The Viper story in one easy bite

Let’s discuss the author before we talk about his book. If you’re into the world of Chrysler Corporation and its successors, you may not know David Zatz, but you definitely ought to know what he does. David is the founder and the original publisher at Allpar.com, an independent website and online community that covers not only all things Chrysler, but all Jeep and American Motors. If you have a question about Chrysler history, engineering or model development, car or truck, the chances are you’ll find an answer at Allpar, where more than 627,000 historical and data postings are archived. A lot of working journalists rely on Allpar when they need to find a factoid, because the 411 is ready and reliable. So it’s fitting that David Zatz is now also the author of a history on one of Chrysler’s most recently prominent offerings.

The ultra-hairy Viper, with prodigious V-10 power, caused a ruckus out of all proportion to its diminutive production total that’s still going strong. People who do a lot more than venerate Carroll Shelby are mesmerized by this outrageous sports car. In 136 hardcover pages, it tells the story of how the odd couple of Bob Lutz and Francois Castaing brainstormed this Cobra revival, and goes through all the engineering studies, which sadly included a stillborn mid-engine prototype. The full lineup of models, appointments, and the Viper’s impressive competition heritage are discussed in depth. This title comes from Veloce Publishing; we like it because it stands as an easily read model history and a very good quickie reference guide to the wild cars. You can order it direct from Veloce’s website for $27.75.