Monday, 25 June 2018 14:50

Historical Dodge//SRT and Barrett-Jackson 'The Ultimate Last Chance' Auction Scores $1 Million for the United Way

• Unique pairing of two performance legends – the final 2017 Dodge Viper and final 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon – was a highlight at Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction in Connecticut

• 100 percent of $1 million hammer price for both of these iconic muscle cars benefiting the United Way

• 'The Ultimate Last Chance' lot included several pieces of memorabilia, such as authentication kits for each vehicle containing custom build sheets, authenticity letters, certification cards, iPads with videos and pictures, and other custom branded items

It was the type of offering that makes bidders and fans stop and pay attention: the last of two record-setting performance legends – the final 840-horsepower 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and the final 645-horsepower 2017 Dodge Viper – sold as a pair at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on Saturday, June 23.

The bidding was spirited, befitting the combined 1,485 horsepower of the cars on the stage. When the hammer dropped to end the "The Ultimate Last Chance" auction, the top bidder became the new owner of the Dodge Viper and Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, and the United Way was the winner, receiving 100 percent of the hammer price. The final price ranked as the highest during the four-day Barrett-Jackson auction.

"We know the power of the Dodge Viper and Dodge Challenger SRT Demon to put a smile on people's faces; we're smiling today because we know the power of this donation to the United Way," said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT – FCA North America. "These particular vehicles mark the end of their eras as the last vehicles of their kind to be built; it's rare to have just one such vehicle cross the auction block, much less a pair at the same time."

"We are honored that Dodge chose Barrett-Jackson for this historic sale of the last production Viper and Demon," said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. "We've been fortunate to have many incredible moments on the auction block for charity sales over the years and this was another one. The winner is taking home two spectacular and historically significant vehicles, and we can't thank Dodge enough for bringing this special moment to our Northeast Auction at Mohegan Sun."

Both cars wear the same Viper Red color (production code LRN) that was part of the Viper color palette. The auctioned Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was hand painted to match after it left the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada.

The 8.4-liter, V-10-powered Dodge Viper was hand-built at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit. The last production 2017 Dodge Viper pays homage to the first-generation Dodge Viper RT/10 with its Viper Red exterior and black interior. The car includes exterior carbon fiber accents, black Alcantara leather seats and an exclusive VIN instrument panel badge.

The supercharged 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon stands alone with its 840-horsepower rating, street-legal drag radial tires and record-setting performance -- first front-wheel lift in a production car, certified by Guinness World Records, and world's fastest quarter-mile production car (9.65 seconds ET/140 mph), certified by the National Hot Rod Association. Production of the Challenger SRT Demon was limited to only one model year.

"The Ultimate Last Chance" lot included several pieces of memorabilia, such as authentication kits for each vehicle containing custom build sheets, authenticity letters, certification cards, iPads with videos and photos, and other custom branded items.

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