Viper owners sure know how to throw a party.
About 500 hale and hearty members of that special auto club attended a gala just hours after the 2013 SRT® Viper and its soul mate, the non-street legal and competition-ready 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R, were introduced to the media at the New York International Auto Show last month. And the owners – from all over North America and abroad – were able to get an up-close look at the two motorized guests of honor at the gala held at Skylight SoHo in the SoHo section of Manhattan.
“Chrysler hit a home run with these two models,” said Charles Cole from Steamboat Springs, Colo. “They are absolutely stunning just sitting here. Imagine what they’ll look like on a track!”
The
sight of these two supercars seemed to make the well-heeled owners
weak at the knees, while at the same time shifting the atmosphere
in the room into high gear. And the deep pockets of the Viper
owners were matched only by their big hearts. A $50,000 check was
presented to the New York Police and
Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. The money
was raised from the registration fees that the Viper owners paid to
attend the event.Later in the evening, public and silent auctions raised more than $110,000 for the Young Detroit Builders project, which, among other activities, rebuilds and repairs homes for low-income families. Its members also participate in community service projects.
Finally, the members of the SRT Team announced that the very first hand-made 2013 SRT Viper to come off of the Connor Avenue Plant assembly line in Detroit would be auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson Auction House. The owners went wild upon hearing the news. Barrett-Jackson issued a statement:
“It is an honor for Barrett-Jackson to offer such a significant car at our Orange County event to benefit such an exceptional cause as the Austin Hatcher Foundation (for Pediatric Cancer, the American Le Mans Series’ official charity). We are proud to be a part of what is sure to be a monumental and memorable moment for all involved.”
The Barrett-Jackson Orange County (Calif.) auction featuring the sale of the first 2013 SRT Viper will be the weekend of June 22-24, 2012.
See our Flickr set for more images from the SRT Viper reception.
Image
One of the many items during the silent auction was a print of the various early versions of the new SRT Viper Stryker logo.
