

works for me....

[Anonymous]

Thanks Bill that story would make sense.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

I JUST SAW THIS!

I spoke to both Roy Sjoberg and Sandy Emerling recently about this! [while helping to sponsor the 25-year Team Viper reunion at Roys.] They both say that while the logo itself came from the TEAM, and not the design office. Guy may have been Chris Komisnsy per Sandy. Team members are very proud of the 1st doo-dad that Roy made up, a Viper logo coffee cup.

As Herb indicated, and Sandy confirmed, the name was invented later. It was NOT a Team Viper name: and some of them did NOT like the 'silly' sneaky name. Sandy said it was NOT named for Pete Gladys..... and I am confident I would know that if it was Pete G.

My recall is admittedly weak, but here is how I remember it: It first arose at the very same event and time the 3 fingered "SNAKE SALUTE" was created. VOI-1. Some CA and OR-WA owners were chatting that the logo was winking, no, really SLY looking, as if he was being sneaky about something. And we HAD to come up with a name for him. Harold Cocolin of CA may have been one guy. They guy leading the cocktail chat was PETE AGALZOFF(R.I.P.) who had just arranged for 5 of us to sneak away for a private tour of the Mound Road Viper Engine line, with a Dodge Exec who had to remain nameless and mum. Mound Road was NOT on the agenda. Off Limits. We had just learned earlier that the whole Viper program was brought about in a sneaky manner by Lutz and Sjoberg, belatedly approved by Iacocca.

Pete wanted a way for Viper drivers to say HI to other Vipers, esp while 200 of us were in MI! Like sports car waves of old, vette waves, Harley waves, etc. Like a secret handshake of sorts! The whole scenario resulted in the Snake Salute from a CA couple at the table (may have been Harold and Marion Cocolin?) as we were all doing the salute to each other, and calling the snake-salute 'SNEAKY PETE' while poking fun at Pete Agalzoff. Pete wanted a way for Viper owners to wave at each other! Someone said "Sneaky Pete" would be a good name for the Snake Logo....and for the SALUTE itself, and the Sneaky Pete moniker seemed to stick. The Snake salute caught on quickly. By the end of VOI people were taking collective pics with the Snake Salute, and virtually every regional presidents photo afterwards and since was of owners doing the Salute.

And the Jean Randall 74-year old "Little Old Lady from Kansas City" parody of the Beach Boys was created later that same night.

It should be noted that All of this was going on with considerable quantities of adult beverages being consumed. But I was never one to drink to excess!

[Bill Pemberton]

Well , darn Mister Brobst, I just made up my little story , since Pete Gladysz is a friend and he does have a rather wry smile at times, ha. Sounded pretty darn good to a bunch of the engineers that worked with him , I bet?

Thanks Jon, we all appreciate the history and now we know the rest of the story.............

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Pete Gladys is indeed a raging genius.

Pete Agalzoff was gone by year 2003. Brain cancer.

Back in 1990 or so he had won the largest State Lottery in Oregon history up to that time...close to $10 mil. I knew him for almost 3 YEARS before his travel agent matter-of-factly mentioned it, assuming I knew! I didn't. You would never know....he ran his own engine shop / performance shop, and his only extravagance was to buy a 1993 Viper just after I got mine....he had called for some advise. He helped fund the formation of our Pac-NW chapter, and wrote the "Viper 10 Commandments" for our club: I still remember #1: When driving your Viper, always take the long way.
And #10 was this: Remember, its just a Dodge.

If you were at VOI-1 for the Owner Photo, you may remember it started to rain. Pete and I were used to rain, and quickly-installing our soft tops. We were parked side-by-side as the rain bega,. We raced each other to assemble our tops first! I won. Maybe he won. But several (10+?) people began waving MONEY at us to help them install their Soft Top, many for the first time! Im sure you 10 will remember those goofy guys from Oregon. We did not take the money...

Pete attended every VOI. He convoyed to Monterey, Indy, Fla, and Molson Indy Vancouver where we founded the BC club; By 1997 he asked me to stand up for him at his wedding. The reception hoop-la with family etc made it know that Pete had $$$$.....And he later apologized for NOT telling me, and I told him that I had known for a couple years anyway. (I guess we were both sneaky?) He was afraid that money might change new relationships like it had old. So he never mentioned it again.

He was the 1st guy to ever compete a Viper in the Pony Express 100.....what a VIP he was due to the VIPER in 93! The first owner that I know of that ported-polished and extrude honed his own BRAND NEW motor. He created his own plexi-side windows. Flat, vented. He gave a set to our local club treasurer. He was also the first HPDE wreck of a Viper that I ever saw. He rebuilt it himself, and did NOT tell his insurance. When he got sick, he sold his business to his small employee group for next to nothing, a gift to them really. He went to Russia to fly a Mig 29; HE SPOKE RUSSIAN! Agalzoff is a Russian surname. His family had a large WA Cherry orchard.....

The last time I saw him was in home-hospice. He wanted to see my lastest Viper, a G2 ACR....but he was bed-ridden. Somehow he managed to get up and outside by the time I arrived. He wheeled past his 2 Buell motorcycles, and walked with a cane to sit in my drivers seat. A slow, painful process. He ran the motor. Too dizzy to go for a ride, he sat there for a LONG time....

His wife says that was the most she had seen him move or talk in two weeks.....he even ate some solid food. And we joked and smiled a lot. Sneaky Pete was one of the topics....... 3 days later he was gone. The last car he ever sat in was my Viper.


Every regional club has a story or two like this..........thanks for helping me remember (Sneaky) Pete Agalzoff.....

[Shooter]

Pete Gladys is indeed a raging genius.

Pete Agalzoff was gone by year 2001. Brain cancer.

Back in 1992 or so he had won the largest State Lottery in Oregon history up to that time...close to $10 mil. I knew him for almost 3 YEARS before his travel agent matter-of-factly mentioned it, assuming I knew! I didn't. You would never know....he ran his own engine shop / performance shop, and his only extravagance was to buy a 1993 Viper just after I got mine....he had called for some advise. He helped fund the formation of our Pac-NW chapter, and wrote the "Viper 10 Commandments" for our club: I still remember #1: When driving your Viper, always take the long way.
And #10 was this: Remember, its just a Dodge.

If you were at VOI-1 for the Owner Photo, you may remember it started to rain. Pete and I were used to rain, and quickly-installing our soft tops. We were parked side-by-side as the rain bega,. We raced each other to assemble our tops first! I won. Maybe he won. But several (10+?) people began waving MONEY at us to help them install their Soft Top, many for the first time! Im sure you 10 will remember those goofy guys from Oregon. We did not take the money...

Pete attended every VOI. He convoyed to Monterey, Indy, Fla, and Molson Indy Vancouver where we founded the BC club; By 1997 he asked me to stand up for him at his wedding. The reception hoop-la with family etc made it know that Pete had $$$$.....And he later apologized for NOT telling me, and I told him that I had known for a couple years anyway. (I guess we were both sneaky?) He was afraid that money might change new relationships like it had old. So he never mentioned it again.

He was the 1st guy to ever compete a Viper in the Pony Express 100.....what a VIP he was due to the VIPER in 93! The first owner that I know of that ported-polished and extrude honed his own BRAND NEW motor. He created his own plexi-side windows. Flat, vented. He gave a set to our local club treasurer. He was also the first HPDE wreck of a Viper that I ever saw. He rebuilt it himself, and did NOT tell his insurance. When he got sick, he sold his business to his small employee group for next to nothing, a gift to them really. He went to Russia to fly a Mig 29; HE SPOKE RUSSIAN! Agalzoff is a Russian surname. His family had a large WA Cherry orchard.....

The last time I saw him was in home-hospice. He wanted to see my lastest Viper, a G2 ACR....but he was bed-ridden. Somehow he managed to get up and outside by the time I arrived. He wheeled past his 2 Buell motorcycles, and walked with a cane to sit in my drivers seat. A slow, painful process. He ran the motor. Too dizzy to go for a ride, he sat there for a LONG time....

His wife says that was the most she had seen him move or talk in two weeks.....he even ate some solid food. And we joked and smiled a lot. Sneaky Pete was one of the topics....... 3 days later he was gone. The last car he ever sat in was my Viper.


Every regional club has a story or two like this..........thanks for helping me remember (Sneaky) Pete Agalzoff.....

Thank you for sharing that story Jon.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

PS. He has a Viper RT/10 on his headstone....

[Anonymous]

I am so glad Jon answered that!

[Viper Girl]

Pete Gladys is indeed a raging genius.

Pete Agalzoff was gone by year 2001. Brain cancer.

Back in 1992 or so he had won the largest State Lottery in Oregon history up to that time...close to $10 mil. I knew him for almost 3 YEARS before his travel agent matter-of-factly mentioned it, assuming I knew! I didn't. You would never know....he ran his own engine shop / performance shop, and his only extravagance was to buy a 1993 Viper just after I got mine....he had called for some advise. He helped fund the formation of our Pac-NW chapter, and wrote the "Viper 10 Commandments" for our club: I still remember #1: When driving your Viper, always take the long way.
And #10 was this: Remember, its just a Dodge.

If you were at VOI-1 for the Owner Photo, you may remember it started to rain. Pete and I were used to rain, and quickly-installing our soft tops. We were parked side-by-side as the rain bega,. We raced each other to assemble our tops first! I won. Maybe he won. But several (10+?) people began waving MONEY at us to help them install their Soft Top, many for the first time! Im sure you 10 will remember those goofy guys from Oregon. We did not take the money...

Pete attended every VOI. He convoyed to Monterey, Indy, Fla, and Molson Indy Vancouver where we founded the BC club; By 1997 he asked me to stand up for him at his wedding. The reception hoop-la with family etc made it know that Pete had $$$$.....And he later apologized for NOT telling me, and I told him that I had known for a couple years anyway. (I guess we were both sneaky?) He was afraid that money might change new relationships like it had old. So he never mentioned it again.

He was the 1st guy to ever compete a Viper in the Pony Express 100.....what a VIP he was due to the VIPER in 93! The first owner that I know of that ported-polished and extrude honed his own BRAND NEW motor. He created his own plexi-side windows. Flat, vented. He gave a set to our local club treasurer. He was also the first HPDE wreck of a Viper that I ever saw. He rebuilt it himself, and did NOT tell his insurance. When he got sick, he sold his business to his small employee group for next to nothing, a gift to them really. He went to Russia to fly a Mig 29; HE SPOKE RUSSIAN! Agalzoff is a Russian surname. His family had a large WA Cherry orchard.....

The last time I saw him was in home-hospice. He wanted to see my lastest Viper, a G2 ACR....but he was bed-ridden. Somehow he managed to get up and outside by the time I arrived. He wheeled past his 2 Buell motorcycles, and walked with a cane to sit in my drivers seat. A slow, painful process. He ran the motor. Too dizzy to go for a ride, he sat there for a LONG time....

His wife says that was the most she had seen him move or talk in two weeks.....he even ate some solid food. And we joked and smiled a lot. Sneaky Pete was one of the topics....... 3 days later he was gone. The last car he ever sat in was my Viper.


Every regional club has a story or two like this..........thanks for helping me remember (Sneaky) Pete Agalzoff.....

That was awesome Jon... I'll never look at Sneaky Pete the same again... (Sneaky) Pete Agalzoff, was a true Viperholic...

[vipertank]

Great stories being shared here!

[Bill Pemberton]

Way cool, Jon, thanks for answering my tongue in cheek made up story and letting us know about Pete Agalzoff -- great , great story!!

[v10enomous]

My understanding is that Sneaky Pete was a sock puppet that appeared occasionally on the children's TV show Lamb Chop... Ok... that's total BS.

[Vprbite]

Wow great story, Jon. Thanks for sharing. It seems there is no shortage of this car having a very real, very visceral, and life affirming effect on people. Far more so than other exotics. I have a theory on that formed by time working with high end exotics in the body industry and my psych minor, but it's a different story for another time. For now, I will enjoy Jon's story and what a special thing these cars continue t be

I honestly had no idea where the name came from. But people would always remark that they liked the logo, especially when they saw it on my key (perhaps Jon can tell us why my 02 key had the plastic head but was cut-out, or die-cut maybe is the word, so that the logo was not the entire portion of the center part of the key. It only connected to the "bezel" where necessary, the rest was thin air. But not all Gen II or even 02 keys that I saw were like that. Pete was even on the back of my 02 fob.) but people would comment that they liked the logo. Though, anyone under the age of 30 usually giggled pretty incessantly (I was 29 when I got that car, so include me in the giggles too I suppose) when I told them the official name of the logo. For those that don't know, please don't discuss it here. PM me and I will explain and send a link. For those that do know, well you get it. I still believe it to be my favorite logo though. I don't know if it's cause you always have a special place in your heart for your first Viper and Logo, or if cause that was the Logo when I couldn't count to the amount of hours I would have had to work at the car wash I did to afford one when they came out, or if it is just simply my favorite. But I have always liked it best, no matter how much I like the others.

[BlknBlu]

thanks for the story, that was really nice. Crossroads of America only has Onoxious Josh, not sure that will make the list of future Viper names.

Bruce