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Lee Iacocca's very first Dodge Viper RT/10 nets $285,500 at auction

The first 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 to roll down the assembly line, which was snapped up by Chrysler chief Lee Iacocca, yesterday hammered at the Bonhams auction in Arizona for $285,500, more than double the pre-sale estimate. According to a history of the car published by the auction house, Iacocca, in his introduction of the Viper to the press, pointed to the car on stage and said, "This one right here is mine." That historic Viper, with serial number 001, has never been available on the open market, as Iacocca kept the car from new until he passed away last year. The car has been driven just 6,200 miles and was being sold by his estate. Other Lee Iacocca cars offered at the same sale fared less well. A 1986 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country convertible — the ultimate expression of Iacocca's company-saving K-cars — with 20,500 miles on it sold for $19,040. That's less than the $20,000 to $25,000 the auction house had estimated the car would bring. A third car from the former auto executive's estate was a customized 2009 Ford Mustang. The pony car was one of a limited run of 45 Iacocca-branded custom Mustangs, which were reworked by Metalcrafters and sold by Galpin Ford in Los Angeles. The Iacocca Mustang, never titled and with 220 miles on it, hammered for $49,280. Related Video:     Featured Gallery Lee Iacocca's 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 View 13 Photos Celebrities Chrysler Dodge Auctions Automotive History

Special Dodge Challengers get Hellcat bits to celebrate Mopar's 80th birthday

This year, Mopar is celebrating its 80th anniversary, and it's doing so in two-tone style with this very limited edition Dodge Challenger. Only 160 of these Challengers will be built, with 80 in each paint scheme. Buyers can choose between either Billet Silver or the slightly painful sounding Contusion Blue, each of which gets a hand-painted Pitch Black top half. These Challengers are based on the existing 392 Shaker package, but come with an array of upgrades and tweaks. In addition to the custom two-tone paint, the shaker scoop and rear spoiler are painted in the same color, rather than the usual matte black. The cars come with 20-inch wheels and hand-painted 392 logos on the fenders. The 392 cu. in., or 6.4-liter if you prefer, engine produces the same 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque as its normal counterpart. This Mopar Challenger will have more access to cold air, though, since it has both the shaker scoop and the headlamp intake from the Challenger Hellcat. At the back, there's also exhaust tips borrowed from the most hellish of Challengers. Or at least the most hellish, so far. View 14 Photos Inside, the changes are more minor. Performance seats are added with embroidered Mopar logos in the backrests. The seats and other trim also feature a silver-colored Tungsten stitching. Naturally, a serial number badge makes an appearance inside, too. Owners will also receive a little box of goodies including a booklet, signed rendering, keychain, additional badge, and a certificate showing the date of manufacture. The overall package is rather attractive, but it isn't cheap. To own one of the few Mopar Challengers, you'll have to fork over $56,885. That's a significant premium over the 392 Scat Pack Shaker, which starts at just $44,890 and makes just as much power. You'll also be able to get a 392 Scat Pack Shaker right away, while the Mopar special edition won't be out until spring. Plus, you may not get it until summer because the hand-painting process takes some time. Of course, for some people, the cost and the wait are worth the exclusivity. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

China's Great Wall confirms its interest — in Jeep, or all of FCA

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI — Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor reiterated its interest in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Tuesday, but said it had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. China's largest sport utility vehicle manufacturer made a direct overture to Fiat Chrysler on Monday, with an official saying the company was interested in all or part of FCA, owner of the Jeep and Ram truck brands. Automotive News first reported the news, quoting Great Wall Motor President Wang Fengying as saying she planned to contact FCA to discuss acquiring the Jeep brand specifically. Those comments sent FCA shares higher but also raised questions over the ability of China's seventh-largest automaker by sales to buy larger Western rival FCA, or even Jeep, which some analysts value at as much as one-and-a-half times FCA. Great Wall sought to dampen speculation on Tuesday. It confirmed it had studied Fiat Chrysler, but said there was "no concrete progress so far" and "substantial uncertainty" over whether it would eventually bid. "The company has not built any relationship with the directors of FCA nor has the company entered into any discussion or signed any agreements with any officer of FCA so far," the company said in an English-language stock exchange filing. It did not give further detail. Fiat Chrysler stock dipped on the statement on Tuesday. Great Wall said trading in its Shanghai-listed shares would resume on Wednesday after having been suspended. Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on Great Wall's statement. On Monday, it said it had not been approached and was fully committed to implementing its current business plan. FLUSHING OUT RIVALS? Great Wall Motor, which was early to spot China's love of SUVs, had revenue of $14.8 billion last year and sold 1.07 million vehicles - but that compares with FCA's 2016 revenue of 111 billion euros ($130.6 billion). Analysts said Great Wall would need to raise both debt and equity to complete any deal, meaning its chairman Wei Jianjun could lose majority control. One possible scenario, according to analysts at Jefferies, would see Wei keeping a roughly 30 percent stake, while Great Wall would raise $10-$14 billion in debt and $10 billion in equity - hefty for a group currently worth just $16 billion. Ultimately, politics could be the clincher.