Chrysler to deep-six the Viper
Former Chrysler Corp. President Tom Stallkamp said the decision was "a sad day for Chrysler."
"If you are going to be a car company, you need a vehicle with some pizzazz," Stallkamp told The Detroit News this week.
But Bob Lutz, a former president and chief operating officer at Chrysler and now General Motors Corp. vice chairman, disagreed.
He championed the Viper when it was introduced in 1992, and called the possible sale "a good thing. It's a luxury Chrysler can no longer afford. Better to sell it than watch it die," Lutz told The Detroit News.
On Wednesday, Chrysler LLC announced it hired financial consultant Lazard Ltd. to advise the company in a possible sale of the Viper brand.
Chrysler spokeswoman Lori McTavish declined to directly address Stallkamp's comments, but said no decisions have been made about Viper's future. "The move is about focusing on our core businesses really nothing more than that," she said, adding that it's "prudent" to consider offers. Detroit News
[Editor's Note: Who will buy this expensive gas guzzler in today's day and age when for the money a Corvette will run circles around it and can be used as an everyday car?]