It was bad news for students and faculty at South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) in Olympia, Washington \u2013 their prized 1992 Dodge Viper SRT (believed to be the fourth Viper ever made and one of the first hardtops) is living on borrowed time\u2014two weeks to be exact.<\/p>\n
Chrysler informed the SPSCC automotive technology department that their Viper, one of 93 first-generation Dodge Vipers, was on the chopping block, and ordered them to crush the car within two weeks. This kind of damage probably won\u2019t be covered by any car insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n The car, a pre-production model and not certified for street use, was originally donated by Chrysler to Shoreline Community College, but SPSCC took possession of it in 2007.<\/p>\n Car manufacturers commonly loan vehicles to educational programs to teach students about car repair and engineering. The Viper has been estimated to be worth $250,000, but the school is not allowed to sell it because Chrysler still maintains legal ownership of the vehicle. Even celebrity car collector Jay Leno tried to buy this Viper from Chrysler, but they turned him down since the car is not street legal.<\/p>\n SPSCC wasn\u2019t given an official reason for the request, but it\u2019s rumored that the destruction of the Vipers are the result of two educational Vipers that \u201cgot loose\u201d and were involved in accidents on public roads, leading to millions of dollars in claims against the automaker.<\/p>\n