Vintage footage from 1996 shows a Dodge Viper being delivered in Florida and it’s a reminder of a much simpler time
- The Dodge Viper is one of the most legendary muscle cars of the last 30 years
- The SR II Viper was released in 1996, with many now selling over the original price
- Now, we have original footage of a Viper being delivered in Florida in 1996
Published on Feb 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Feb 18, 2025 at 12:27 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
It’s more than fair to say that the world is a very different place now than it was 29 years ago.
Boybands were still a huge thing, Friends was in its third season and taking over the world, and Dodge released the second iteration of the first-generation Viper.
Codenamed “SR II” (because who doesn’t love a missile-sounding codename?), the second iteration of the Viper was released by Chrysler Motors in 1996.
And now, we have original footage of an SR II being delivered in 1996.
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Special delivery: Home footage of Viper delivered
A YouTube user called Blarneystone13 has just uploaded a very cool video.
Before the days of smartphones, people had to use camcorders to record special moments (if you’re under the age of 25, you might have to Google it).
Dodge Viper SR II GTS had unique availability
Before getting into the video, Blarneystone13 provides some amazing, interesting context in how he got his hands on the (then) brand-new SR II Viper GTS.
“Back in 1996, if you bought originally and still owned your Viper R/T-10, (we had a ’93 and still have it today) Dodge sent you a coupon good for an allocation for purchasing a 1996 Viper GTS Coupe,” he said.
“You could bring the coupon to any dealership and order the car. It was a real-life Willy Wonka Golden Ticket.
“You’d work the purchase deal directly with them and if you didn’t like the terms, you took your coupon and walked into the next dealer.
“I bought mine at Tom Edwards Dodge in Bartow, Florida. I also purchased my 93 there so they knew me well and agreed to my $500 over invoice purchase offer.”
What a fascinating origin story for such a special car.
Did anyone order a Viper?
In this very cool video, a massive truck pulls up outside the dealer with a huge car trailer in tow.
In the trailer are two brand-new, identical, dark blue SR II Viper GTS cars.
As the door comes down on the trailer, the iconic white stripes come into view.
The delivery driver then starts up that monstrous 8.0 liter, V10 engine to reverse the new supercar off the trailer, still covered in plastic wrapping from the factory.
After coming off the truck, Blarneystone13 pans his camcorder to the windshield, where the above invoice is still there.
After unloading the legendary car, the mechanics at the Dodge dealership lift the car up on the ramps for a meticulous inspection.
Many of the SR II Viper GTS models have held their value extremely well, with most reselling over the original price.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
