It wasn’t so long ago that Fiat Chrysler devastated gearheads by announcing it would cease producing its Viper after the 2017 model year. Among the related casualties was the Conner Assembly Plant in Detroit, which was still assembling the highly specialized Vipers by hand, and staffed nearly 90 employees. Once the lights went out on the Viper, the factory shut down in August of 2017, leaving the 60-year-old plant near Detroit’s 8-Mile Road an empty relic of the Motor Age.
Well last week, Fiat Chrysler made an announcement that could win some favor with car enthusiasts and Detroit historians alike. The company plans to re-open Conner as an event and meeting space that will also display a large number of Fiat Chrysler’s classic and concept cars, including models like the 1902 Rambler and 1924 Chrysler Touring. While the space will open in 2018 for events, it is possible it will be available to the public for tours in the future as well.
Accompanying the announcement, Fiat Chrysler also stated that it would be kicking off an auction as a fundraiser for the United Way of Southeast Michigan. Apparently, when the automaker was disassembling the Conner plant, it came across hundreds of items of memorabilia relating to the Viper and fellow icon the Plymouth Prowler. The company will take online bids for things like signed vehicle hoods, posters, and even a one-of-a-kind sketch of the Viper GTS, accompanied by the portraits – and signatures – of three former Chrysler execs involved in the development of the vehicle. The auction only runs through April 13, so if you want to own a piece of automotive history, you’ll have to act quickly.