Dodge Viper Comes Down from Dealership Sign After 28 Years

We've all seen dealers place cars in odd positions outside to draw in attention — for example, think of a Jeep showroom with Wranglers parked out front on 30º ramps. But Audubon Chrysler in Henderson, Kentucky took it to a whole new level back in May 1996, when the owners installed a first-generation Dodge Viper R/T on a towering platform high above the rural dealership — and left it there ever since.

Now, the dealership is bringing the V-10 sports car down for reconditioning and cleaning for the second time ever after three decades of wear-and-tear, according to reports from TriState Homepage. Based on photos posted to Facebook that reveal the removal process, the Viper is long overdue for a detail.

Moss, leaves, and sticks have seemingly overrun the car — it seems as though at least a few birds may have used it as the foundation of a nest — but there's still plenty of recognizable Viper pieces. There are the slider windows characteristic of early R/T versions, akin to the plexiglass holes found on true race cars. Similarly, the R/T didn't feature the Viper trademark side-exit exhaust, instead funneling its fumes out of dual-pipes in the rear. A set of chrome aftermarket wheels appear to be the only real change, allegedly installed during its first reconditioning.

Notably, the headlights and taillights work, but they run on 110-volt power from the tower it sits on, keeping the dealership from having to climb up there and replace the 12-volt battery every few days.

According to Audubon Chrysler's Alec Girvin, the sports car only had 12 miles on the od0meter when it was placed up there, and it hasn't been removed since. Facebook comments about the notorious Viper illuminate more of the story: locals and road-trippers alike shared amusement at seeing the car on the ground, with some expressing surprise to find it was an actual car.

Girvin shared additional photos of the Viper, including its last time down on the ground back in 1996; he said said the dealership is planning to repaint it, change the wheels, and is even considering getting the motor running. Another dealership employee, Travis Little, told TriState Homepage that the Viper will return to its nest in a month or so.

The inspiration behind the Viper's sky-high perch supposedly came from a local rivalry. Bennett Motors in Evansville, Indiana, was touting a marketing campaign with a Chevrolet Corvette resting in the sky, even becoming known as the dealership "where the Corvette sits high in the sky," according to reporting from local radio station WBKR. The dealership kept Corvette on elevated display until it closed in 2018... though the final Corvette itself actually stayed up into 2021.

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